Photos of Cutler from the Olympia clearly showed swelling and redness in the area and it was reportedly suffered during a photo shoot. The injury was still apparent a few weeks later at the inaugural Sheru Classic in India, at which Cutler again was the runner-up to Heath.

That was back in September. Cutler is scheduled to go under the knife in February and be back in the gym by the end of March. Considering that he has competed only once a year, that should be more than enough time for him to get ready for the 2012 O.

But with the torch already passed to Heath and Cutler being 39 by the time that show rolls around, it would have been a wiser decision to have the procedure done earlier. Muscle tears like this need to be surgically repaired and waiting is not going to change anything for the better.

If Cutler has any chance of regaining the title for the second time (he took it back from Dexter Jackson in 2009), then he is going to need as much time as possible to get there. Losing the last four months cannot be changed, so Cutler had better hope that his recovery goes well without any setbacks. He doesn’t have any wiggle room now and has to be on point at every stage of his preparation.

But that’s not entirely fair when Jason Arntz is in the mix. The New Jersey native may not be the flashy kind, but comes in to every contest in the best of condition. He is basically an automatic top six in the 202 division and has certainly found a home competing in the lighter class.

“I don’t get too far out of shape,” said Arntz. “For me, walking around at 225 pounds, it’s not too heavy for me. I still got to get down to 202, but I’m a lean 225 pounds.”

That will get easier for Arntz and the rest of the division when it changes to 212 and under this fall. Sure, the other guys play by the same rules, but someone who comes in as dry and ripped as Arntz does will certainly benefit from the flexibility of adding some size.

With the loaded line-up in Las Vegas, Arntz persevered and placed sixth. It may be one place lower than the previous year, but Arntz has a lot to build on as the 202…we mean 212, is being held at more and more pro shows every calendar year.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Look for our Jason Arntz feature coming up in the Winter 2012 edition of MuscleSport Magazine

JASON ARNTZ COMPETITION HISTORY

In the fitness category, Adela Garcia defended her title successfully, holding off Tanji Johnson.

Sonia Gonzalez dropped from being the first Bikini Olympia champion a year ago to fifth place, as 2011 Ms. Bikini International Nicole Nagrani, 19, was named the winner.

In women’s bodybuilding, Dayana Cadeau and Mah-Ann Mendoza both competed for the last time. Both are veterans of the sport and will be missed.

FINAL PLACINGS

WOMEN’S BODYBUILDING

1. Iris Kyle
2. Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia
3. Brigita Brezovac
4. Debi Laszewski
5. Alina Popa
6. Sheila Bleck
7. Kim Perez
8. Nicole Ball
9. Monique Jones
10. Tina Chandler
11. Kim Buck
12. Heather Foster
13. Cathy LeFrancois
14. Halle Nielsen
15. Skadi Frei-Seifert
16. Dayana Cadeau
17. Mah-Ann Mendoza

FITNESS

1. Adela Garcia
2. Tanji Johnson
3. Myriam Capes
4. Tina Durkin
5. Oksana Grishina
6. Michelle Blank
7. Bethany Cisternino
8. Jodi Boam
9. Camala Rodriguez
10. Nicole Duncan
11. Diana Paula-Monteiro
12. Regiane Da Silva
13. Kizzy Vaines

BIKINI

1. Nicole Nagrani
2. Nathalia Melo
3. Dianna Dahlgren
4. Jaime Baird
5. Sonia Gonzales
6. India Paulino
7. Alison Rosen
8. Juliana Daniell
9. Abigail Burrows
10. Justine Munro
11. Diana Graham
12. Natalie Pennington
13. Christina Vargas
14. Vanessa Prebyl
15. Cristina Vujnich
16. Barbara Bolotte
16. Candyce Graham
16. Cristy Mendivil
16. Dina Al-Sabah
16. Jennifer Drennan
16. Jennifer Andrews
16. Jessica Jessie
16. Kelly Gonzalez
16. Marisa Lee
16. Missy Coles
16. Nathalie Mur
16. Shelsea Montes
16. Vanessa Campbell

She has competed in four shows this year and has placed in the top six at each of them. LeFrancois has qualified for the Ms. Olympia and should not be overlooked by the deep line-up that will be present in Las Vegas. The Canadian comes in in top condition year in and year out and should have enough time between now and the middle of September to perfect her physique.

This was a bit of a surprise as LeFrancois finished out of the top three at the IFBB Toronto Pro Super Show only a week prior. But she apparently timed everything right and came in to the Sunshine State dried out and tight.

