Interesting ... I wish them both well in their quest for that elusive pro card. Both have been cool with me, so I don't have a preference on which one.  Stan McQuay though was my very first interview a long time ago, when no one knew him, but Vinny's interview is coming soon too...

You guys are really funny. Obviously, you don't know Stan McQuay. I worked with Stan here in California for a year at our offices. Always nice. See Stan at all of the shows - he has a great girl named Amanda at the moment.

As for Aimet - she worked for S.A.N. Nutrition at the show, and is cool - she lives here in the San Fernando Valley. She flew back on the nonstop flight back to LAX with us.

Met a number of people. Princess L came to the After Party (sorry I was late), but we took lots of pics, including one of Triple H and Bautista, and many, many others...

I love these reporters who just come to the show to fault it. Obvously, she doesnt know jack about anything, but that is ok. Lets report on the negativity of the 125,000 people who came to the expo and the shows, of the 640 booths who spent hundreds of millions of dollars pumping into the economy of Columbus, perhaps their largest event in the year.

Cake batter! That is funny. Beleive me, if I can have a cake batter with 40g of protein that tastes good, I would be eating cake all day long...

I only wish someone could have taken a picture of that person to see what they looked like...

Vince Taylor did a great job commentating on the PPV for the Arnold Classic, and will be competing in the Australia Pro show in two weeks...

Well - it was nice meeting Jack, Vinny and the Big Bad Wolfe! Took pictures of all three Sunday at the Animal Cage. Why Sunday? Because on Saturday, you couldn't go near that booth, let alone get into the middle into the cage. Absolutely packed. All of these guys are big, and trust me, shooting your mouth without any basis of proof is just plain stupid.

Once again, stop with the Mayhem vs. Getbig stuff, I am just getting sick of it already. Anyone is welcome here, plain and simple. Especially if I meet them at an expo... so don't screw around and post bullshit on the people who actually support our industry and go the the shows and expo.

As fo girls at the Universal booth, there were a number of them, and it was a pleasure taking pics of them too! The expo was a blast and most everyone I met was cool, and enjoyed this site, for good or for bad. But just plain creating trouble isn't cool.

Like in 2004, there should be three Grand Prix Men's Bodybuilding pro shows in Europe. This is a chance for the European IFBB pros to get into a pro show in Europe. Flex Wheeler is promoting with his partners the Hungarian show on October 7th, the weekend after the Mr. Olympia.

The schedule should be

Friday, October 6th - German Grand Prix
Saturday, October 7th - Hungarian Grand Prix (Flex Wheeler's)
Sunday, October 8th - Holland Grand Prix

Steve Weinburger is having a show on April 15th titled the Master's World Championships, where we will see Bob Cicherillo, Vince Taylor and a number of other competitors compete. Prize money is about $20,000 total.

It is nice to see a Master's competitions considering there wasn't one last year, where you have to be 40+ to compete. Should be an interesting show!

As for a Master's Mr. Olympia, I don't think there is one in the works at the moment...

As for the site prodivisionbodybuilding, it has nothing do to with Pro Division, as I asked Wayne about it. It may also get Rob into legal troubles considering that even the concept that people are thinking it is connected with Pro Division might be a problem.

Weekend was great - lots of fun! The flight back to Los Angeles was long, 5 hours, and the plane was 90% filled with various people from the show, including Bob Cicherillo, David Henry, Johnnie Jackson, Darrem Charles, Christina Lindley, Gunter Schlierkamp, the Vyotech crew, Bill Wilmore, and so many more.

Dexter winning was the correct decision. Originally, in the first round, it was Branch Warren amazing everybody, and Dexter looking a little off, but by the second round, Dexter was in the lead for good.

Saw Dexter and Melvin backstage before the prejuding, they seem like pretty good friends. Interesting to hear about what happened exactly after the first round with Dexter taking some oxygen in the back, and how he recovered so well to take over the second round.

Pretty cool - that short video was from the 2006 Ironman

There are a number of good bodybuilding magazines - Ironman, Flex, Musclemag, and Muscular Development. There are also a great many others that are always interesting to read...

I have put a number of them (ok, not updated) here in the Magazine section so you can check out...

http://www.getbig.com/magazine/magazine.htm

Interesting --- CHOC (Children's Hospital of Orange County) benefits on whether King Kamali makes the top 5 or not.... at least it is a good cause...

King, don't let me down...

OK, perhaps a statement that "I was wrong in my prediction and shouldn't have doubted the other'.  

Either way, a children's charity will win in this outcome.

Honestly, that is a great cover. A bodybuilding magazine giving the front cover to the two top placers at the Ironman Pro contest, the first IFBB Pro contest of the year. It gives kudos to the competitors knowing that there is something for placing in the top two, it gives the Ironman Pro show soem props, and it is good for bodybuilding all around.

How many times have you seen a magazine pushing bodybuilding with no bodybuilder on the cover. Props to MD for putting them on... and the pictures look great.

We will see Vince Taylor at the Arnold Classic - he is doing the color commentary at the Arnold Pro Bodybuilding show for Pay Per View.  Ask him there to give us an answer on what he will do...

This sounds great to me. The bet is King Kamail will or will not place in the top 5.

