Bodybuilding fans and enthusiasts have been eagerly waiting for the upcoming NPC IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Show, scheduled to take place in May. The poster for the event was recently released, featuring several new faces alongside some familiar ones.
The guest posing lineup is unfortunately disappointing. Big-name bodybuilders were not on the poster. I would have loved to see competitors like Andrew Jacked, Michal Krizo, and Iain Vailliere, guest posing alongside the other top competitors. However, there is excitement about the new faces on the poster, including Samson Dauda, Rafael Brandeo, Nick Walker, Shaun Clarida, Hunter Labrada, Derek Lunsford, and Chris Bumstead.
Shifting focus, Big Ramy, did not show up for last year’s guest posing and went on to lose his Olympia title. Despite the untrue rumors that Big Ramy lost his title due to not showing up for the guest posing, I believe Jim Manion, the president of IFBB NPC, would never do that to any Mr. Olympia. I know Jim Manion personally and have been friends with him for a long time.
I am very excited about seeing Samson Dauda, who usually gets huge in his off-season and is expected to weigh around 320 pounds during the event. Another exciting competitor to keep an eye on is Rafael Brandeo. While Rafael made significant improvements, he still needs to put on more muscle to crack the top eight at the Olympia.
Another great addition to the poster was Nick Walker. I predict that he will come in looking super full and big, given his coach’s track record. Just as exciting is Derek Lunsford, whose guest posing last year was a defining moment for the bodybuilding industry and made him a popular name in the sport. I am excited about seeing Derek Lunsford’s off-season conditioning this year, expecting him to weigh at least 260 pounds during the event.
While I am disappointed that some big-name bodybuilders were not on the poster, I am still excited about the event and looking forward to seeing all the athletes on stage.I urge the Jim Manion to invite Andrew Jacked to the guest posing lineup, as he deserves to be on stage with the other top dogs.
