Here is the official press release:

Iron Man Magazine Publisher John Balik reported today that the Pro Fight Supplements Iron Man Pro bodybuilding contest, originally slated to take place on Saturday, January 23, 2010, is being rescheduled for an as of yet undetermined date. The contest, which celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2009, is one of the longest running IFBB Pro shows in the world.

For the last six years, the Iron Man Pro has been held in conjunction with The Bodybuilding.com Los Angeles Fitness Expo, produced by National Fitness Productions. With over 20,000 attendees, 250 exhibitors, and an incredible line-up of fitness, physique, martial arts and strength contests, it is one of the country’s largest and fastest growing consumer fitness expos.

“The Expo has been a huge success and is growing every year” said Balik. “But when it was held in late February, two weeks before the Arnold Classic to accommodate the Iron Man Pro, some companies just couldn’t exhibit at it. Shipping their booths coast-to-coast and asking their staff to work back-to-back expos was just too much for some of them.”

So when National Fitness Productions elected to move the Expo to the third weekend in January last year, dozens more companies were able to come out from the Midwest and East Coast to exhibit. However, as Balik noted, “for the pro bodybuilders, it meant having to train and diet through the holiday season and then try to peak again six weeks later for the Arnold and other IFBB contests that follow it.”

“And in spite of the huge crowds that attend the Expo and the myriad of sponsors that support it, ticket sales to the Iron Man Pro continue to decline, making it a challenge to produce the contest profitably.”

Balik added, “The quality of the athletes is the cornerstone of any events success. The rich twenty year history of the Iron Man Pro is the direct result of the wonderful IFBB athletes who have supported it. From the first winner, Shawn Ray, to the 20th, Silvio Samuel, and the current Mr. Olympia, Jay Cutler, the list of champions is a who’s who of IFBB Pro Bodybuilding.”

Balik went on to say he is investigating alternative dates and venues at which to hold the Iron Man Pro, either in late February just prior to the Arnold Classic, or perhaps in May around the time of the New York Pro Show.

Moving the Contest to either of these time slots would mean the bodybuilders could gear their training and dieting for multiple shows on back-to-back weekends, giving them chances for multiple paydays and Mr. Olympia qualifying finishes. In turn, the deeper line-ups will hopefully draw more fans to the contests which would be good for the promoters, the sponsors and the sport.

Source: http://www.ironmanpro.com/index.php

At the recent FAME International Championships in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, a familiar sight took place as every competitor was introduced one by one and brought on stage at the commencement of the show. It definitely gave it the feel of a Broadway production and immediately livened up the crowd before their seats even were warm.

These athletes may not be as well known as Jay Cutler or Iris Kyle, but by individualizing them before they did their own routine put a name to the face. It gave the audience a closeness and almost family-like relationship with these men and women. A unique trait, to say the least.

By promoting natural bodybuilding and the BodyProud lifestyle, these athletes also gave the audience hope and a more realistic goal for themselves if they so choose. These physiques, while very impressive, are attainable if one dedicates his or herself to the right diet, exercise program and rest. The proof was right up there on stage under the lights.

Before the awards were given, all of the athletes were again called on stage to be given participation certificates. For many, that was as good as winning their category. A good number of them were competing for the very first time and when they first made that life-changing decision being in a show was a long-range goal. That in itself says a lot.

The top three in every category took home souvenir swords and this was another unique trait in FAME. A medal, crystal or statue is common but how many times have you seen a full-length Samuari sword and sheath being posed with at a bodybuilding contest?

Everyone was a winner at the War Memorial on November 7 – the competitors and audience alike. If you have never attended a FAME event, words cannot do it justice. You need to witness it for yourself.

Ingram, in addition to bodybuilding, is also an active member of the United States Navy. He was deployed to Yokosuka, Japan on a guided missile frigate, the USS Vandegrift, from April 2000 to May 2004. During that time, he was deployed on numerous missions supporting the war on terror, including Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Be sure to visit Ingram’s personal website, www.leoingram.com.

MuscleSport Radio can be heard live every Tuesday from 1:00 to 2:00 PM Eastern time onwww.blogtalkradio.com and all episodes are archived on Blog Talk Radio, MuscleSport Mag and iTunes.

Please feel free to join us and give us your opinion, ask a question or make a comment. Our call-in number is 347-884-8157.