Now bodybuilding fans will have to wait and see what package LeFrancois will bring to the sport’s biggest stage. But the one thing that we do now for sure is that age is not a factor.

It was last June that Coleman first announced live on MuscleSport Radio that he was making his comeback and training for the Olympia and the story was the talk of the bodybuilding industry. When the man who is tied for the most Sandows in the history of the sport speaks of donning the posing trunks again, that is to be expected.

Now after having some time to think it over, “The King” has decided that the time was not right for him to join the ranks in Las Vegas this September.

The obvious question now is – will Coleman retire from bodybuilding? That remains to be seen, but speculation would seem to lead us in that direction. He did seem to be coming along as far as preparation goes with a recent guest posing appearance in Israel on July 2, but what happened between then and now apparently was the deciding factor for Coleman.

It would take a psychology degree online to figure out what is going on in Coleman’s head. Maybe, after so many dedicated years, he has other interests. Training for the Olympia forces one to exclude all other pursuits.

At 46, this would seem to have been the one last gasp for the Arlington, Texas resident. The last time Coleman was on stage was back at the 2007 Olympia, where he finished fourth. To have been away that long from the pain and rigor of dieting and prepping for a contest is tough enough, but to add any more time to that may just spell the end of what was one of the greatest careers in bodybuilding history.

Coleman is known for playing it in his favor and has used all the comeback speculation to his advantage. He still will not officially announce his retirement. In a follow-up with MuscleSport Mag, Coleman wrote, “That’s not safe to say. I’m not retired yet,” in response to us asking him.

So it starts all over again. Because Coleman has been looking in better condition during guest posing appearances of late, he has kept that air of doubt hanging over the bodybuilding world. His latest came on August 29 in Poland where ‘The King’ appeared to be in his best shape in quite some time, thus giving the impression that he would be back on stage sooner than later.

Maybe next time.

Tweet

When MuscleSport Mag contacted StrikeForce for a follow-up to our story on April 15 (http://www.musclesportmag.com/2010/04/15/fedor-brock-lesnar-ufc-super-match-may-be-a-reality/), what we received was not very detailed, giving even more credence to the possibility of Fedor coming over to the UFC.

“He is under contract with us right now,” is what was told to us by Mike Afromowitz of StrikeForce. Not exactly something to make it sound as if “The Last Emperor” was exclusive with StrikeForce/M-1 Global for the long term. Fedor will be in action for the promotion on June 26 in San Jose, California versus Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum, a two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion.

The way things were shaping up before this announcement was that Lesnar was going to make his comeback on July 3 versus Shane Carwin – unless he fought Fedor. On the official UFC website, the Lesnar-Carwin fight is already listed as the main event at UFC 116 in Las Vegas. Of course things can change, but it is starting to appear that anyone waiting for these two superstars to meet in the Octagon may not get their wish.

STRIKEFORCE PRESS RELEASE

After months of anticipation, the world’s No. 1 heavyweight and pound-for-pound Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (31-1), will make his eagerly awaited return to the cage to face two-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion and top-ranked superstar Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum (13-4) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. on Saturday, June 26,  live on SHOWTIME® at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

The Fedor-Werdum match will headline an event which will feature up to five televised fights on SHOWTIME and several non-televised undercard bouts that will be announced in the coming weeks. A special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity for the event will take place for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers (http://strikeforce.com/insider.html) from 10 a.m. PT Monday, May 10, until 10 p.m. PT on Thursday, May 13.  Insiders will receive an e-newsletter with the pre-sale code.

Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. PT on Friday, May 14, at the HP Pavilion box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800) 745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com <http://www.ticketmaster.com/> ) as well as www.strikeforce.com <http://www.strikeforce.com/> . For more information, please also visit www.M-1GLOBAL.com <http://www.m-1global.com/> .

For M-1 GLOBAL’s Fedor, it is a means of gaining revenge three and a half years after the 32-year-old Werdum defeated Fedor’s brother Aleksander Emelianenko, via submission (arm triangle choke) in the first round (3:24) of a bout in Rotterdam, Holland, on Nov. 12, 2006. The M-1 GLOBAL superstar is simply referred to as “Fedor” by millions of fans around the world.  He stands at 6-foot, 235-pounds and hails from Stary Oskol, Russia.  He has become the most dominant MMA fighter of all-time since he began his professional career 10 years ago.

