Category Archives: Announcements
AMI Special Edition Magazine to Commemorate UFC 100
UFC® JOINS WITH AMERICAN MEDIA INC. (AMI)
Las Vegas, Nev. (USA) – The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization and American Media, Inc (AMI), today announced a partnership to publish a special UFC 100 commemorative edition magazine that will be available at newsstands across North America and in some international markets.
“The UFC 100 magazine will highlight the 15-year history of the UFC in a way that no other medium could,” said UFC President Dana White. “And with unrestricted access, this issue will truly capture this symbolic moment in our sport. We’re happy to do this special issue with AMI because they’ve believed in UFC’s potential since we bought the company in 2001. We’ve worked successfully with them in the past, and many of their best-selling issues have featured our fighters on the cover.”
The UFC 100 commemorative edition magazine will arrive at newsstands on June 29, 2009 and is timed to coincide with a pay-per-view event that is expected to be one of the biggest in UFC history on July 11. In the special issue, fans will get a preview at what’s ahead for this event, and it’s intended to be a keepsake that will provide a memorable look back at this UFC milestone.
“When you combine UFC, great stories about its fighters and put practical information about the sport of mixed martial arts into the readers’ hands, you have their undivided attention,” said AMI Chairman David J. Pecker. “These readers speak the language of UFC and this commemorative magazine will be about them and their relationship with the fastest-growing sport in America.”
AMI titles including Men’s Fitness, Flex and Muscle & Fitness have featured top UFC fighters, as well as UFC President Dana White and UFC® All Access™ show host Rachelle Leah, on past covers and enjoyed a surge in newsstand sales, with several UFC covers breaking all-time sales records for AMI. “We’ve enjoyed working with Dana and his team and look forward to taking our association to the next level,” added Mr. Pecker.
With a diverse, loyal fan base of millions of customers in the United States and abroad, the UFC100 Special Commemorative Issue is expected to be an instant collector’s item and one of the most popular, best-selling titles of the year for AMI’s magazine unit.
For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com, UK.UFC.com, GERMANY.UFC.com or UFCespanol.com.
About The Ultimate Fighting Championship®
The Ultimate Fighting Championship® is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including iNDEMAND Networks, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN Entertainment, BellTV, SaskTel Max™, Shaw Pay-Per-View, Viewers Choice, and WOWOW in Japan, and via the Internet worldwide on Yahoo! Sports, and commercially through Joe Hand
Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. In addition to its North American distribution, UFC programming is distributed in over 100 countries and territories throughout the world. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or ufcespanol.com.
Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa™, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.
About American Media, Inc.
American Media, Inc. is the leading publisher of celebrity journalism and health and fitness magazines in the U.S. These include Star, Shape, Men’s Fitness, Fit Pregnancy, Natural Health, and National Enquirer. In addition to print properties, AMI maintains web sites for all of its brands. AMI also owns Distribution Services, Inc., the country’s #1 in-store magazine merchandising company.
The 2009 Bodybuilding.com Fitness Expo Is Back With a Bang
Boise, ID – March 18, 2009 – Bodybuilding.com, the Internet’s most-visited bodybuilding and fitness site and largest retailer of nutritional supplements, will be holding its 8th Annual Bodybuilding.com Fitness Expo April 3rd, 2009 from 6:00-10:00pm at the Knitting Factory Concert House. This fan-favorite event is held in celebration of fitness and health, and to spread the message of its benefits to as many people as possible. If you haven’t been before, be assured: this is more than your average fitness expo.
The BFE has the hottest stars and the fittest bodies, featuring: Kim Lyons (trainer from The Biggest Loser); Mr. Universe Gunter Schlierkamp (seen in Warner Bros. “Beerfest”); UFC World Welterweight Champ Georges St. Pierre and MMA Fighter Shane Carwin; Pro Bodybuilders “X-Man” Toney Freeman, Trey “Phenom” Brewer and Flex Lewis; 4x Super Bowl Champion Bill Romanowski; and many more!
