Bodybuilding.com - Myron Mielke's 2009 New York Pro Preview!

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There are two guys that will make this show very interesting - Evan Centopani and Markus Ruhl.

The 2009 New York Pro is just days away and there is not a clear-cut winner predicted. Silvio might be the favorite in the lineup, but this show is up for grabs and it's going to be a race to the finish to see who comes out on top.

Myron Mielke's 2009 New York Pro Preview!

By: Myron Mielke

dot Competitor's List: dot

I have to admit that there are two guys that will make this show very interesting - Evan Centopani and Markus Ruhl. Centopani, the 2007 Nationals Champion is making his pro debut and Markus Ruhl is coming out of retirement to take another shot at the New York Pro.

dot Markus Ruhl: dot

Ruhl gave notice of his retirement following the 2007 Mr. Olympia. He was ready to move on with other things in life and concentrate on areas in life besides competitive pro bodybuilding. What happened? Why is he coming back? He changed his mind…

One interesting tidbit about Markus is how big he looked at the 2004 Mr. Olympia. I was sitting in the nosebleed section of the Mandalay Bay during the judging.

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Markus Ruhl At The 2007 IFBB Olympia.
Markus Ruhl At The 2007 IFBB Olympia.

Without the big screens, the competitors looked pretty darn small - except for Markus Ruhl. He still looked big. His bicep peaks were visible from several hundred feet away. No one else in that show had biceps like that - not even that Coleman guy.

dot Evan Centopani: dot

And speaking of his condition, we will undoubtedly see a new look of conditioning combined with more fullness. Shortly after the Arnold Classic, Evan changed gurus and made the decision to go with Kai Greene's trainer, Oscar Arden instead of Dave Palumbo who was in Evan's corner when he turned pro.

Evan has assured everyone his decision was a career choice and had nothing to do with the fallout between Muscular Development and RxMuscle.

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Evan Centopani At The 2007 NPC National Championships.
Evan Centopani At The 2007 NPC National Championships.

Palumbo had Evan following a keto diet, which is pretty much zero carbs. Evan was shredded at the Junior Nationals and Nationals, but he wasn't as full as he thought he should be and basically felt he needed carbs to fill out more. Oscar certainly has done a remarkable job with Kai Greene so we'll find out in a few days how he fares with Evan.

dot Silvio Samuel: dot

Yeah, post-competition interviews can be really interesting and should be taken with a grain of salt. When guys haven't eaten carbs in weeks, you never know what they might say!

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Silvio Samuel At The 2009 IFBB Australia Pro Grand Prix IX.
Silvio Samuel At The 2009 IFBB Australia Pro Grand Prix IX.

dot Dennis James: dot

I suspected something was up because he looked very tired in the pump room at the Arnold Classic. With some rest and recuperation, James should be looking for a top-five at the New York Pro.

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Dennis James At The 2009 IFBB Arnold Classic.
Dennis James At The 2009 IFBB Arnold Classic.

dot Darrem Charles: dot

Charles never can be counted out in any of the smaller shows he enters. He always has the potential to squeak by with another win.

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Darrem Charles At The 2009 IFBB Europa Show of Champions.
Darrem Charles At The 2009 IFBB Europa Show of Champions.

dot Predictions: dot

Here is who I think will be the top five:

Evan Centopani
Silvio Samuel
Dennis James
Markus Ruhl
Darrem Charles

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202lb & Under Class
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dot The Competitor's List: dot

dot David Henry: dot

He looked much bigger than when I saw him in September and because of his size, I was skeptical if he was staying in the 202 Class. He assured me he was staying with the 202. Even though he was just beginning his prep, I still thought he looked too big for the 202 Class.

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David Henry At The 2008 IFBB Olympia.
David Henry At The 2008 IFBB Olympia.

dot Jose Raymond: dot

He had held off with the pro card until the introduction of the 202 Class. Jose felt he could be competitive with guys that were more his size.

According to Ron Harris, Jose got up to 260 pounds in the offseason and it wasn't a hard 260. I saw some guestposing photos of Raymond from a few weeks ago and he definitely has added some size, but whether or not he can dial it in with his excellent conditioning, is still to be revealed on May 16.

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Jose Raymond At The 2007 NPC National Championships.
Jose Raymond At The 2007 NPC National Championships.

dot Fakhri Mubarak: dot

Mubarak jumped right into pro competition in the fall of 2005, but hasn't competed since. He has great shape and should do well in the 202 Class.

dot Ed Correa: dot

The Pittsburgh Pro had the worst lighting I've ever seen for a bodybuilding competition. I'm sure Correa will look even better in New York with good lighting and will give David Henry a run for the money.

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Ed Correa At The 2009 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro.
Ed Correa At The 2009 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro.

dot Mark Dugdale: dot

Dugdale's conditioning was very good, but it was hard to tell how good it was due to the lighting. Regardless, the decision for Dugdale to drop down to the 202 Class was a good one.

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Mark Dugdale At The 2009 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro.
Mark Dugdale At The 2009 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro.

dot Kevin English: dot

Kevin English won this show last year and went on to place second in the open division. He won't be able to do that this year because there are no crossovers allowed this year. All I can say is that it will be very interesting to see how English stacks up with Henry and Correa.