Fedor is one of the founders of M-1 GLOBAL and has competed for the organization since its inception more than two years ago.  The 33-year-old has faced and defeated nearly every other rival superstar and champion of this era, including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Andrei Arlovski and Mark “The Hammer” Coleman.

A master of the Russian military combat system, Sambo, Fedor made his live, primetime network television (CBS) debut in his last start on Nov. 7, 2009, when he faced unbeaten rising star Brett “The Grim” Rogers in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global co-promoted event. After a difficult first round in which he sustained a cut and began bleeding profusely, the Russian suddenly turned the tide in the second round, sending Rogers to the canvas with a right hand and finishing him with a series of punches.

While the fight world still regards him as undefeated, Fedor actually has one official loss on his record, the result of a doctor stoppage due to a cut he sustained seconds into a matchup with Japan’s Tsuyoshi Kosaka on Dec. 22, 2000.  Fedor avenged the TKO loss with his own first round TKO of Kosaka at a PRIDE Fighting Championships event in Japan on April 3, 2005.

Since joining the ranks of STRIKEFORCE, the 6-foot-4, 240 pound Werdum, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and member of Brazil’s vaunted Chute Boxe fight squad, has notched a pair of impressive victories, the first of which came on Aug. 15, 2009 when he quickly submitted Mike “Mak” Kyle with a guillotine choke in the first round (1:24) at HP Pavilion. The following Nov., 7, Werdum battled his way to a close unanimous decision victory over Antonio “Big Foot” Silva in a live CBS primetime televised matchup.

During an eight-year tenure in MMA, Werdum has conquered a number of other superstars, including reigning STRIKEFORCE World Heavyweight Champion, Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem; and UFC stars Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon “The Truth” Vera.

About  STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com <http://www.strikeforce.com/> ) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history.  The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265.  Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.”  In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose.  In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network.  The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

About M-1 GLOBAL

M-1 GLOBAL (www.m-1global.com <http://www.m-1global.com/> ) has been one of the leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizations in the world for well over a decade. M-1 has promoted over 150 shows worldwide since 1995. During the last two years, since the inception of M-1 GLOBAL, the organization has promoted events all over the world, in over 20 countries and is shown on television in well over 100. In 2010 M-1 GLOBAL is promoting the Selection tournament, a competition to find the best new talent in MMA the world over. 160 fighters started in February from four global regions, and will be reduced to 20 champions by September. M-1 Breakthrough will be taking place in the U.S. and Europe starting in the fall and will pit MMA’s better known athletes and stars in a one-on-one competition.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL(tm) and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2(tm), SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(tm) XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL(tm) HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(tm) ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

Source: Mike Afromowitz/StrikeForce

But no one expected him to not even place.

Now Wolf has his sights set on getting back to respectability at the New York Pro. He has a new trainer in former IFBB pro Patrick Tour and their plan is to use a heavy duty training style, which Wolf likened to the same that Dorian Yates used in his prime. But training and size has never been the issue with the massive German. His nutrition and contest preparation timing became the focus of his failure last year.

In a new video posted on Flex Online, Wolf stated that his nutritionalist decided to not cut his carbs and then he carb-loaded three days out. Wolf immediately felt that something was wrong and it showed on stage. He had no striations and appeared soft and puffy.

With his next show six weeks away, Wolf appeared to be massive on the video clip but is he going to have enough time to cut down? This is as important a contest for him as any other he has competed in. To come on stage in anything but peak condition will be a risky endeavor, indeed. A once-promising career that has been sidetracked can become completely derailed if Wolf has a bad showing in the Big Apple.

DENNIS WOLF CONTEST HISTORY

2006 Europa Super Show – 7th

2006 Mr. Olympia – 16th

2007 New York Pro – 3rd

2007 Keystone Pro Classic – 1st

2007 Mr. Olympia – 5th

2008 Mr. Olympia – 4th

2009 Mr. Olympia – 16th

Even in his most successful campaign (2008), he entered and won five contests – the Arnold, Australian, New Zealand and Russian Grand Prix, as well as the Mr. Olympia. “You just have to know how to pace yourself,” Jackson said two days out of the ’08 O about competing in three shows before the most important one. “It’s not going to affect me in any way. I’ll still be 110 percent on that stage.” All of that dieting may have taken a lot out of him and ‘The Blade’ decided to compete in only one show the following year.

Jackson finished a disappointing third last September in Las Vegas and his reaction upon hearing his name called with two more competitors standing beside him left no mystery as to what he thought of the judge’s decision. Although many defending champions get the benefit of the doubt to at least finish as the runner-up, it’s hard to argue with Branch Warren taking second and Jay Cutler winning the Sandow.