Make sure to grab samples of the newest supplements provided by over 30 different manufacturers including: MuscleTech, BSN, Ultimate Nutrition, Scivation, Gaspari Nutrition, VPX, Universal Nutrition, EAS, Cytosport, TwinLab, ErgoPharm, Labrada, Champion Nutrition, iForce, MRM and others. Not to mention, you will receive fun Bodybuilding.com merchandise including a 2009 BFE T-shirt for the first 500 people in line.
There will be plenty of action on stage with The Miss Bikini BodySpace Contest with winners receiving over $1,000 in cash and prizes, The Mr. Puniverse Competition (where being puny is in), bodybuilding routines, exhibitions of strength, special guest presentation by wheelchair bodybuilder Nick Scott as well as other surprise acts. There is something for everyone!
Bodybuilding.com knows how to put on a show and the best part is…it’s ALL FREE! The expo attracts record crowds, with a line that wraps around the block, so we recommend you get there early! DON’T MISS OUT!!!
For more information go to: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2009fitexpo.htm
Bodybuilding.com offers more than 8,500 health and fitness supplements & accessories to help people achieve their fitness goals. They offer more than 25,000 pages of FREE bodybuilding & fitness information, including more than 12,000 articles (written by 525+ writers), video & audio segments, and new content added daily.
Weider Signs Moe El Moussawi
FLEXONLINE.com reports that Moe El Moussawi joins a short list of IFBB Pros with publication contracts. Look for Moe on stage this Saturday where he looks to redeem himself from the IRONMAN Pro.
Mo Elmoussawi signs contract with Weider Publications
Weider Publications is proud to announce the signing of IFBB Pro League athlete Mo Elmoussawi. Elmoussawi, 34, recently placed second at the 2009 Ironman Pro and ninth at the 2008 Olympia.“Being a Weider athlete mean’s I’m one of the top guys,” Elmoussawi said. “It gives me positive energy to go all the way to the top.”
Elmoussawi’s signing comes less than one week out from the Arnold Classic, which will be held this Saturday, March 7, in Columbus, Ohio. In Columbus, Elmoussawi will be looking to improve upon his performance at last year’s Arnold, when he placed 11th. Elmoussawi’s second-place finish at the Ironman was the highest finish of his five-year professional career.
El Moussawi joins a list of athletes that includes Mr. Olympia Dexter Jackson, two-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler, Phil Heath, Silvio Samuel, Melvin Anthony and Dennis James.
“As far as my career it’s more of a prize of what I’ve achieved lately,” El Moussawi said of signing with Weider.
Allan Donnelly Named Editor-In-Chief of FLEX Magazine
Congratulations to Allan Donnelly.
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ — David J. Pecker, Chairman, President and CEO of American Media, Inc. (AMI), today announced that Allan Donnelly has been named the new Editor-in-Chief of FLEX magazine. Since joining FLEX in 2006, Mr. Donnelly has been involved in all aspects of the magazine and website, rising from Senior Editor to Online Editor and, most recently, Executive Editor. His involvement with AMI and Weider Publications dates back to 2001, when he began as an Editor at Men’s Fitness and a contributor to Muscle & Fitness.
Since its inception in 1982, FLEX magazine has been the world’s leading publication for bodybuilding enthusiasts. FLEX reaches over one million readers a month.
About American Media, Inc.
American Media, Inc. is the leading publisher of celebrity journalism and health and fitness magazines in the U.S. These include Star, Shape, Men’s Fitness, Fit Pregnancy, Natural Health, and The National Enquirer. In addition to print properties, AMI manages 14 different web sites. The company also owns Distribution Services, Inc., the country’s #1 in-store magazine merchandising company.
SOURCE American Media, Inc.
