Big Ramy Good Enough - Successfully Defends New York Title | Muscular Development
Big Ramy Good Enough
Successfully Defends New York Title
Unfresh off his chest respiratory problems of a couple of months ago (during which he was hospitalized for over a week: promoting the question, did they have to push two beds together?) Big Ramy muscled his way to taking his second successive NY Pro title. Truth is he was some way off the "shock and awe" form of last year but loaded with more muscle than a middleweight posedown he just overpowered everyone. His mentor, Dennis James, says the 290 pounder was at about 85% of his best. A pretty fair assessment and I can think of no other bodybuilder who could come in (in this age of condition being paramount) at 85% against a quality field and emerge victorious.
The confirmation round saw only Big Ramy and Juan Morel called, and the sheer size of Egypt's most mythical offering since The Sphinx won all eight poses. The fast improving Morel was in his best ever form and if he can continue to improve his leg development he will win major shows and be a top six Olympian.
In third Jon DeLaRosa who has all the body parts could have challenged Morel and Charles if he had been a tad sharper. Fourth placed Lionel Beyeke did himself no justice by coming in heavy whereas an in shape version would have been battling for second. In our MD online preview we warned that Max Charles could be the "land anywhere" wild card and in the shape of his life he carved out fifth place: I had him third.
I'm sorry to keep bringing up an issue I have raised at the Europa Battle of Champions in Orlando and the Arnold Classic Brazil, namely: why doesn't the mass and aesthetics of South Africa's Marius Dohne get called out in a top four comparison and be given the chance to prove his worth?
THE 212 Division
This turned out to be a battle royal between Guy Cisterino and Aaron Clark. A battle than revolved around Guy's superior leg development and Aaron's better upper body. In the afternoon the overall flow of Guy's physique seemed to have the best of it while at the evening finals a harder (than he had been earlier) and fuller Aaron, complete with upper body bursting at the seams, held sway. In the final analysis Clark's stronger finish took home the bacon and an Olympia berth at the 212 showdown in September. Third placed Baito Abbaspour had the most overall muscle and with better back development could have toppled the top two.
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