There have been many names thrown around as possible winners of the Arnold. Of course, Kai Greene is the favorite as the reigning title holder and should be. He is a special bodybuilder who finished fourth at his maiden Olympia. He had peaked in March and it was too much for him to come in six months later in top condition again. Then there is Warren, who won the Most Muscular Award at the last Arnold.

Others to keep an eye on are Phil Heath, Hidetada Yamagishi and Toney Freeman.

Jackson is looking to get his fourth Arnold Classic victory (2205, 2006, 2008) and has a good chance to come in to do just that. He still has many folks in his corner and can rebound easily from having the Olympia title taken from him after just one year. If he can win in Columbus, people will be once again putting him in the category of the all-time greats. But if he finishes out of the top three, the chatter that he has seen his best days will become commonplace.

Photo by Francesco Pillari

Then there is that second tier, the type of bodybuilder who may sneak into the top six in Ohio or Las Vegas and fair better at the next level of shows, such as the New York Pro, Europa Super Show or Iron Man Pro. Silvio Samuel is a perfect example of this.

In 2009, he won the Iron Man in January then placed fifth at the Arnold. At the O, he fell all the way to 13th place. When the competitor list for the 2010 Arnold Classic was released recently, Samuel’s name appeared on it as usual. But in a report that was just posted on Flex Online, El Matador has pulled out.

“I will take a break to put on the size I need to put on,” Samuel said in the Flex article. “I wanted to do the Arnold Classic, but after more thought I do not believe that competing so soon after the Olympia  is in my best interest. In order to make the impact I want to make, I want to make some improvements this year.”

Silvio plans on waiting until July to compete in the Tampa Pro, a show that he will need to do well at just to qualify for the Olympia, which he intends to enter.

Realistically, it may be a good strategy because multiple shows every year is a difficult task for any bodybuilder. If Samuel can bulk up a little as he hopes to do, he can jump up multiple spots in the Olympia. With the line-up set for Ohio, Samuel was probably not going to do much damage there anyway.

At this point in his career, Samuel winning the Arnold or O would be considered a huge upset. Him bowing out will not change the serious competition that expects to take place in Columbus three months from now.

The first one came at the 2008 New York Pro 202 when English edged out Henry. Four months later, Henry took out English at the inaugural 202 Olympia Showdown. At this year’s New York Pro, English won going away with Henry finishing third behind veteran bodybuilder Mark Dugdale. Now the big question is if Henry can bounce back and repeat in Las Vegas, but English will definitely have something to say about that.

“For me, David motivates me to be a better bodybuilder,” said English. “So I know going in that he’s going to be hungry. He wants to avenge that last loss to me. I know he’s pushing hard, so that means that you’ve got to get your game up.”

Last year, the 202 competitors had the opportunity to compete in both divisions. It is a different story this time around but the trade off is that the posedown and placings will take place at the Orleans Arena instead of the Expo stage. “It wasn’t a big decision as far as this year goes,” English said in regards to going after the Sandow or staying in the 202. “Once I achieve that (winning the 202 Olympia), then next year I’ll compete in the open class.”

The Great Neck, New York native feels that he is in much better condition this time around. “Last year I didn’t prepare properly,” said English, who began his diet in the middle of July at 244 pounds. “I wasn’t at 100 percent. So that’s why I want to avenge that loss.”

When asked if the rivalry with Henry was of the friendly variety, English was stone-faced and all business. “We’re respectful towards one another but to me, I don’t let any negativity into my life,” he said. “Negativity is like a seed. It just spreads. I try to keep a positive mindset.”

If there was anyone else in the 202 division that English has his eye on, you couldn’t tell. “At this point it doesn’t matter,” he quickly quipped. “I’m so immensely focused and pumped up for the show…anybody can go in. It’s my show.”

When it comes time to get to Sin City, put your money on English.

KEVIN ENGLISH CONTEST HISTORY

*1996 Atlantic States Championships – 2nd Place

*1998 NPC Nationals – 1st Place

*2000 IFBB Night of the Champions – 14th Place

*2006 IFBB New York Pro – 17th Place

*2008 IFBB New York Pro – 2nd Place

*2008 New York Pro 202 – 1st Place

*2008 IFBB Mr. Olympia – 16th Place

*2008 Olympia Showdown 202 – 2nd Place

*2009 New York Pro 202 – 1st Place