2009 Arnold Classic Predictions
Rain, snow or shine, on March 6th, we will be heading to the 2009 IFBB Arnold Classic in downtown Columbus, Ohio. And as we do every year, many of us like to predict on how will win and who may not be the best at the contest. Of course this is just for fun, because in reality, none of us know how one is going to look in stage that day, but via rumors, reports and talk from follow competitors, fans and training and diet partners, the hype has begun. So who do I think will place well at the 2009 Arnold Classic. Here it goes, based on the 13 athletes that should be there.
1 – Victor Martinez. Yes, a knee injury sidelined Victor from competing in the 2008 Mr. Olympia, in which many thought, if he had been healthy, could have been the new king. Instead, Victor now has some doubts from his fans, and others around the globe, on whether Victor will be ready when he gets on that state. Yes, he upper body should look fantastic, but will his legs match his incredible physique??? I think it will, and at the end, Victor will be crowned in first place.
2 – Branch Warren. What? The man from Texas in second place? No way? Well, once again, we have a competitor who was injured going into the 2008 Mr. Olympia, and is very hungry on proving that he is on top of the bodybuilding world. Branch has been training very hard in Texas, and judging by fellow reports out there, he is ready to go, and will look his best at the Arnold. Branch should surprise the rest of the top competitors.
3 – Toney Freeman. I didn’t predict Toney would do well at the 2008 Mr. Olympia, and boy was I wrong. And Tony let me know it too! Toney backstage before he even went on at prejudging blasted me and said ‘I will prove you wrong’. And he did. But this is a new year, and it looks like Toney could of perfected his style and his physique in terms on final preparation. Toney will look good, and will impress all of us again.
4 – Kai Greene. Kai Greene was third last year at this contest, but also was injured soon afterwards. Kai is looking good now, and he may have a chance to be in the top two. However, reports of Kai being 292 pounds has worried some that he may not be able to shed all that weight and look 100% great for the Arnold in time. Thus, I am putting Kai in 4th place.
5 – Silvio Samuel. Silvio let me know it big time when I chose him in second place in my predictions for the 2009 IFBB Ironman Pro. Said how can I not predict him in first at that show. At the time, Moe El Moussawi looked great, but in the last few days, faltered in his preparations, in which Silvio handily won the 2009 Ironman. But the 2009 Arnold Classic is a much tougher competitor field. The top four above Silvio did not compete in the Ironman, and rumors are they will look great. Have we seen the best of Silvio at the Ironman? Or will Silvio step it up a little more and beat my prediction of 5th place.
6 - Dennis James. Two shows last year, the Tampa and the Europa, Dennis James came in second place, with Toney Freeman beating him. Dennis was not happy with those results, because Dennis looked real good. At the Olympia, Dennis was one spot behind Silvio, which means that Dennis is going to have to look spectacular in order to move up from 6th place here. Go Dennis Go!
7 – Moe El Moussawi. We had such high predictions for Moe for the 2009 Ironman, but Moe just wasn’t 100% there. In terms of getting ready, Moe gained 10+ pounds, but lost some of his shredded look. Moe has beat Silvio in the past, and if Moe can come back to his shredded look, and take his time in getting ready in the final days of the show, he may surprise us all, and place higher here. And if he doesn’t, then Ronny Rockel, Gustavo Badell and Johnnie Jackson just may pass him up.
8 – Ronny Rockel. Surprised us all at the 2009 Ironman, which many saying that he should of placed second there above Moe El Moussawi. So Ronny has something to prove, coming into the Arnold with a motivation to show others that he is better and will be more shredded at this show.
9 – Gutavo Badell. Gustavo was supposed to compete in the Ironman, but dropped out, due to family obligations. But with Gustavo, you never know how good or bad he will look on stage. I hope he looks good, and comes back to the overall shape he was at one time, but this year may be difficult. We will see.
10 – Johnnie Jackson. Johnnie entered into the 2009 Ironman at the last possible minute, and looked much worse than any of us predicted we will be. Johnnie could and should of looked much better than what he did, and I know he will improve coming into the Arnold Classic. The question is, with this tough lineup, can he do better than 10th place.
