The Greatest in the USA! A look at some of the best USA Champions
The Greatest in the USA!
A look at some of the best USA Champions
The NPC USA Championships, like the Nationals, began 35 years ago, sharing the honor of determining the very best amateur bodybuilders in our nation. Unlike the Nationals, where for most of its history all class winners earned IFBB Pro status, the USA only awarded Pro cards to the Overall winners. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that those USA champions typically went on to stellar pro careers. Here’s a look at some of the best men to win the NPC USA Championships over the years.
1987: Mike Quinn
Mighty Mike Quinn hailed from Brockton, MA, the same tough, working-class city as boxing legend Rocky Marciano, and shared the same ferocious intensity at his chosen sport. Known for his prodigious strength and a personality that could often come across as hostile or angry at times, Mike’s upper body was one of the best in the game. His peaked biceps and manta ray back were especially impressive. Mike placed fourth at his Pro debut in Detroit just after turning Pro, and went on to land as high as sixth and seventh place at the Mr. Olympia.
1989: Eddie Robinson
We marvel at today’s mass monsters like Big Ramy, but Eddie Robinson could have stood next to any of them. Eddie was thick and dense all over, and his arms and legs were both standout bodyparts. His dense development makes sense when you realize Robinson was an elite powerlifter while still in his teens, officially bench pressing over 500 pounds raw. Eddie won his Pro debut at the 1990 Niagara Falls, but didn’t compete much in the IFBB. He was billed as ‘Major Guns’ in Vince McMahon’s short-lived WBF federation, and was retired from competition by age 35.
1990: Aaron Baker
Aaron ‘Batman’ Baker also was a key WBF athlete, but he was the only one who had never competed as an IFBB Pro beforehand. Aaron was probably one of the sport’s most underrated athletes, with a combination of mass and shape that should have earned him at least a couple wins and saw him placing higher at times. Nonetheless, he had a tremendous fan base and a physique that still stands the test of time more than a quarter century later.
1991: Mike Matarazzo
The late Matarazzo’s 1991 USA win was one of the most stunning upsets in the history of amateur bodybuilding, as local star Flex Wheeler had been heavily favored to win the big show in Santa Monica. The Boston native slayed with razor-sharp conditioning, as well as some of the best arms, and definitely the best calves, our sport had ever seen. In terms of a competitive record, Matarazzo didn’t set the IFBB on fire. However, he was more in demand throughout the entire 1990’s for guest posing exhibitions than anyone else, even Mr. Olympia champs. Mike was also on numerous magazine covers and had legions of devoted fans around the world. To this day, whenever the topic of ‘best calves’ comes up, his name is immediately mentioned. His 22-inch arms weren’t too shabby either!
1992: Flex Wheeler
Who is the greatest USA winner of all time? If you go by Mr. Olympia titles as your benchmark, Phil Heath would be the man. Ask a sampling of bodybuilding fans, especially those who have followed the sport for a while, and they are more likely to answer Flex Wheeler. Flex may not have a Sandow trophy, but he was runner-up three times to men like Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman. Phil cautiously only entered two smaller shows in his rookie season. Flex did both the Arnold (which he would win four times) and the Olympia as a rookie in 1993, and was the last man to finish in the runner-up spot in his Mr. O debut. As far as physiques go, many are of the opinion that Flex Wheeler in his prime represented the closest thing to muscular perfection ever seen.
1993: Chris Cormier
A year after Flex won the USA, his friend and training partner Chris Cormier took the honors. Nicknamed ‘The Real Deal’ due to his resemblance to boxer Evander Holyfield, Cormier was known as one of the strongest trainers Venice Beach had ever seen; routinely doing 500 pounds for reps on both flat and incline presses, and squatting 700 pounds. He won 11 Pro shows, and holds the dubious distinction of being runner-up at the Arnold Classic six times, as well as taking 20 runner-up finishes in all. With a near-perfect structure and flawless proportions for a big man, Chris was rarely out of the top 5 in all 72 Pro events he competed in.
1998: Dennis James
The ironic thing about Dennis James’ USA victory is that he had only recently been living in America, having spent most of his life in Germany and Thailand. Dennis was known as one of the most thickly built men ever seen, with shoulders and pecs that were particularly massive and round. He was a consistent A-list Pro from 1999 to 2010, winning four shows and placing highly at many others, including seven top-ten finishes at the Mr. Olympia.
2005: Phil Heath
Last but certainly not least is Phil Heath. Though Phil was a decisive winner who had seemingly come out of nowhere (the 2005 USA was his first and only attempt at Pro status), few predicted he would make a big impact as a pro. His clavicles were on the narrow side, and his shoulders and arms were far ahead of his chest and back. In fact, his back was average at best. As time went on, Phil turned both those weak points into strong points, and improved to the point where eventually he was pushing his mentor Jay Cutler for the Mr. Olympia title. By 2011, even Cutler could no longer hold off the man who had been dubbed ‘The Gift.’ Now, Phil is weeks away from most likely tying Arnold Schwarzenegger’s record of seven O wins.
As we head into this 36th edition of the NPC Championships in Las Vegas, the 112-degree baking air is ripe with possibility. Hundreds of amateurs from all 50 states will be taking the stage and vying for IFBB Pro status. Will there be a future great among them? Only time will tell!
Overall USA Champions
1982 Dale Ruplinger
1983 Ernie Santiago
1984 Phil Williams
1985 David Hawk
1986 J.J. Marsh
1987 Mike Quinn
1988 John DeFendis
1989 Eddie Robinson
1990 Aaron Baker
1991 Mike Matarazzo
1992 Flex Wheeler
1993 Chris Cormier
1994 Dennis Newman
1995 Phil Hernon
1996 Craig Titus
1997 Ken Brown
1998 Dennis James
1999 Melvin Anthony
2000 Bob Cicherillo
2001 Quincy Taylor
2002 Idrise Ward El
2003 Richard Jones
2004 Mark Dugdale
2005 Phil Heath
2006 Omar Deckard
2007 Ben White
2008 Brandon Curry
2009 Mark Alvisi
2010 Jason Huh
2011 Steve Kuclo
2012 Darron Glenn
2013 Maxx Charles
2014 Nick Trigili
2015 Cody Montgomery
2016 Rasheed Oldacre
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