UPCOMING GUESTS

September 22 – NPC fitness athlete/model Brenda Kelly

MuscleSport Radio has enjoyed a steady flow of special guests since launching, with famous names in the bodybuilding and sports industry such as Samir Bannout, Bill Grant, Boyer Coe, Troy Brown, Ronnie Coleman, Gunter Schlierkamp, Heather Mae French, Cathy LeFrancois, Colette Nelson, Cathy LeFrancois, Dena Westerfield, Bill Romanowski, Tony Mandarich, “Leapin’” Lanny Poffo, Taylor Boyd, Steve Michalik, Dan Lurie, Emy Silvagni, Rae Holitt, Tom Terwilliger, Dan “The Beast” Severn, Kevin Levrone, Layne Norton, Randy Roach, Debi Laszewski and more.

LEO INGRAM’S CONTEST HISTORY

2009 IFBB Europa Super Show & Supplement Expo 9th Place

2009 IFBB Tampa Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Championships 7th Place

2009 IFBB New York Pro 14th Place

2008 IFBB Olympia 17th Place

2008 IFBB Houston Pro Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Contest 3rd Place

2008 IFBB New York Mens Pro 8th Place

2007 IFBB Colorado Pro/Am Classic Bodybuilding And Figure 15th Place

2007 IFBB Keystone Pro Classic Bodybuilding Contest 12th Place

2007 IFBB New York Pro Bodybuilding Contest 14th Place

2006 NPC USA Bodybuilding And Figure Championships (IFBB Pro Qualifier) 2nd Place

1997 NPC USA Championships                                                                                                          2nd Place

1996 NPC USA Bodybuilding & Figure Championships 11th Place

1994 NPC Junior USA 2nd Place

Photo by Jason Mathis

“I’m out here to win today,” he said. “Winning is all well and fine but this is my last competition.”

Coming out ahead is something that is important to Russo, but what he has already endured in life pales in comparison to posing on stage. A three-time cancer survivor, the 60-year-old Long Islander knows a thing or two about winning an uphill battle.

Beginning in 1991, Russo went through a 16-year journey that did not always appear to have a happy ending. “I had three different cancers, they weren’t all the same,” he recalled. “The last one, the lung cancer, was the toughest because I had to go through chemo. But each and every time I kept going back to the gym, kept exercising as much as possible and I wasn’t going to take this lying down.”

Crediting what he called his “team,” Russo gave a lot of admiration to his doctors, nurses, friends and family, especially his wife Wende. “[She] was great about everything,” he said. “She helped me a lot. You can’t do it alone. You need support, and with that support you can battle and fortunately for me I’m standing here today.”

Incredibly, Russo started training for his first show the day he began chemotherapy. 23 months after his surgery, Russo was competing in the 2007 NPC Eastern USA. While that may seem like quite an accomplishment, being clean from any cancer eclipses that. “I’m almost at my five-year benchmark,” Russo said with a deserved smile.

Russo went on to compete in the Masters 50 Plus and 60 Plus divisions and although he may not have left with a trophy under his arm, he received the loudest ovation of the day at the outdoor show when he was given the Survivor Award.

In addition to being an inspiration to us all, Russo is also a certified personal trainer and author. He penned his memoirs of the battles that he won, entitled “Three Strikes You’re In.” The book is available on Amazon.com as well as www.rustyrussobooks.com.

Be sure to visit his official website, www.rustyrusso.com.

I`m a certified personal trainer, training men and women of all ages.  I will train you in your own home or at the gym of your choice.  Also certified in nutrition,  I offer a great weight loss program that won`t leave you starving.  A buddy system, where two people can train during the same session for a discounted price,  is available.  Want to bulk up those muscles or just tone them?  I can help.  Results are guaranteed.  With my training and nutrition program you will feel healthier,  look better and have a more positive general attitude.

(From Rusty Russo’s website)

Fouad Abiad, who placed second in Tampa, dropped to fourth. Other disappointments were Edward Nunn (seventh), Leo Ingram (ninth) and Johnnie Jackson (13th).

It is rare that everyone agrees with the judges in a bodybuilding contest and the two-day event at the Dallas Convention Center was certainly no exception. Following the prejudging, it appeared that James and Stubbs would be battling it out for the crown. James appeared sharper than when he won in Tampa and Stubbs, hoping for a career-best finish, had to feel confident going into the finals.

Wilmore snuck into the top three by the evening and qualified for his second Mr. Olympia. Stubbs, if he chooses to compete, will be making his first trip to Vegas. Abiad previously qualified with his Tampa finish.

After going eight years without a professional win, James won the 2001 Hungarian Grand Prix. Now he has two stateside this summer alone. He finished eighth in the 2009 Olympia and another top 10 finish in bodybuilding’s deepest and most prestigious show of the year would be quite an accomplishment for the 40-year-old. Although he may look better than he did a year ago, DJ will also be facing some quality names that missed out the last time around due to injury.