11 – Ahmad Haider. At the 2009 Ironman, Ahmad qualified for the Mr. Olympia by placing 5th. He looked good, but I am not sure how much more can Ahmad improve, giving his fellow competitors an edge. I may be wrong, but Ahmad by just place out of the top 10 here in Columbus.
12 – Marcus Haley. A tough lineup here, and his will be good experience for Marcus. Whereas Marcus will not crack the top 10, he does have a change to prove he is the best poser, with only perhaps Kai Greene, and maybe Toney Freeman challenging him for that. Have fun Marcus, the Arnold is one great contest.
13 – Sergey Shelestov. Wow – not sure why Sergey even wants to compete in this tough lineup, with almost no chance of not placing last, no matter how many people are in the lineup. A very interesting choice to be invited for the Arnold. Enjoy the show, and come in shape please!
Nutrabolics signs IFBB Pro Ben White
Nutrabolics is on a role, first signing MMA fighter Frank Mir, who will appear at their booth at the 2009 Arnold Classic Weekend, and now also has signed IFBB pro Ben White. Ben White was the 2007 NPC USA Overall champion, and startted his IFBB pro career at the 2008 New York Pro, only to fall short of a qualification to the 2008 IFBB Mr. Olympia by one place.
This year, Ben is going to try again by competing in the 2009 New York Pro bodybuilding contest. In a press release, Ben said “I would like to thank my new sponsor Nutrabolics for helping me to get ready for the 2009 New York Pro Show. I am very happy to be part of such a great time of athletes and I would like to thank all my fans for their contrinuing support. As everyone knows, I took the whole 2008 off to work on impriving and perfecting my physique. I have made great strides and gains, and I look forward to competing in the 2009 IFBB schedule in the best shape of my career.”
2009 Ironman: Title sponsor Pro Fight Supplements
I have known the main people of Pro Fight for a few years, and congratulations on Pro Fight becoming the title sponsor of the 2009 Ironman. Here is some of the team at the 2008 NPC Excalibur, as we talked about their sponsorship of the Ironman.
Except to see Pro Fight everywhere at the contest, near the boxing rings, the powerlifting events, and much more.
For more pics, click on the link below
Vote! Be part of the process!
If you live in the USA, then you know that today will be one of the biggest voting days in the history of the country. If you are an American citizen, then go vote, and be part of the process. Whether you vote for McCain or Obama, or vote yes or no on various propositions, just exercising your right to vote is important.
I took my son there this morning, and there were 25 people ahead of me, with six voting machines. The whole thing took 20 minutes, and it was fun!
American Media Inc. Names Chris Lockwood, Mike Carlson, and Allan Donnelly to Lead Editorial Teams at Enthusiast Group of Fitness Titles
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ — David J. Pecker, Chairman and CEO of American Media, Inc.(AMI), today announced that Chris Lockwood, Mike Carlson, and Allan Donnelly have joined the editorial staffs at Muscle & Fitness, Flex and Muscle & Fitness Hers magazines, reporting to Laya Clark and Chris Scardino, Executive Vice Presidents & Co-Publishing Directors of AMI’s Enthusiast Group. The Group includes these three publications, their web sites, Mr. Olympia, and other related events and brand extensions.
In making the announcement, Mr. Pecker said, “One week after naming Laya Clark and Chris Scardino to head our Enthusiast group, we’ve completed our team by bringing in Chris Lockwood as editor-in-chief of Muscle & Fitness with Mike Carlson as his #2, and promoting Allan Donnelly to be executive editor of Flex. This gives us the most forward thinking, authoritative editorial staff of any publication that targets serious fitness enthusiasts.”
Mr. Clark said, “Chris is one of the most knowledgeable writers on the planet on the subject of fitness and nutrition and his vision for Muscle & Fitness will make it the primary source for cutting edge information in these areas. With Mike Carlson as executive editor, we now have two of the most sought after editorial talents in the industry together at one magazine.”
