The Item: Contest Results, New IFBB Pro League Cards, Andrew Oye's IFBB Pro Athletes Roundup
The Scoop: Just Announced: Over the weekend, in Laval, Quebec, new IFBB Pro Mike Johnson was named Mr. Canada at the 2011 CBBF Canadian National Bodybuilding Championships, by winning the Super-Heavyweight Class and Overall title. As a result, the 5'10", 230-pound, 30-year-old bodybuilder and fitness trainer from Halifax, Nova Scotia, earned his IFBB Pro card and qualification to compete on the contest circuit of the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness.
The "So What?": The Canadian Bodybuilding Federation's National Bodybuilding Championships, which was won by IFBB Pro Santana Anderson last year, produced two rookie pros in 2011. New IFBB Pro Renaldo Gairy from Toronto, Ontario (by way of Jamaica), took 1st place in the Heavyweight Class. Narrowly overtaken by Johnson in the Overall Posedown, Gairy was also awarded an IFBB Pro card by the CBBF contest judges. On a side note, the Canadian National Championships was
one of few contests (amateur or pro) held on a Sunday this year, whereas
most competitions are scheduled on Saturdays.
Andrew Oye's Verdict: Mike Johnson left the Army Reserves and graduated with university
degrees in engineering and kinesiology in 2006, and he obtained firefighting
certificates
in 2009. The educated iron lifter brings a dual background in both physique and strength
sports, so it will be interesting to see how he fares in the professional ranks (in comparison to other powerlifter-bodybuilders who
came before him, such as Mr. Olympia IFBB Pro Franco Columbu, IFBB Pro Tom Platz,
IFBB Pro Johnnie Jackson, IFBB Pro Ben White, and IFBB Pro Stan
Effedring), and if he eventually makes it to the big stages at the Arnold Sports Festival's IFBB Pro Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic
Bodybuilding Championships, or at Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend.
On the bodybuilding side, prior to this year's
Nationals, Johnson had racked up seven 1st place wins, including the
Nova Scotia Provincial in 2009, 2006 and 2002, and the Atlantic
Championships in 2009, 2006, 2004 and 2002. On the powerlifting side,
Johnson placed 4th in his class at the 2008 CPU National Powerlifting
and Bench Press Championship, after placing 2nd in 2007. He finished 1st
in his powerlifting class at the CPU Nova Scotia Provincials in 2008
and 2007.
Ironically, a third sport -- pro wrestling --
inspired Johnson to pursue bodybuilding at 17. He recalls, "As a young
kid, I was, and still am, a huge fan of wrestling. I was fascinated by
the guys that had muscular physiques and ever since I can remember
wanted to have a body like those well built wrestlers...I wasn't
involved in, or very interested in team sports, and I wanted to have
something that I was good at."
<< Back to
Pro-Muscle
Report Home ,
Pro-Muscle
Report Index
