The Arnold Classic Brazil was a pretty sad IFBB Pro show. Let me start from there. This lineup was weak at best, and quite frankly, the fact it’s on any level associated with Arnold Schwarzenegger should be cause for pause. The contest was predominantly for Brazilians. With the exception of Blessing, representing the USA by way of Ireland, and just one other competitor, the rest were Brazilian.
Leandro Sencini Peres dominated the contest. He faced considerable resistance from Wellington Baptista, but that was about it. The rest of the guys, including strong favorite Blessing Awodibu, were nothing to write home about. As a writer and pundit, I have to admit feeling kind of stupid right now. And that’s ok. Sometimes I’m way off. The idea that pundits are always right is ludicrous, but what Blessing brought to the stage was embarrassing. I try not to pick on competitors, but when you look at his progress shots and his updates, that’s a stark difference from what the guy presented this past weekend. I get The Boogieman will be competing in other shows (e.g. the NY Pro, Pittsburgh Pro, the Cal and possibly the Legion), but if he looked this bad in an easy show, what’s he going to do at a Big 3 show like New York or Pittsburgh?
The Arnold Classic South America was as low-hanging fruit as low-hanging fruit goes. I think it was even worse than the FIBO. I’d like to send a huge congratulations to Leandro and to Wellington, but this article is all about Blessing. There are things that need to be said here.
For starters, what was going on with Blessing’s midsection? It was all out of control. I’ve heard some people make excuses for the travel time. Of course that factors in. Listen, when you have to take several flights, your body is going to hold water. Extensive travel can also affect cortisol levels. It might explain why perhaps The Boogieman was holding onto fluids. It might also explain why he looked flat, but it wouldn’t do much to address the midsection. This comes down to muscles, it comes down to breathing exercises, and comes down to posing.
I think it’s possible that Blessing figured he’d come into this contest and win everything in sight. Maybe he thought he’d repeat what Sas did the week prior. The problem is that the Arnold Classic South America is very much a Brazilian show. I’d argue that non-Brazilians have their work cut out for them far more than natives. Is that politics? Maybe, but probably not.
I don’t think this is a show that too many people care about. I mean just look at the lineup. Blessing was the only guy most of us had ever heard of. With the exception of Leandro, who has done some shows stateside, I wouldn’t know any of the other competitors. Therefore, the chances that politics came into play seems pretty unrealistic in my book. If Blessing looked even remotely on point, he could have clearly won everything.
What I saw was disturbing. Blessing’s legs from the front didn’t look like that of a top pro. I think guys like Chris Aceto would make the point that there’s a difference between being at the show and watching it online, but lighting and tan don’t make or break legs. The front wheels on Awodibu look like he hasn’t been doing the business of bodybuilding in a long time. Perhaps he can hide his shortcomings on Instagram, but that’s why shows aren’t decided on social media or in front of goon lights. It’s also highly upsetting that the only guy representing the United States placed 3rd at a contest like this. And there were other, arguably more deserving, guys who could have taken a spot in the Top 3. If politics did play any kind of role here, it was to spare Awodibu a more embarrassing finishing spot than what he could have gotten.
I have nothing against The Boogieman, but I predicted he’d easily win everything. This is the same guy who had a very entertaining rivalry with Nick “The Mutant” Walker some years ago. It seems that he’s really let himself go since those days. He also looked very flat and was holding a tremendous amount of water. The photos and videos don’t lie.
Blessing’s recent appearance has even prompted many fans to ask the question of whether or not he should retire. Everyone is entitled to a bad show or two, but at 34 years of age, he can still do major damage. I just don’t know that he should do a whole bunch of shows if he can’t be competitive. If he couldn’t be competitive in one of the weakest lineups I’ve seen in years, why do big shows, where he’s guaranteed to face top guys, including past Olympia champions? If his flaws are so apparent among no-names, how glaring will they be next to the best of the best? It’s like why expend time and resources to get a second or third callout? Why even bother doing shows you have no chance of winning? Unless of course he doesn’t care anymore. But then all the more reason not to compete.
I think that structurally Awodibu has the tools to put something solid together, but right now, I think he needs to go back to the drawing board and figure out what needs to be done. Distention doesn’t get better from contest to contest. And my goodness, those wheels need serious work. That also doesn’t improve from one show to the next.
Building quality legs takes time. I mean I’ve called The Cal and the Legion Sports Fest small shows, but the Arnold Classic Brazil and FIBO are so small, they’re not even on my radar. And that’s on them, too. As a promoter, I’d never put my name next to a show with lineups as weak as those. I’m quite frankly shocked that Arnold isn’t fuming at the level, or lack thereof, of physiques on a stage linked to him.
Blessing needs to turn his career around and get his physique back on track. I know that he used to work with the great George Farah, but I doubt he still does. What he presented this past weekend should not be a physique he presents again. I consider Blessing to be a top level bodybuilder and I hope that this past weekend was a fluke with regard to the water retention, but the midsection and wheels speak to bigger issues at play. I hope he does right by himself and his physique and sits out all the shows he’s planning on doing. If he’s not going to improve his look and get better placings, then he might as well retire. No competitor should compete unless they’re competitive. Otherwise, all they’re doing is padding the numbers and voluntarily serving as cannon fodder. To each their own, but I think that’s a pretty depressing existence to have, if that’s his chosen path.
What do you think happened this past weekend? Do you think Blessing should continue competing – or – hunker down and make the necessary improvements to his physique?
As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my article, here, at IronMag. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. It’s bound to generate lively conversation.
Author Bio:
Christian I. Duque is the owner of StrengthAddicts.com, a physique and strength website founded in 2008. He has worked for a number of bodybuilding websites, including RX Muscle and Muscular Development. Christian has written nearly 1,000 published articles for IronMag Blog, as well as articles for StrengthAddicts, RX Muscle, and others. By day, he is also a licensed attorney practicing in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal defense.