Kai Greene, Branch Warren and Victor Martinez will join an already stacked line-up that includes defending champion Dexter Jackson, Jay Cutler, Phil Heath and Dennis Wolf. For James to defeat any of those favorites, it will be very difficult. He may have peaked now and to go through another contest preparation in five weeks may be too  much to ask for, especially someone entering their fourth decade.

EUROPA SUPER SHOW RESULTS

1 – Dennis James

2 – Bill Wilmore

3 – Joel Stubbs

4 – Fouad Abiad

5 – Robert Piotrkowitz

6 – Ben White

7 – Edward Nunn

8 – Tarek Elsetouhl

9- Leo Ingram

10 – Alfonso Del Rio

11 – Grigori Abyan

12 – Marcus Haley

13 – Johnnie Jackson

14 – DeShaun Grimez

15 – Lionel Brown

Last time around, Doug Beadle of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was named the Men’s Open Heavyweight and Overall Winner. The last time we saw him on stage, Beadle finished ninth in the Light Heavyweight division at the 2007 Atlantic States. Prior to that, he was victorious at the 2001 NPC Northeast and at the 2001 Junior USA Championships Beadle finished 11th.

By competing again at 38 and gaining another victory, Beadle proved that staying the course can pay dividends in the end.

The Men’s Open results from last year’s Bill Grant Classic:

HEAVYWEIGHT

1- Doug Beadle

2- George Reels

3- Alex Frekey

4- Greg Borzilleri

LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT

1- Welton Darmacemo

2- Jody Crouse

3- Dave Englehardt

4- Jamie Rivera

5- Ken Soucy

6- Todd Smith

7- John Vinkovics

MIDDLEWEIGHT

1- Luis Gomez

2- Michael Bricker

3- Harry Petaccio

4- Brett Giandomenico

5- Michael Jon Luciano

LIGHTWEIGHT

1- John Conte

2- Jose Troche

This is part of an exclusive series by MuscleSport Mag on the 2009 NPC Bill Grant Classic, for which we are one of the show’s official sponsors. The show will take place on Saturday, July 18 in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Taking nothing away from the three that finished ahead of him, Samuel had to look at them and feel as if he may have missed a golden opportunity to win his second show of the year. Evan Centopani won his first pro show right out of the gate, Dennis James was the runner-up in Manhattan and finished two places behind Samuel at the Arnold Classic in March and Markus Ruhl had not competed in two years. 

If Samuel came in shape, he very well could have won this show. As it was, he was lucky to finish ahead of Hidetada Yamagashi and may have only on reputation. 

It doesn’t get any easier come September with a stacked line-up at the Mr. Olympia. Samuel, 34, needs to do better than last year’s seventh place finish but will find it hard. Yes, he has had a good year with the early win, a fifth place at the Arnold and a runner-up position at the Australia Pro Grand Prix, but that’s what makes his New York Pro result even more frustrating. 

Samuel has shown that he can hang with the big boys and  a force to be reckoned with in the ‘second tier’ shows. His next few times on the stage will go a long way in determining his legacy.

That came on Saturday night in Los Angeles at the 2009 20^th Annual Ironman Pro show, in which he took home first place. Moe Elmoussawi and Ronny Rockel followed him.

The victory was the third of Samuel’s professional career, with his previously winning the 2007 Europa Super Show and the 2008 Houston Pro Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Contest.

Samuel worked with Flex Wheeler on his posing routine and trained with Charles Glass to prepare for an important show for him. Another student of Glass was Japan’s Hidetada Yamagishi, who finished strongly in fourth place following a long layoff from competition.

Silvio plans on competing in the upcoming Arnold Classic and Australian Pro Grand Prix.

On this week’s episode of ‘MuscleSport Radio,’ we will be joined by none other than Bill Grant, the 1972 Mr. America and 1974 Mr. World. We will be covering the ‘Golden Age of Bodybuilding’ during the 1970s in California and what Bill is up to today. His ‘Old School Bodybuilding’ DVD series and his annual outdoor bodybuilding contest in Pennsylvania will be merely a sample of what will be discussed.

All past broadcasts are archived and can be heard via MuscleSport Mag, Blog Talk Radio (www.blogtalkradio.com) and iTunes.

Please be advised that we have already scheduled our special guest for the Tuesday, November 18 show – legendary bodybuilder Boyer Coe.

Be sure to listen live every Tuesday afternoon from 3 to 4 pm (Eastern time). Our call-in number is (347) 884-8157.