by Christian Duque
This may come as news to a lot of bodybuilding fans that have just discovered the sport but I come from an era where shows were won from the back. Not only that but I remember a time when condition was everything. You either had it or you didn’t. You either suffered or you simply pretended. And the truth of the matter is Jon Delarosa is a throwback to yesteryear when guys gave it their all and battled hard for the win. Jon knows all about how important it is to bring size and condition. There were guys on the Tampa stage that brought either or but not both.
Jon is also a competitor that has battled some of the greatest names of all time. He comes from a part of the country where training is taken seriously. He is also a competitor that is no stranger to hard work and having to digest a less-than-stellar placing. Those are the guys you have to really be careful of. Not the whiners, not the conspiracy nuts, but the guys that take it in stride. So one show you don’t do as well as you thought, you just come back better, you fight another day. But I have to say that given the depth of the lineup at this monumental South Florida show, Jon really brought his A game. He brought size and cuts and nobody could touch him from the back. His side poses were also phenomenal. and it brings me great joy to let you – the readers of Iron Magazine – know that we now have one more Olympia qualified athlete going to Las Vegas, Nevada to battle at the Super Bowl of Bodybuilding.
And I think it’s a fantastic addition because of the fact that this competitor is a seasoned pro. He has been in the game for quite some time and he deservedly takes the qualification at this prestigious competition. And that’s just it, when you look at the pecking order, Tampa is high up on the ladder. You’ve got the Olympia at the top spot followed by the Arnold Classic followed by the New York Pro and at that point it’s anyone’s guess which show takes the fourth place spot. Some will argue Chicago, others will argue Tampa. I say they’re both basically tied for that fourth spot.
And that being the case it makes you wonder if Tampa is such a big show why did so many guys drop the ball. Mo looked absolutely fantastic in Chicago but for some reason was a little bit off for Tampa. I can’t imagine that it was intentional, but the reality of the matter is he was off. And I have to say Tampa has really become a hotbed for professional bodybuilding. It’s the home of major supplement companies and hormone replacement clinics. It is also the home of reigning Mr Olympia Derek Lunsford. So many people have also made the trek from the northeast U.S. to Tampa as well as from out west.
For a long time a lot of the guys were leaving Venice Beach for Las Vegas but now I would say Tampa is the new destination for countless physique-based athletes and companies looking to set up shop. Florida in general has always been a hotbed of bodybuilding, but there is something going on in Tampa that is almost undeniable. And all the more reason why doing the Tampa Pro has special significance. I have to be honest, though, I was a little bit unimpressed with many of the guys that did this competition. I don’t think they really put their all into the prep and they certainly didn’t look their best on stage. There have been years where Tampa just literally had major jaw-drops, but I can’t say 2024 is one of them.
That being said, even if Mohamed Foda had brought what he brought to Chicago, I think that Jon still would have prevailed. The fact of the matter is Jon has the cuts in his legs that are needed to win the ab and thigh shot. He’s got a very detailed back and not only is it detailed but it has the size that is necessary to win a show like Tampa. It’s also competitive at the Olympia. Jon also has the side poses which are very important. He’s got fantastic arms and he’s got a good natural flow to his physique. Watching Jon pose is actually entertaining, whereas with some of the other guys there’s something about their structure that just makes their physiques look a little bit off. And again I don’t want to offend anyone because a lot of times people will lash out at me and say I don’t compete or I don’t have a place to criticize the physiques of professional athletes competing at this very elite level.
I agree. I do not compete. I am a member of the media. It’s my job to be critical and sometimes being critical gets you a lot of hate. That being said, I believe that Jon deserved the win. Could his abs have been tighter? Sure, but again it’s not about being perfect, it’s about being the best guy on that stage. And I have to say Jon was the best guy on that stage.
The third place finisher Jonathan Hutchinson I thought was very impressive in that he brought phenomenal condition to the stage. I also thought it was interesting that the judges rewarded him by putting him in the center. I have seen this tendency become more common, but years ago the only people that were dead center were either the first place winner or a close runner-up. I have seen the judges switch this up a little bit perhaps for comparison’s sake or maybe simply to psych out the audience. I mean it’s certainly noteworthy to put someone in the middle especially if they’re not going to win the show or place second. I thought putting Jonathan there was interesting, but he lacked legs. the same way that shows are won from the back, you can’t have a winner that’s lacking in the legs department. I mean after all legs are the biggest muscle group in the body. And it’s not that his legs weren’t sliced, it’s that he didn’t have the size or the development necessary to win the show.
The fourth place finisher, a guy named Vladyslav Sukhoruchko, had a phenomenal physique but just couldn’t nail the back poses. Maybe his issue could be fixed with better posing or maybe he just can’t nail the back poses.
Like I said, I wasn’t really impressed with the quality of the guys in Tampa this year. Some guys lacked structure and other guys just didn’t do their homework.
At the end of the day, however, I think Jon brought a very good physique and enough condition to win the show. I will also say from a strategic standpoint there is no point in coming Olympia-shredded to a show that is not the Olympia. Therefore once again, I think that people have the right to criticize, but I don’t think anyone was upset with who won the show. Nick Miller, aka Nick’s Strength And Power, made an interesting point and I talked about it on my Instagram live powered by IronMag Labs. Basically what I said on my StrengthAddicts IG LIVE is that I didn’t understand why Nick made the point that Jon was softer at the finals than he was at the prejudging. Let me explain my confusion with this point by the most popular YouTuber online.
First and foremost, I don’t think that Jon felt that his winning the show was ever in doubt. Mohamed Foda was off and nobody else was really giving him a run for his money. Secondarily, if he didn’t feel like it was going to be a close show, why would he come in harder or as hard for the finals? That doesn’t make any sense. but aside from that, why would anyone come in harder for the finals? The whole point of the finals is to fill out. You want to come in more round and full for the finals. You don’t want to come in shredded. So while I really appreciate all of the quality coverage that Nick Miller provides I just didn’t understand that one particular critique of Jon. That being said everyone, Nick Miller included, believed Jon should have won so again I think it speaks volumes about how prepared the 2024 Tampa Pro champion was. I also think that it provides him a substantial amount of buzz going into Mr Olympia. I don’t think he’ll be doing any more shows and if he does I think that he can do them just for fun. The pressure of getting the qualification is now off His shoulders. That’s a great place to be for a competitor.
I’m very excited to see what Jon brings to the Olympia stage in just a few short months. Tampa a great show to have gotten the qualification, but as we get closer to the deadline, you’re going to see a lot more guys coming out of the woodwork basically taking everything but the kitchen sink and running on fumes just to get that last minute qualification. It’s sad to see, but it happens every year. Thank God, Jon had the vision to do Tampa and take the win earlier. As I said, this guy is a seasoned pro and he knows the ins and outs of the sport. He’s not going to wait till the last minute to qualify and now at least he can have a little bit of breathing room, maybe even have the opportunity to have some regular food that makes everyone feel so good. He will have plenty of time to tighten up and bring something special to the Olympia stage.
What are your thoughts about Jon’s big win in Tampa? Where do you think he will place at the Olympia? As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my article here at Iron Magazine. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments.
