The Item: Career Updates, Andrew Oye's IFBB Pro Athletes Roundup
The Scoop: A "vocal" vet who usually covers bodybuilding news just made some news. Retired IFBB Pro Bob Cicherillo signed a deal to be a pitchman for a sports nutrition brand whose roster includes 8-time Mr. Olympia IFBB Pro Ronnie Coleman. While Cicherillo will no longer be the front man for the bodybuilding website he repped for seven years, fans will still hear the 45-year-old mouthpiece's distinctive Rochester, NY, accent on Pro Bodybuilding Weekly's radio airwaves and on the emcee microphone at pro bodybuilding contests.
A company statement says: "A veteran of the bodybuilding and fitness
industry, Bob brings a valuable presence and winning attitude to the
company, and [the company] is thrilled to have him as its newest
ambassador! Bob is an enthusiastic and outspoken personality with
natural leadership abilities, as is evident by his current position as
the Athlete Representative for the IFBB -- qualities that will serve him
well in his new role as spokesperson."
The "So What?": The signing occurred at the recent Europa Show of Champions (where IFBB
Pro Hidetada Yamagishi won the Open Division of the IFBB Orlando Pro
Bodybuilding Championships, and IFBB Pro Eduardo Correa won the 202 Division). The statement also notes: "Despite his close ties to the industry and experience as a company
spokesman, this partnership...marks the first time Bob has ever
signed with a nutritional supplement company."
"There have been a lot of changes in the industry. A great opportunity
came up with [the sports nutrition company], and I thought it was a good
time for a change," says Cicherillo. "A lot of people didn't see this
one coming. This company is cutting edge in the way they represent their
athletes -- everyone is put out there like a superstar and I like
that."
Andrew Oye's Verdict: After years of competing that started in the '80s, Cicherillo earned his
IFBB Pro card at the 2000 NPC USA Bodybuilding Championships. As reported in "Andrew Oye's Pro-Muscle Report," he
qualified for the 2006 Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend (won by IFBB Pro Jay
Cutler) by winning the 2006 Masters Pro World Championships in New York
but elected not to compete. Though he hasn't competed since 2006, the 6-foot,
270-pound talker, TV and film actor, and one of the original stars of TV's "American Gladiators" has maintained a strong presence in the sport among
IFBB Pro League Athletes.
With 30 years in the iron game (including winning 14 teenage titles and the 1987 NPC Junior Nationals, as well as competing at the Arnold Sports Festival's 2004 IFBB Pro Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic Bodybuilding Championships), Cicherillo's new role will be true to the term. "True definition of a spokesman and that's why I've been brought onboard," Cicherillo explains. "The company tested the waters with UFC and different events, but never left bodybuilding. I'm here to make sure we're represented in the bodybuilding world."
<<
Back to Pro-Muscle Report Home , Pro-Muscle Report
Index
