MEN'S OPEN:

Against conventional wisdom, Kai Greene entered the New York Pro Show 8 weeks after his 3^rd place finish at the 2008 Arnold Classic.  Many so-called experts thought it would be impossible for him to peak twice in such a short period of time and many "in the know" questioned whether a poor performance might hurt his chances of placing high at the Mr Olympia come September.  Kai Greene silenced all the naysayers and stormed onto the stage at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center in downtown Manhattan in true "Predator" form.  After one set of quarter turns was complete, all the judges and fans alike agreed on one simple fact-- No one was beating Kai Greene on this night.  No way; no how!

Once this simple fact was established, the show turned into a fierce battle between the aesthetically blessed Craig Richardson, giant killer David Henry, German sensation Ronnie Rockel, and darkhorse unknown Kevin English for 2^nd through 5^th places.  While most in attendance thought the seasoned muscle maturity and sliced conditioning of Richardson would easily push him into the 2^nd slot, the judges decided that English's freaky proportion and tiny waist was enough to give him the nod.  Unfortunately for Richardson, he wound up placing a disappointing (yet Olympia-qualifying) 5^th.  English should be commended for his incredible effort and unexpected "resurrection" (as the t-shirt he wore stated) back into the world of world-class bodybuilding.

With English in 2^nd and Richardson in 5^th, this left the door wide open for the symmetrically pleasing Ronnie Rockel.  After a disappointing 13^th place at the 2008 Arnold Classic earlier in the year, Rockel returned to the form that won him the Australian Grand Prix back in 2006.  And if this guy ever tightens up his glutes and hamstrings, we'll be seeing him in the winner's circle of a lot more contests!

Despite a top 10 finish at the 2007 Mr. Olympia, David Henry has yet to duplicate the incredible conditioning he displayed at the Olympia Wild Card several years ago.  He did, however, bring a well-balanced, ripped, physique to New York and for his efforts, "The Giant Killer" placed 4^th and qualified for the Mr Olymia contest in September.

UNDER 202 CLASS:

From the depths of the leg room at Bev Francis Powerhouse Gym in Syosset, NY, Kevin English reinvented himself from the 285lb overweight gym monster that he was to the ripped freak with the non-existent waist that enabled him to win the inagural Under 202 Class at the New York Pro Show.  English's symmetry is flawless and while his presentation could definitely use work, his dominance in this weightclass couldn't be denied.  1^st Place and a nice paycheck should help motivate English to stay on track and concentrate on the Under 202 Challenge at the 2008 Olympia.

David Henry, 2^nd, fought a tough battle with Engliah; however, when all was said and done, Henry's slightly watery appearance in his lower body cost him a victory that seemed to be a lock in the weeks leading up to the show.  Henry needs to reevaluate his contest prep methodologies and he has to focus on conditioning as his main priority if he's gonna hope to beat the likes of a Kevin English come Olympia time.

Grabbing 3^rd place and the final 202 Olympia qualifier spot was former NPC Nationals heavyweight and overall champion Jason Arntz.  Arntz took a chance and dropped down to a weight he hadn't visited since he won the light heavyweight class at the USA Championships over 10 years ago today; and this retro experiment proved to be just what Arntz needed to revitalize a career that had taken many steps backwards in recent years.  While I've seen Jason harder in the past, his physique is definitely made for this class.  If he can tighten up his legs and glutes and bring up his arms a tad, he'll be a legitimate contender for the Olympia 202 Challenge. 

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