by Christian Duque
It should come as no surprise that Hunter won Italy. There really wasn’t a lot of competition there and even though the top five did a good job of bringing quality physiques as we predicted they would, nobody was really any sort of a match for Hunter’s. I know that there is a camp that suggests that Andrea could have won and maybe he could have in a different lineup, but Labrada was too much. In fact I have no doubt he could have done very well with lesser quality guys but when you’re up against a guy like Hunter that has competed on the biggest stages in the world, you have to really bring it.
Even though Hunter’s midsection was a little bit off and even though he didn’t bring the type of condition that we would expect from him at the Arnold Classic or the Olympia, this was not the Arnold Classic or the Olympia. Again, what did Samson bring to Texas? Was it anything like what he plans on bringing to Las Vegas? No. Why would an Olympian peak as hard for a qualifying event, especially when there is no real competition to talk about? What would the incentive be to put the body through that very taxing process? To satisfy the talking heads? To give the contest photographer more to work with?
At the end of the day there is no incentive and there is no reason to bring a top-tier physique to a stage with run of the mill pros that many of us have never heard of. And I know that sounds incredibly cold and I know that a lot of fans will take exception with that, particularly fans in Europe who may look at a show like the Italy Pro as a highlight of the year, but for us it’s just another bullshit show for last minute folks to qualify for the big dance. It doesn’t mean anything and it certainly is not going to go down in the history of the sport as a battle to end all battles. It’s just a show. To use parlance of maybe 10 or 20 years ago, this would fall in the category of a $10,000 show. Nothing to really write home about.
And as I said in my article for Iron Magazine on Friday where I predicted that Hunter would easily win, I also stated that promoters such as those from Italy and Texas should really consider either increasing the prize money or working harder to promote their events. I say this because to have only one frontrunner is kind of pathetic. I applaud the federation for removing the point system which has undoubtedly raised the bar in terms of quality physiques on the Olympia stage, but to have competitions where top talent doesn’t even have to really peek says a lot. It says that there are way too many shows on the pro calendar and what we need is to have less shows. I think by doing away with the point system and reducing the number of shows it’s going to increase the demand on qualifying for the Olympia. It’s also going to draw out more talent to these competitions because they’re going to be so few and far between that they will have no choice but to compete regularly. As I said, I would never have bought a ticket to the Italy Pro. And that is even considering if Neckzilla had competed because that’s still pretty pathetic. You have a competition with one or two guys of substance? That’s it? That is not where professional shows should be at. The bar should be set far higher than that.
I mean look at Samson and the Texas Pro. This is the third consecutive year that he goes there and gets his Olympia qualification. Even though to be fair, by virtue of being top three at last year’s event he was automatically qualified but he still wanted to qualify like everyone else. I respect that because it’s a very blue collar type work ethic.
A lot of bodybuilders do not like the concept of automatic qualification. Nor do they recognize the concept of the special invite. The special invite is how Derek got his foot in the door, it’s also how Ramy got his foot in the door some years ago, too. It’s a weak look. If you can’t win a qualifying show to be at the Super Bowl of Bodybuilding, then you have no business competing on that stage. And the fact that not one, but two Mr Olympias in recent memory got there that way is also pretty embarrassing. But I digress. You guys all know where I stand with the special invite. It’s a free lunch. It’s a charity. And those bodybuilders that hold hope out to get one are no different than the panhandlers you see waiting on the side of the road to shake coins in their coffee canisters hoping to get your charity. Ramy and Derek should be ashamed of themselves to have won Sandows without having properly qualified. But in any event, que sera sera.
Hunter on the other hand is going to bring it for the Olympia. You can rest assured of that. A lot of people have lost faith in him because they see what he brought to Italy. Again let me stress that what he brought to Italy was what he needed to win in Italy. That’s by no means is a litmus test of what he’s capable of doing at the O. I should know, I interviewed him at the 2018 NPC Nationals in Miami Florida and he looked absolutely ridiculous. And from that point until today he has grown by leaps and bounds. He has put on size, he has deepened his cuts, and he has become a posing powerhouse in his own right. He is by no means living in the shadow of his legendary father. But his legendary father without a doubt has inspired him along the way. It’s the same thing with Sergio Oliva Jr.
These guys have had to work harder than most because they don’t want to be known as nothing more than a prodigy. They want to be known for their own accomplishments and their own ability to overcome the trials and tribulations that life has put in their way.
So I’m sorry to those of you out there that think that Hunter has somehow dropped the ball. He has not. What he has done, is successfully navigated the waters. He has reserved his best for the Olympia and given just what was needed to win in Italy. In a very real way he has played a good chess game when it comes to bodybuilding. Also don’t forget how many drugs these guys are on, how hard diuretics hit, and how much you can tax the body before the body burns out. The body is not a machine. You can think of it as a machine to hype yourself up in the gym to get through a tough set or to stay on the treadmill a little bit longer, but if you really think the body is a machine – you’re an idiot. The body needs to be taken care of and that includes how hard you hit the protocols and how hard you prepare for a particular contest. Hunter played this like a pro. Expect big things from him in Las Vegas in five weeks!!
But as always I don’t like to end with my thoughts, I rather end by asking you for yours. I hope you enjoyed reading my article here at Iron Magazine. What were your thoughts on Hunter’s win in italy? What do you think he will do at the Olympia? I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments.