The Item: IFBB Pro League Contest Results, Special Appearances, Ferrigno Legacy Fitness Festival, Andrew Oye's IFBB Pro Athletes Roundup
The Scoop: Just Announced: Over the weekend, IFBB Pro Ronny Rockel from Germany was
crowned the first-ever winner of the inaugural IFBB Lou Ferrigno Legacy
Pro Bodybuilding Championships at the Ferrigno Legacy Fitness Festival
in Santa Barbara, California. IFBB Pro Brad Rowe, a Cali resident, was
the 2nd place runner-up. Polish powerlifter and IFBB Pro Robert
Piotrkowicz pushed his way into the 3rd place position. South African
IFBB Pro Marius Dohne secured 4th place. Another LA local, IFBB Pro Omar
Deckard finished in 5th place.
Some of the remaining field:
IFBB Pro Stefan Havlik (6th), IFBB Pro Dalibor Hajek (8th), IFBB Pro
Michael Ely (9th), IFBB Pro Rafael Jaramillo (10th), IFBB Pro Will
Harris (11th), IFBB Pro Jerome Ferguson (12th), IFBB Pro Vladimir Sizov
(13th), IFBB Pro Pedro Barron (14th), IFBB Pro Lionel Brown (15th), IFBB
Pro Jeno Kiss (16th), and IFBB Pro Ryan Pateracki (16th), and IFBB Pro
Varinder Singh Ghuman (16th).
The "So What?": As reported in "Andrew Oye's Pro-Muscle Report," the IFBB Pro Olympia
Qualification Series Point System: (1st automatic qualification, 2nd - 4
Points, 3rd - 3 Points, 4th - 2 Points, 5th - 1 Point) applies to IFBB
Pro League athletes' eligibility to compete at Joe Weider's Olympia
Weekend to face reigning Mr. Olympia IFBB Pro Phil Heath. This was the
first full-scale IFBB/NPC event promoted by Hollywood actor ("The
Incredible Hulk," "Hercules"), co-star of "Pumping Iron," IFBB Hall of
Fame, 2-time Mr. Universe IFBB Pro Lou Ferrigno. The festival also
included fitness clinics, demos, live entertainment and a Legends
Q&A with 8-time Ms. Olympia IFBB Pro Lenda Murray, 4-time Arnold
Classic Champ IFBB Pro Flex Wheeler, IFBB Pro Shawn Ray, and IFBB Pro Ed
Corney.
Andrew Oye's Verdict: Offering cool, unique trophies that resembled a mechanized Hulk-like
creature, Lou Ferrigno made a commendable effort to launch his event
during the holiday season. Of course, it will take time to improve
efficiency toward the level of established events (such as the Arnold
Sports Festival's IFBB Pro Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic Bodybuilding
Championships). Regarding the athletes, Ryan Pateracki, who had earned
his IFBB Pro card by winning the Super-Heavyweight Class at the 2013 NPC
National Bodybuilding Championships, made a quieter pro debut than Brad Rowe -- who had also turned pro at the 2013 Nationals, but
went on to place 3rd in his pro debut at the Europa Phoenix Pro (won by
IFBB Pro Moe Bannout) last month and then jumped to 2nd place at the Ferrigno Legacy, his
second professional contest.
Marius Dohne's previous
showing resulted in an 8th place finish at the 2014 New York Pro (won by
IFBB Pro Mamdouh Elssbiay, a.k.a. "Big Ramy") in May. At the San Marino
Pro (won by IFBB Pro Shawn Rhoden) in October, Robert Piotrkowicz
finished 8th ahead of Ronny Rockel in 9th place. Yet, earlier this month
at the Russian Grand Prix (won by IFBB Pro William Bonac), Rockel
rebounded and placed 2nd ahead of Piotrkowicz in 3rd place. In the end,
Rockel brought the most complete physique in terms of shape and
conditioning among all the competitors in California, earning his fourth
pro victory overall and his first pro victory in a contest on Unites
Stated soil after competing as a professional for more than a decade.
Ronny "The Rock" Rockel closed the year strongly, winning the last
competition of 2014 and automatically qualifying for next year's "Super
Bowl of bodybuilding."
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