WORCESTER— A Worcester bodybuilder and businessman who was convicted on drug charges along with two former Worcester police officers was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to 51 months in prison and forfeiture was ordered of his home and defunct business.

Thomas J. Vigliatura, 40, of 118 Santoro Road, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy from 2002 to 2004 to distribute illegal steroids known as GHB and GBL and to possess cocaine and Ecstasy as well as distribution of GBL and GHB.

Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV also found that Mr. Vigliatura had threatened the life of the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney George W. Vien, although he had not been charged with that.

— Read Full Story.

Forget Sony Studios in Culver Studios, where the events for Season one was taped at. This time, for Season Two, they are going bigger and better. What? Are you saying they are not taping in a 42,000 square foot set. Nope, they are going to be taping at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, at 3939 South Figueroa Street, very close to where USC is. That places is huge, and has about 13,000 seats around the arena. Now that is going to be an event. It also as the room to house all of the events, instead of just building them up and removing them every few days.Unlike Season One, we hear that there is going to be a pool which is above water, and you can see in, so you can watch the Gladiator and competitors under water too.

The first show will begin taping on Tuesday, April 8th, at 5pm. Each show will last 4-5 hours, so expect to be there, until after 10pm. Taping should last from April 8 to around April 20th or so.

Season Two’s premiere will be two hours long, and will begin on Monday, May 12th, and will continue every Monday with a 90 minute show. Who will be the new Gladiators? Who won’t be on the show?

Well, we know from various sources that Matt Morgan and Erin Toughill, both MMA stars, are going to be two of the new Gladiators. Add to that, perhaps, the two winners of Season One, and we have four new Gladiators to check out. Check here for more updates.

The last time we saw Lee Priest, we were at the 2008 Arnold Classic, where Lee was standing in the MuscleMag booth greeting some fans. Today, Lee decided to sign a deal with Muscular Development, and judging from many rumors, it looks like Lee will be let back into the IFBB, and perhaps be allowed to compete at the 2008 Atlantic Pro. If he places in the top three there, then it is off to the Olympia stage. But first, he needs to be reinstatement into the IFBB.Congratulations Lee on your contract with MD.

After being with Muscular Development magazine for the past few years, Dexter Jackson made a bold choice, and signed with Weider Publications (Flex, Muscle & Fitness Magazine) in a stunning move that left many in the industry surprised. Many people did not even know that Dexter’s contract with MD was up. Still, the announcement on Tuesday evening on Flexonline created quite a stir, as Dexter had just come off winning three IFBB contests in a row (2008 Arnold Classic, 2008 Australian Pro, 2008 New Zealand Pro).Congratulation to Dexter, as teaming up with Weider, along with his Muscletech contract, puts Dexter is a great position as he rests and gears up for the 2008 Mr. Olympia contest. We here see Dexter as easily being in the top 4 at the 2008 Mr. Olympia, along with Jay Cutler, Dennis Wolf, and Phil Heath.

Kudos to the creative team who run the 2008 Olympia Weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada, for providing a special contest for the IFBB pros who are under 202 pounds.On Saturday, September 27th, 12 competitors, all who have to be 202 pounds or under, will take the stage at the Las Vegas expo stage, and battle it out. The winner takes $7,500. Second place $3,000. Third place $1,500.

Now here comes the interesting part. If you are qualified for the Mr. Olympia, you can’t compete in this show. This show, an IFBB special invite contest, is to showcase some of the smaller guys who didn’t have a chance to make it to the Mr. Olympia contest.

For more information on how to compete, contact Robin Chang at Weider.

Dexter Jackson made it three in a row, and completing the sweep by winning the 2008 IFBB Zew Zealand Elite Bodybuilding Pro contest in Aukland on March 15th. After winning the Arnold Classic two weeks before, and then the Australia Pro a week ago, Dexter is now going to rest up for the 2008 Mr. Olympia show. Dexter is on a roll! Here are the results for the 2008 New Zealand Pro

1. Dexter Jackson
2. Melvin Anthony
3. Toney Freeman
4. Sergey Shelestov
5. Troy Alves
6. Ronnie Rockel
7. Jaroslav Horvath
8. Oscar Tua Dexter
9. Oliver Adzievski
10. Salah Ibraham
11. Constantinos Demetiou
12. Michael Kingsnorth

For complete scorecard results, please go to:

Dexter Jackson continues to dominate as Dexter wins the 2008 Australia Pro Grand Prix, down in Melbourne, Australia. Promoter Tony Doherty did a tremendous job again in producing a wonderful contest. Here are the placings.

1. Dexter Jackson
2. Melvin Anthony
3. Mel ElMoussawi
4. Toney Freeman
5. Troy Alves
6. Ronnie Rockel
7. Sergey Shelestov
8. Jaroslav Horvath
9. Martin Kjellstrom
10. Oscar Tau Dexter
11. Constantinos Demetriou
12. Michael Kingsnorth
13. Oliver Adzeivski
14. Bola Ojex
15. Salah Ibraham

For complete scorecard results, please go to:

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

Monday, May 12th is when we will see the second season of American Gladiators premier on NBC. Which new Gladiators will come aboard, we are not sure yet, but we know that TNA’s wrestling star Matt Morgan will become one of the newest American Gladiators.

We are not sure yet if Evan Dollard and Monica Carlson, the winners of Season One, will become American Gladiators, although they have been offered the chance to do so.  At this past weekends Arnold Classic expo in Columbus, Ohio, the casting crew of AG were still looking and interviewing potentional Gladiators and competitors.

So how were the ratings for Season One? It was the number one new series for NBC, will an average rating of close to 10 million people per week! Now that isnt bad at all!

We have also learned that a number of Season One Gladiators will not be back on the show, due to various reasons. But until the official Gladiator list is completed for Season 2, anything can happen.

