Montreal Pro Classic a Huge Success, with Canada’s Mike Asiedu Making an Amazing Pro Debut

In August, I wrote about the Montreal Pro Classic bodybuilding competition that was taking placing on September 3. Canada’s Joe Spinello was taking a huge financial risk putting on such an event in Canada, particularly on the Labour Day Weekend, but his love for bodybuilding practically forced him to do it.

Joe, a former Canadian and World Champion, is also an IFBB Pro. He’s retired from competition, but he’s just as involved in the sport – maybe even more so. Today he’s Quebec’s best-known promoter, and he’s staging about half a dozen shows a year, including last year’s CBBF Canadian Bodybuilding Championships. Still, even though he’s putting on lots of events, the Montreal Pro Classic was his biggest and riskiest venture to date. It was a dream for him, because for a long time he’s wanted to see pro bodybuilding come back to Quebec – the last pro show Quebec hosted was in 1996, with Ronnie Coleman winning and Flex Wheeler taking second place.

Putting on a pro show involves a lot of money, and there’s no guarantee that you’ll make any of it back. There’s the auditorium, the prize money, and, not so obviously, the large sanction fee that gets paid to the IFBB, pro bodybuilding’s governing body. There are other costs too, but these are the big ones, and all this adds up to a considerable chunk of change, which is why there’s such a risk. If the promoter makes a wrong step, it could spell financial ruin for him.

Joe, though, made mostly the right steps, and the competition on September 3 was a huge success and a signal that Canada can support a pro-level competition. In fact, the Montreal show featured one of the year’s best professional lineups outside of the Mr. Olympia competition.

There was Darrem Charles, Johnny Jackson, King Kamali, as well various other veteran IFBB pros. Then, of course, there were a number of Canadians, including the legendary Paul Dillet who some consider to be the "uncrowned Mr. Olympia" – Dillet has arguably the greatest genetic potential of anyone on the competitive stage in the last 20 years or so, Coleman included. And there were new Canadian guys too, notably Simon Voyer of Quebec, the 2005 Canadian Bodybuilding champion, and Mike Asiedu of Ontario, who received his IFBB Pro Card at the 2004 Canadian Bodybuilding Championships but hasn’t been seen on the competitive stage since. In Montreal, however, Mike practically set the place on fire.

When Mike came onstage, I saw the judges’ heads perk up. Mike sported a near-flawless physique with outstanding size, shape, and definition – everything a bodybuilder needs. As a matter of fact, when he stood beside some of the top pros, he was not only holding his own, he was beating most of them!

Mike made an amazing pro debut, and had I been judging, Mike wouldn’t have ended up in sixth place, where the IFBB judges placed him. I’d have had him in the top three, and it’s not just because he’s a Canadian and I know him. Mike was that good. However, the IFBB’s judges are notoriously tough on new guys, most often placing them lower than they should be rather than higher during their first few shows. Some will say he hasn’t paid his dues. But that’s really a fancy way of telling a guy that he just got ripped off.

But, Mike wasn’t the only guy who got ripped off. Germany’s Dennis Wolf could have taken the whole show – he’s got the look of a true bodybuilder, with shoulders wider than his waist, which isn’t always the way it is with many of the big, bloated pros these days. But all Wolf could muster from this judging panel was fifth place, which was rather suspect when you consider that King Kamali got fourth, but didn’t look half as good. (Kamali got high marks for his posing routine, which is always head and shoulders above the rest of the competitors.)

As for the top three positions, they ended up being taken by Quincy Taylor (third), Darrem Charles (second), and Johnny Jackson (first). Of those three, the judges had Jackson solidly in the first-place slot with a score that was one point from perfect. However, if I was judging and was given those three competitors, I’d have Charles in first place despite his being a little softer than usual, particularly through the back and hamstrings. Jackson was impressive – very impressive – but his overall shape isn’t the greatest, and he’s got no calves. Taylor’s very weak in the calves too, but he’s able to hide the fact better than Jackson. However, what Taylor can’t hide is a weak back – the man’s huge, but when he turns around he disappears, not unlike Paul Dillet whom Taylor resembles.

To my eyes, Darrem Charles has the most complete physique of the three – he’s a little awkwardly put together, but he doesn’t have glaring muscle weaknesses like the other two. His weakness on this day, I guess, was his conditioning. Like I said, he was a little soft. On the other hand, I would have had Asiedu and Wolf in the top three, so what do I know? (That’s also why I don’t judge. They’d likely kick me out for disagreeing with them, if they even let me in there at all.)

The only thing I do know for sure is that despite the judging discrepancies, the Montreal Pro Classic was a huge success. The reason? Joe Spinello, who should be thanked for bringing pro bodybuilding back to Quebec, and Canada too, since this was the only pro show here in 2006. And, if all goes well, there should be more. The last time I talked to Joe, he’d already scheduled the event in the same auditorium for next September. Let’s cross our fingers it goes on, because I’ll certainly be there again.

...Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com

Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com, BodyBuildingLive.com, and SeriousAboutFitness.com.