Foremost let me clarify that the people angry over the judging at the 2026 Huanji China Pro aren’t just fans of James Hollingshead. We’re going to talk about the many positive attributes that The Shed has and why so many people are drawn to him, but with regards to the judging a lot of people are angry because they don’t understand what the judges saw. They don’t understand how James, who looked his very best in China, could come up second to a guy who was clearly off in terms of condition, who did not win most of the poses, and who arguably almost didn’t even make it to the contest. There’s a lot to unpack here. All I want to say is that I’m not going to title the article with James was robbed or politics prevailed or anything like that because I don’t think it was a bank robbery, you know what I mean? Was it a close contest that should have been decided in a different way? Absolutely. Did Behrouz have a claim to win? Sure, he did. I would never say otherwise. I just think that there’s a lot of factors that are at play and a lot of people are waiting for Tyler to give the judges’ perspective. People want to hear from the judges, from the men and women that sit at the table who ultimately decide the placings in a bodybuilding show. But as often is the case, if their scoring isn’t in line with what the majority of bodybuilding fans are saying, questions are going to be asked. I should also point out that Matt from Muscle Discord has been a champion of promoting the use of AI, or artificial technology, as a litmus test for what people are saying. Whether it’s the judges, media personalities, or even the fans. Because at the end of the day, AI doesn’t know politics and it doesn’t play favorites. It looks at a physique as objectively as possible and judges it. It can do so objectively despite this being the most subjective sport of all.
Before I speak more on China Pro, I just want to be clear that I’m not advocating that AI replace human judges. I don’t think AI is quite there yet even though some of its supporters would argue till they’re blue in the face, otherwise. I also think that it’s important to have human judges because AI is only as good as who programmed it. Ultimately the script is written by a human. I think that even though AI would take things to the extreme in terms of transparency and near-perfect objectivity, I don’t think it’s the right fit for the sport at this time. That being said, if AI is supporting what the majority of human beings that are fans of the sport are saying, then I would say, “Houston we have a problem.”
Let’s talk a little bit about Behrouz. Initially when he applied for a visa he was denied almost immediately. Everybody was caught off guard by this because if there was one country in the world where an Iranian could go without being hassled it would be a country like China or Russia, right? Because after all Iran has good diplomatic ties to those countries. The same can’t be said for Iran and most European nations, much less Iran and the United States. Unless you’re living under a rock, you’d know we are actively at war. We saw how the Iranian FIFA players claimed to have been treated during the World Cup, and we can only imagine how hard it will be for a bodybuilder in similar circumstances. Now do I believe the Iranian soccer players? Not really, but I do think it makes a little bit of sense that there would be some backlash for the team or for an athlete representing a country that the host country is at war with. I don’t think that’s that far of a stretch.
But when Behrouz’s visa application was denied, I thought that was it for him. China represented the only realistic road he had to the 2026 Olympia. Now his coach, Milos Sarcev, clung to the hope that if he applied for a second time that maybe he would be able to get in. To me that sounded crazy. If you’re rejected for a visa and you apply again, you’re just going to get it rejected again. But maybe Milos knew something that the rest of us didn’t. Because when Tabani applied for the second time, wouldn’t you know it, he got approved! Nonetheless, the Behrouz we saw take the stage in China was off. A lot of people don’t want to talk about that, but he was off. And he was sweating profusely. Quite frankly, Behrouz didn’t have the wow factor that James did. I’m not saying the guy didn’t deserve to be in the top three, I’m not saying the guy didn’t deserve to be runner up, and I’m not saying that it was the Injustice of the century that he won the contest. What I am saying is that he wasn’t at his best. And if he wasn’t at his best, and James, then I think a much stronger case can be made for James being the rightful winner.
What’s interesting now is that James is going to have an awful hard time qualifying. He’s doing the Tampa Pro this weekend but there’s no way in hell he’s going to beat guys like Nick Walker and Jo Palacios. I just don’t see it. He could do Texas, but then he’s up against Regan Grimes. Regan Grimes looks better than he’s ever looked, but he’s also a guy that generally looks better on social media and during prep than when he actually takes the stage. Looking amazing on Instagram or looking amazing on YouTube doesn’t amount to a hill of beans if you can’t bring that same look to the stage. The only thing that matters is what happens in the prejudging and the finals. The only people that have a real voice are the judges. So, it’s possible that Regan will come up short on game day as he often does and James wins, but I don’t see that happening. Unfortunately, I think James is going to compete, make some money, have some laughs, but he won’t have a spot at the 2026 O.
Now I’m not saying that James brought a perfect physique because he didn’t. My only critique of him is that his midsection could have been tighter. I don’t think that he’s blocky and I don’t think that he has an ugly look. I just think that the midsection would be a knock for me. The midsection really affects two maybe three poses – maximum. It’s really just about the ab and thigh shot. So, I really honestly do not understand why he came up short. There are people that claim that it was political, but I don’t think it was necessarily that as much as it was the fact that the judges maybe were looking for something different. I’m certainly not trying to tiptoe around a controversial topic because that’s never been my style. I just don’t want to call this a robbery. I think that a disservice was done to James. I think that James will probably not be able to compete at the Olympia and that makes me very upset. Ultimately, I just think this was a judging score that I don’t agree with. That having been said, the fans are upset, too. Even as I write this article on Wednesday night, the fans are still livid. People want answers and I don’t think they’re going to be happy with whatever they’re told. That’s because this was the best James we had ever seen against an off Behrouz.
Let’s be fair, here. Does anyone have any idea what it would be like to prepare for 16 weeks and then in the final three or four days you don’t know if you are going to be able to travel to the show? I mean that’s enough of a monkey wrench to sabotage anyone. Plus there’s the flight. Even if the uncertainty and the cortisol spikes weren’t enough, then there’s the jet lag. The guy had to get on a plane for a longas, last minute flight and then compete all within the course of three or four days. There are competitors that will come out to a contest a month before the show so they can assimilate the climate, so they can get used to the weather, so they can just feel at home. So, I think that Tabani could easily have come in looking like absolute shit because of the rigmarole he had been through. But instead, he came in and beat a guy at his best. I mean it’s a fairy tale ending for Tabani, and a downright nightmare for James.
But James is such a class act. He is so humble, so understanding. He was legitimately happy for Behrouz. And I think that creates an even stronger sense of urgency and outrage from the fans. If James had been angry or had he complained or had he stormed off the stage like a certain former Mr Olympia did, then maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. But they couldn’t have wronged a nicer guy.
As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my article, here, at IronMag. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. I guarantee you, it’s going 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.
