by Christian Duque
When it comes to pro bodybuilders that have remained loyal to the Federation and have presented themselves as positive role models for up-and-coming new pros, the name Nathan DeAsha comes to mind. Here’s a guy who’s rode the wave of success but also cut his teeth with adversity. He’s had visas denied, preps gone wrong, bad placings and good ones. His resilience is noteworthy and you will never see him refusing a medal, exhibiting poor sportsmanship on stage, backstage, or post-contest.
I’ve met him several times and I’ve always gotten great vibes. One of the first times we met was in Pittsburgh at the President’s TCM Nationals. Nathan wasn’t competing; he was there to show respect and to keep morale high among the competitors. Seeing someone on that level walking among the crowd is definitely something to write home about. It’s not everyday that you could bump into an elite level athlete like The Prophecy at an amateur contest.
I make mention of some of his attributes not to make the case that he’s simply a good guy. You’d get that from watching a few of the bodybuilding podcasts he’s on or reading some of his interviews. I’m mentioning my personal impressions for the simple fact that everyone has a limit, and very few guys can be on the receiving end of as much bullshit as Nathan, yet remain cool, calm, and collected. Everyone has a breaking point and when an elite level competitor goes into a contest looking phenomenal, but is given a shit placing for “not being in shape,” that’s enough to make any person’s blood boil – including a Federation-loyal individual like Nathan DeAsha.
This article isn’t about whether or not Nathan should have won the Portugal pro show. In my opinion, The Prophecy belonged in the winner’s circle. There was no question in my mind that he won the contest – and buried the competition. I don’t think that Rubiel Mosquera could hold a candle to him. Bruno Santos also has no business placing above Nathan. If the powers that be wanted Rubiel on the Olympia stage in 2025, they more than achieved that by letting him with the 2025 FlexPro in Italy. That was a garbage show reminiscent of the Cali Pro (where Regan Grimes got his gift qualification).
While there used to be what were called $10k shows, I’d add trash shows or shit shows to the subpar category of contests, today. These are shows where no one in the lineup has ever been Top 10 at the O. And in fact, there may not be anyone in the lineup that has ever been to an Olympia. Those contests are what’s known as low-hanging fruit. You’ll never see a guy like William, Brandon, or Nathan do one of those shows. And the reason is because none of them would want to qualify for the O by beating 3rd and 4th callout guys. If the powers that be wanted to give Neckzilla a path to the O by beating guys like Andrea Presti in his own country, I can live with that. Even scrubs should get a chance to go to Vegas, once. But to rob a guy like Nathan DeAsha, who has competed at the O and been competitive, is beyond unacceptable.
I’m not sure who judged the Mr. Big Evolution, but I don’t think it comes down to inexperienced judges or bad judging. For all I know, big names judged that contest. But for them to say that Nathan wasn’t in shape is insulting to me as a writer. The eyes don’t lie. And yes, while I wasn’t at the show, I can see what DeAsha brought. I can see the pics and I can see the video. Sure, I wasn’t there – front row and center stage, but the guy was firing on all cylinders.
Plus, let’s talk about Rubiel for a moment. As I said in my previous article, I don’t know Rubiel. He could be the nicest, most sincere competitor on the planet. I have nothing personally against him. That said, he has an ugly physique. I mean, he’s known for having one of the thickest necks in the sport – not great abs, or great wheels, or a killer rear latspread. The guy looks like a cartoon character – and not in a good way. His proportions are out of whack, his balance is way off, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
I’ve seen guys with ugly looks and/or bad genetics make up for it with exceptional condition and crispness. I’ve seen guys with genetic shortcomings present their physiques like true artists. Their posing is extremely polished and choreographed. They work hard to use the art of illusion to fill in the gaps left by their subpar muscle bellies and/or proportions. Again, nothing personally against Rubiel, but the guy’s condition is atrocious. Is it that he doesn’t like to suffer? Is he taking the wrong supplements? I honestly don’t know, but instead of making condition his strong suit, it only serves to further illustrate that he is not an elite level athlete. Yes, he may have won back-to-back pro shows, but he’s not an elite level pro. He’s just not. His condition is as bad as the shape of his muscle.
And with regards to posing… Rubiel can’t hold a candle to Nathan. While he hits the mandatories acceptably, that’s about all he can do. He all but disappears for the posedown and with the exception of his freaky size, he’s clueless as to how to work the crowd.
Posing serves a variety of purposes in bodybuilding. Its primary function is to present a physique to the judging panel. Great posers are master illusionists. They can fool a judging panel composed of men and women who see thousands of competitors a year and are trained to score physiques in a matter of seconds. They can also fool seasoned photographers and videographers that may even be closer to the stage than the individuals scoring the athletes. That’s saying a lot because photographers and videographers aren’t just seated closer, but their camera lenses can capture the most minute details with splendid definition. Nonetheless, an athlete that can execute the illusion factor flawlessly can hide his/her imperfections even under the lights and camera zooms. Rubiel is not a gifted poser. In fact, if I can be totally transparent, his posing is trash.
So, how does a guy with an ugly physique, bad condition, and practically no posing skills beat a guy like Nathan DeAsha? Please, tell me. And how can the judges lie to our faces and insult our intelligence by saying Nathan wasn’t in shape, WHEN HE CLEARLY WAS?
It’s bullshit decisions like that at the Mr. Big Evolution in Portugal that cement the very real issue of politics in bodybuilding. Politics ARE in bodybuilding. Case closed.
If I were in Nathan’s shoes, I’d be livid, but he continues to do the business of bodybuilding and continues to hold himself out like a consummate professional. We, the fans, know what time it is. I hope that wherever he said or did, that pissed off a big fish, has been resolved. Please don’t screw over a guy on this level again. It’s so obvious that it isn’t even funny. Absolutely no one is buying the nonsense that DeAsha wasn’t on point. Hopefully this dark cloud that was following him around at the Mr. Big Evolution stays in Portugal. Quit doing a real team player like Nathan DeAsha wrong!
As always, thank you for taking the time to read my article, here, at IronMag. What say you? Was Nathan royally robbed? I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Also, please be sure to post a link to this article on all your social media feeds. It’s sure to drum up considerable conversation.