Mr. Scardino added, “As senior editor at Flex, Allan showed us he was ready for bigger and better things. Flex has always been the voice of the hardcore bodybuilding community and Allan will give that voice greater resonance than ever.”
Mr. Lockwood holds an M.S. in Sports Science and is in the process of obtaining his PhD from Oklahoma University in Exercise Physiology. He has been a contributor to Muscle & Fitness since 1998 and has also held executive positions or served as a consultant to a variety of sports nutrition companies including GNC and Weider Nutrition. Mike Carlson most recently launched and served as editor-in-chief of Real Fighter, one of the first magazines to recognize the MMA explosion, and has also been senior editor on the GNC publications Get Active and Physical. Mr. Donnelly has been with Flex since 2006 and had been an editor for Men’s Fitness and a writer at Muscle & Fitness.
Mr. Clark said that he and Mr. Scardino are currently conducting a search for an editor-in-chief at Muscle & Fitness Hers who will report to Mr. Lockwood. Collectively, Muscle & Fitness, Flex and M&F Hers reach over 8 million readers a month. They are the leading titles for serious fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders.
AMI promotes Laya Clark and Chris Scardino
The new came fast and furious Friday morning over this announcement in which Laya Clark and Chris Scardino were being promoted to the top positions. What is going on with Peter McGough, who has been an icon at the Weider offices, running Flex and Muscle & Fitness for a long time now. Peter was on of the most informative and knowlegable people in bodybuilding circles. As Friday rolled along, it seems that Peter had resigned, and will be taking a lesser role as an editorial consultant, and that a few other people will also be promoted to run Flex and M&F seperately. Here is the press release that came out late Thursday, and tune in for additional information next week.
American Media Inc. Names Laya Clark and Chris Scardino Executive Vice Presidents & Co-Publishing Directors of AMI’s Enthusiast Group of Fitness Titles
NEW YORK, Oct 23, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — David J. Pecker, Chairman and CEO of American Media Inc. (AMI), today announced that Laya Clark and Chris Scardino, currently Group Publishers of Muscle & Fitness, Flex and Muscle & Fitness Hers magazines, have been named Executive Vice Presidents & Co-Publishing Directors of the AMI Enthusiast Group. The Group includes the three publications, their web sites, Mr. Olympia, and all other related events and brand extensions.
Mr. Pecker commented “Laya and Chris have exhibited outstanding leadership qualities since AMI acquired the Weider titles in 2003. In their new role as ‘brand champions,” they will continue to be responsible for the advertising of the magazines and web sites, as well as overseeing the marketing, public relations and editorial direction the brands will take in the future.”
Collectively, Muscle & Fitness, Flex and M&F Hers reach over 8 million readers a month. They are the leading titles for serious fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders.
Toney “X-man” Freeman Signs multi-year endorsement with Muscletech
Toney Freeman finished the 2008 competitive season with a 5th place finish at the Mr. Olympia contest. The X-man can now add another notch in his belt of accomplishments by inking a multi-year deal with Team Muscletech.
“Toney has been a fan of Muscletech products for years and we have been big fans of Toney since he earned his pro card at the 2002 NPC Nationals” notes Dave Conlon, Manager of Talent Relations at Team Muscletech Headquarters.
“We have had Toney on our radar for quite some time and his impressive showing at this years Mr. Olympia competition, on top of his consistent placings in 2008 instantly confirmed that we had to add him to our already stacked roster of the worlds greatest bodybuilders, we couldn’t be happier to have him on the team.”
When asked how it feels to be a member of Team Muscletech, Toney said…
“It gives me great pleasure and it is also an honor to finally become a part of Team Muscletech. My goal is to live up to and exceed all expectations. This is a very special time for me and I will continue the great tradition established by the great champions before me. “Muscletech made the X-MAN the Next Man”
Congratulations Toney. Another great addition to Team Muscletech.
