Tonio “The Predator” Burton is making a tremendous amount of noise in 2026, and with good reason! The former 212 competitor is now a bona fide open threat to any title he sets his sights on. Fresh off dominating at the 2026 New York Pro, Tonio returned to the Biggest Little City On Earth, and made his position known. In fact, from the moment The Predator hit the stage, he was dead center, and he never moved from that position. Imagine the level of sheer dominance at play! Two guys on each side are constantly being moved around, all the while, Burton stays in the same spot. That’s what happens when you have a competitor so ahead of the game that it’s no longer a contest in the truest version of the form. No one is wondering who’s going to win. It’s abundantly clear who the winner is. It’s really just a matter of where the other guys are going to win up. Who will be runner-up, who will be 3rd, etc. And there too lies another interesting fact, in that the judges only wanted to see the Top 6 and then narrowed it down to the Top 4. Everyone else got ready and arrived at the show for no real reason. It’s really up to the head judge.
The 2026 Legion (or Reno as I prefer to call it out for organization’s sake) has come up in terms of depth of competition and value on the pro circuit. Again, these are just my opinions. The idea that the show is coming up suggests that maybe it wasn’t so great before. The contest was always great, but its position in terms of the wow-factor is different. I think the show was initially seen as an easy, low-hanging fruit type contest. Tonio changed that. He’s won the title a few times and as his star has risen, so too, has the Legion’s. Put more plainly, when I think of the Legion Sports Fest, I think of Tonio. In my mind, I think Reno or Legion, Tonio’s image comes to mind. That’s huge for that promoter and for that city. Because even after winning the NY Pro, which we’ll talk about more later, and then placing a controversial 2nd in Pittsburgh, Burton made it a point to compete in Reno. Reno is important to him. This title is important to him. And after winning in Reno, it’s rumored that The Predator will sit out the season in preparation for the Olympia. That, too, speaks to the champ’s connection to this show.
With regard to the rest of the Top 5, there were some noteworthy takeaways that I’d like to share. For starters, runner-up Eric Wood brought the house down. He’s an Ohio competitor that I’ve interviewed on numerous times over the years. I know how dangerous he can be, even though many of the pundits seemingly overlooked him. I don’t think they’ll be making that mistake again. In fact, some of my overseas friends who were doing a live reaction feed even said that Eric held his own in certain poses with Burton. That says a lot because Tonio is a New York Pro champion. The NY Pro, formerly the Night of Champions, is the 3rd most prestigious contest in physique-based sports. The fact that Tonio was able to secure that illustrious title and the way with which he secured the victory, puts him in a category of sheer excellence. The fact Eric Wood was on that level – albeit for select poses – is a huge feather in his cap. Whereas Burton earned another win, I’d argue that Eric walks away with the intrigue of the bodybuilding media. Rounding out of the Top 3 was Patrick Moore. Patrick reminded all the skeptics and haters, that when he puts his mind to it, he can win the Top 3 in Reno. This is why Patrick is in my Top 100 of pro competitors competing in 2026. He’s an anabolic warrior, no, he’s a powerhouse!
I was ecstatic to see reigning Masters Mr. Olympia Dorian Haywood in the mix, walking away with a respectful 4th place. Not only did the champ bring quality size, but it seems like he’s tightened up his condition even more. I might be wrong, but he seemed harder here than when I saw him last. It’s good to see the ambassador of Masters Bodybuilding competing in open shows. The fact that Haywood holds his own is a nice plus, but I’m just very happy to see him competing. The fact is, I think Dorian bested Moore in at least two poses, and was able to do enough to hold Lucas Carroll to the 5th place spot. And I was also happy to see Lucas doing another show. He’s got a good, balanced physique, but I think as he comes up the ranks he’ll make the necessary improvements to move up the scorecards.
This was a good contest overall, but one that shows just how big Tonio has become in terms of his physique but also in terms of how powerful his name and presence have become. You can tell from his fellow athletes and how they treat him. The fact is, Tonio is being treated like a Top 6 Olympian, even though he’s not quite there yet officially. I say officially because if you polled most fans today – whether on the message boards, at shows, the gym – they’d tell you that they consider Burton to be on that level. There’s something to be said about buzz. And Burton definitely has that buzz working for him. It’s arguable if the judges care about audience applause or who’s trending, but here’s what I say about judges. It’s the same thing I say about officials. They’re only human. Buzz may not be a box on the scorecard, but I’d argue that it makes a difference. To what degree, who the hell knows, but it does factor in. Ultimately, Tonio backs up the talk and that’s what does matter in the end. And even though he didn’t win in Pittsburgh, that look he brought was still on another level. It’s noteworthy that The Predator has been able to look exceptional in three contests across a six week period. A six-week period that included extensive air travel to boot. And again, Pittsburgh is arguably on the same level as the New York Pro. That’s two huge shows plus Reno, which as we’ve stated, is growing into a real powerhouse.
Tonio has the ability to look amazing – contest after contest. I would also applaud his mental maturity and his bigger picture approach. Could he do another show, maybe two more? I’m sure he could, but what for? He’s competed, he’s won two shows, took an impressive runner-up at the president’s show, and is now poised to knock Martin Fitzwater out of the Top 6 at the Olympia. That in and of itself gives him edge, he’ll be talked about, and he’ll be working behind the scenes to make good on the Dexter 2.0 moniker that so many writers and pundits have given him. That’s quite a mountain of praise to bestow on Burton. But guess what? He totally deserves it. That’s the beauty of it all.
I have always been a big believer in The Predator. Do I think he’ll be in the Top 6? Absolutely. Do I think Martin will in it with him? Absolutely. With regard to the Legion Sports Fest, Tonio dominated a very deep lineup and emerged with a tremendous amount of buzz for what’s expected to be his very best Olympia to date.
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. 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.