Top Five or Above - Disgusted wins.
Below Top Five - Shawn Ray Wins.

However, as gambling is illegal (unless you are in Vegas), I will collect the money, but it should go to a charity (whoever wins will have bragging rights and their money back). Either a Children's Charity (CHOC)...

And an apology to the other, on whoever gets into this...

Shawn, and others, if you are down with this, I will bet $100 to the charity of your choice, and vice versa... that Kamali will place in the top 5 at the NY Pro.

The bet should be if King Kamali can qualify for the Olympia or not at the NY Pro.  

http://www.getbig.com/news/2006-01/060225fight.htm

The Gracie Fighting Championships pits Mark Coleman's Team Hammer House against Team Gracie in a Friday night event at Nationwide Arena. It's a first for the Arnold Sports Festival and surely not to be the last time you'll want to watch these exciting fighters battle in the ring. Of Course, the best way to see this event is by putting your backside in one of the seats at Nationwide Arena. Check at ticketmaster to get your seat.

See above for info and a video

It is truly nice to see a competitor and a supplement company work together for such a long time. See you at the Arnold...

When Wayne DeMilia had his 'differences' with the IFBB, and eventually went their separate names, Wayne had the rights in the US to the name Night of Champions, and I think also Pro Division. Which is why the IFBB did not use that name, and Steve Weinberger used the New York Pro.

In 2005, that was the first year for the New York Pro. It was held at the Tribeca, holds about 900-1000 seats or so. The City Center, where Wayne held the last one, held about 2,500 seats. Yes - there was a difference in how many people can go to the show.

The situation last year in interesting, as that was the first New York Pro. Let's see what surprises will be in store for this years New York Pro, besides King Kamali and many others going to compete in it.

Well, here in sunny California, with time being a priority, you can get an all around tan in about 15-20 minutes (or even spray it on in 5), or stay out in the sun for hours, hoping you will get an even tan.

Which do you think is easier and faster?

The Olympia in Vegas was a great idea. Before it was in Vegas, the Mr. Olympia contest was always great, bringing in the crowds wherever it went, but the expo was extremely small. I remember in 1997 in Long Beach, California, there were only about 15 booths there, all lined around the venue. Small host hotel, etc.

Once the Olympia was moved the Vegas, and you have a city with a more permanant place for an expo, you can get more sponsors, which in turn can get more booths, which people can make a full weekend of it. Bring in a press conference, Meet The Olympians, seminars, and more, and you have a great weekend. Vegas, with its thousand of hotel rooms, is a great place, not only to have fun for the Olympia, but to enjoy many other things.

Moving it internationally or around to other cities means you may lose the experience and familiarity for the sponsors. Before moving the Olympia, I would see how other pro shows do in each city, and if they fare well.

The Olympia in New York? In Chicago? Perhaps. Should be interesting. And maybe that is what they will do in the future. But Las Vegas is a city that many people love to fly into - and always has good weather.  Even in Canada, how many sponsors would go there, where even the products showcased are required to be in English/French.

Now how to make the Olympia bigger is a question that people have been asking. The difference between the Arnold and the Olympia is that the Arnold has now brought in many, many different sports in the same weekend. Cheerleading, table tennis, archery, 5K run. This year, they are moving the martial arts to the Nationwide Arena, which means all three major facilities in Columbus will be used. They also have an army of people helping them in Columbus, plus probably help from the city of Columbus, security, etc.

If the Olympia wants to be bigger, then they need to bring in a number of new sports to the expo, which they can, making the Olympia Weekend the premier event in many sports. But so far, with last’s years Ultimate Fighting cage, and some strongmen competitors, they have chosen to keep the event bodybuilding and fitness oriented only.

Imagine what can happen if they decide to bring in 12 other sports, making it truly the Joe Weider Olympia Weekend for various sports. The audience and the people going to the O will increase by the thousands. Like the Arnold did. If you remember a few years back, the Arnold’s expo was at the Veteran’s auditorium. There was no convention center a half mile away.

So while people are complaining about the Orleans and the Las Vegas Convention Center, in the future, that entire convention center may be used, in an event larger perhaps or equal to the Arnold. Two great weekends and shows - one on the East Coast in March, the other on the West Coast in September/October.

Road to the Pros is sponsoring the Arnold Classic, and will have a booth there. There is a lot more information coming soon...

www.hardbodyentertainmen tllc.com

Top Five 13 years in a row - that is a record I think many would like to have!

Purse: A sum of money collected as a present or offered as a prize.

Kudos to John Bailik and the Ironman crew for increasing the 'purse' to the Ironman Pro Bodybuilding by $10,000 from last year. They listened and they did good.

240, why are you hassling Chick about his education. The guy is well spoken, smart and knows quite a lot about the sport, business and many other interests. It doesn't matter whether or not you went to a university or not. As long as you wish to learn something, that is the important thing. And if he disagrees with you, then we have a conversation about the differences.

But to all of you that complain about the show's purse, why don't you step up to the plate. Why don't you come and support the show, the expo. Yes, a number of you did, which was nice to see and meet, but many of you sat home and did nothing but complain.

Instead of praising the Ironman for raising the prize money, (even one compliment), you bring in baseball... come on already...