Saturday night, March 2, at the Veteran Memorial Auditorium, which seats 3,300 people, we saw an incredible show, in which Dexter Jackson beat Phil Heath and Kai Greene to become the winner of the 2008 Arnold Classic Men’s Bodybuilding contest. Last year’s winner, Victor Martinez, was injured a few weeks before the show, and most likely, be out for the entire year.

Here is the results for the 2008 Arnold Classic Men’s Bodybuilding

1. Dexter Jackson
2. Phil Health
3. Kai Greene
4. Branch Warren
5. Silvio Samuel
6. Gustavo Badell
7. Toney Freeman
8. Melvin Anthony
9. Johnnie Jackson
10. Desmond Miller
11. Moe Elmoussawi
12. David Henry
13. Ronnie Rockel
14. DeShaun Grimez
15. A.D. Cherry
    

For complete scorecard results, please go to:

LIFT Studios Launches HARDBODY NEWS Text Messaging Service
Female bodybuilding, fitness and figure news, gossip and NPC & IFBB Pro contest results delivered directly to your phone, within seconds of them happening.

DENVER, Colorado, February 27, 2008 – LIFT Studios (www.liftstudios.com) announced today that it has launched HARDBODY NEWS (www.hardbodynews.com), a new text messaging service for female bodybuilding, fitness and figure fans. HARDBODY News, like Muscle Phone (www.musclephone.com) for the men’s side of things, alerts subscribers of the latest industry news, gossip and NPC & IFBB contest results.

“Muscle Phone broke new ground for bodybuilding fans and it was time to provide a version for the women’s side of things. Those who sign up for the service will receive the 2008 Ms. International as well as the Fitness & Figure International results via text message immediately after they are announced,” said Isaac Hinds, Owner of LIFT Studios and Creator of Muscle Phone. “Fans of the female side of the industry no longer have to be glued to their computers or rely on friends for the latest NPC & IFBB contest results or industry news and gossip. Strategic partnerships have been formed with the IFBB Professional League, Pro Bodybuilding Weekly, Sprayflex, Getbig.com, Hardbody.com with more to come,” Hinds goes on to say.

Fans can access HARDBODY News, by texting the word HARDBODY to 64274 or visit www.hardbodynews.com, standard text messaging rates may apply. There is no charge for subscribing however standard text messaging rates may apply depending on your text message plan.Currently the subscription is not available outside of the United States but plans are being made to expand globally.

About LIFT Studios
LIFT Studios provides branding, consulting, design, interactive, marketing, mobile content, photography and video services. Founded by Isaac Hinds, LIFT is located in Denver, Colorado, with an emphasis on Sports, Fitness & Health-related clients. LIFT currently works with the top competitors in the bodybuilding, fitness and figure world. Adela Garcia, Monica Brant, Oksana Grishina, Dina Al-Sabah and Phil Heath to name a few. Isaac’s photographs have appeared in IRONMAN, FLEX, Planet Muscle, NPC NEWS, Oxygen and many other publications.

Media Contact:
Isaac Hinds
Ph: 303.908.3998
Isaac@liftstudios.com or Info@hardbodynews.com
www.liftstudios.com
www.hardbodynews.com

“Pro Bodybuilding Weekly” continues its coverage of the 2008 contest season with a preview of this weekend’s Arnold Classic. Marvelous Melvin Anthony visits PBW to offer up his perspective on the contest as he prepares for a long awaited showdown with Ironman champ Phil Heath and a battle with two-time Arnold Classic Champ Dexter Jackson. PBW’s Arnold Preview will include analysis, predictions as well as the weekly “Pep Talk” segment as Larry visits with bodybuilding’s newest star, Moe Elmoussawi.

The voice of pro bodybuilding is presented by MuscleTech on Monday at 8pm ET. Access the new PBW player at http://www.probodybuildingweekly.com/player/replay.html

Moe Elmoussawi at the IRONMAN PRO.
Visit the PBW broadcast Center at: www.BodybuildingRadio.com
PBW: the official radio show of the 2008 Arnold Sports Festival.

An interactive video chat IFBB Pro Female Bodybuilder Marika Johansson and her husband, industry insider Kris Gethin, who will share their Top 10 predictions for the 2008 Arnold Classic. This will be Bodybuilding.com’s seventh weekly live video chat.

Friday, February 22, 2008
1:00 p.m. MST
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/justintv.htm

Will Harris is always a wild card in the quest for a top five placing at the Ironman Pro. But the competitor surprised us last year with almost winning the 2007 Europa Pro show. So can Will come with a better physique at the Ironman Pro? Various sources who train with Will say yes, he is going to surprise everyone!

For more pics, click below

From our sources, Melvin Anthony has come back from a month out in Kuwait, where he ate, slept and trained hard for the upcoming Arnold Classic competition March 1st. Melvin went out there to endorse a gym, signed a lot of photographs, made a number of appearance, and even went on an Arabic television show much like the ‘Jay Leno’ show that we have here, and talked about bodybuilding, competing and training. Melvin spoke in English to the host, while the translator gave his responses. It was a blast.

Our friends say that Melvin is 255 pounds, and his conditioning is right on to surprise many at the Arnold Classic. Melvin may be considered the underdog at the Arnold Classic to place even in the top three, but he intends to beat out his own physique from the last show, which was the Olympia. Either way, it is going to be a great battle on stage between the competitors. We will next see Melvin at the Ironman Pro show, but not competing. Melvin will be there to check out his fellow competitors, and will be at the Weider booth, since Muscletech may not have a booth there.

Services will be held at:
Lakewood Cemetery & Chapel
3600 Hennepin Ave. South
Minneapolis, MN
2 pm on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008

Another service will be be held in Rock Springs, WY within the next ten days.