Toney Freeman at the 2008 Olympia.
Tesa Tape Ad Features Bodybuilder
I ran across this ad for Tesa Tape. The ad is pretty cool looking and it features a bodybuilder as part of the series. This particular ad features a bodybuilder who looks strikingly like Hidetada Yamagishi. Hmmmm – what do you think? Considering he is the most recognizable Japanese Bodybuilder, I’m going with yes it is him. Did they get permission to use Hidetada’s image? No word as of yet but we’re looking into it.
Ad for Tesa Tape – “Pack Ultra Strong”
Image of Hidetada Yamagishi
Muscle Beach Venice Grand Reopening – May 17th
Muscle Beach is getting a face lift. The weight pen on the beach in Venice, California, will be closing on May 8th, and the renovated weight pen will reopen with great fanfare on May 17th, 2008 at 2pm. $50,000 in new equipment will be introduced, courtesy of Bodybuilding.com. The area will also receive a new flooring, courtesy of Headblade.
Many special people will be at the Grand Opening, including the five inductees from last year’s show, as their plaques will be unveiled along the Walk of Fame. Jack LaLanne and Franco Columbu have also confirmed they will be there.
To those who can make it, it will be a special event. See you there.
Iovate Group of Companies Acquires Xenadrine, Cytodyne, Taraxatone, and Related Brand Names
The Iovate group of companies is very pleased to announce its recent acquisition of the Xenadrine family of brand names, and as well the Cytodyne brand names, and others, from Nutriquest Inc.
Joining the Iovate family of brands will be the following brand names: ANDRODYNE, CYTODYNE, CYTOPLEX, CYTOTRIM, INSTANT EFX, ISODYNE, METHOXYPRO, PHOSPHAPLEX, TARAXATONE, THERMODYNE, XENADRINE, XENADRINE EFX, XENADRINE RFA-1, Z-MASS, XENADRINE SLEEP PLUS, XENADRINE-NRG, XENADRINE 40+.
The addition of these powerful brand names will have a tremendous impact on your business and ours, and we are excited to be able to offer you products under these brands in the very near future. Iovate plans to immediately reformulate the existing products, and to launch a host of new products under these newly acquired trademarks.
Presently, the process of formulation, reformulation, packaging design and marketing is underway; and in true Iovate-style, we promise to deliver the most effective products, the most eye-grabbing packages, and the most powerful advertising, to ensure these new products impress consumers and retailers alike. The results are going to be spectacular!
We hope you share our excitement about this great news, and we will be presenting more indepth information very soon. We also ask for your support as we make this transition and return to full distribution.
As always, we would also like to thank you, our most valued partners, who have made the largest contribution to our success over the years. We greatly look forward continuing, and expanding, our relationship in the future.
Sincerely,
The Sales Department
Iovate Health Sciences, Inc.
Arnold Visits Bodybuilding.com for Record Breaking Webcast!
Bodybuilding.com, the world’s # 1 ranked bodybuilding and fitness website, was pleased to welcome Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to its worldwide webcast coverage of the 2008 “Arnold Classic”. Regarded as one of the most recognizable men in the world, the California Governor visited with hosts Dan Solomon and Bob Cicherillo for an exclusive post-contest interview in Columbus, Ohio. Schwarzenegger shared his thoughts on the 20th anniversary of his event and the current state of bodybuilding. A former Mr. Olympia champion, the Governor’s appearance on the webcast came just moments after he presented the winner’s trophy on-stage to the champion, Dexter Jackson.
Bodybuilding.com CEO Ryan DeLuca said, “We are working hard to promote the positive message of fitness and bodybuilding. Governor Schwarzenegger has led by example for many years and we support his commitment to health and wellness.” According to webcast statistics, it has been confirmed that the 2008 “Arnold Classic” was the most watched event in bodybuilding history.
Click here to view the interview with Schwarzenegger: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/08arnold_visits_bbcom.htm