Several Superstars Announced for 2023 Pittsburgh Pro Guest Posing
The 2023 Pittsburgh Pro is set to take place on Saturday, May 12 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Outside of the competitions that will be held, this contest is significant because of the history that comes with the Men’s Open guest posers.
IFBB Pro League President Jim Manion is also the promoter for this show, and he’s known for having the biggest names in the sport guest pose for their fans. Some of the most memorable moments from this contest include when Ronnie Coleman gave Jay Cutler a piggyback ride across the stage, Phil Heath and Kai Greene putting on memorable posedowns, and when the legendary Kevin Levrone announced that he would return to the stage at the 2016 Mr. Olympia contest.
It’s also where Derek Lunsford made a major impact on the 2022 Olympia. It was after his guest posing alongside former Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry, 2021 Arnold Classic winner Nick Walker, and fellow superstar Hunter Labrada that led to him being invited to compete in the Open instead of the 212, where he was the defending Olympia champion. Lunsford accepted the invite and finished second in the Mr. Olympia to Hadi Choopan.
Manion and the Pittsburgh Pro team announced the roster of guest posers for the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro, and it could serve as a preview of the 2023 Olympia itself. Check out the names of athletes that will pose down for the fans in attendance.
- Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay – 2x Mr. Olympia
- Derek Lunsford – 2022 Mr. Olympia runner-up
- Samson Dauda – 2023 Arnold Classic Champion
- Nick Walker – 2021 Arnold Classic Champion
- Shaun Clarida – 2x Olympia 212 Champion
- Hunter Labrada – 2021 Chicago Pro Winner
- Rafael Brandao – 2022 Arnold Classic South America Champion
Six of these men were in the top ten at the 2022 Mr. Olympia, and Clarida was qualified for the Men’s Open, but opted to compete in the 212 and won the world championship in that division. The most notable name worth mentioning here is Elssbiay because of a small controversy that surrounded him.
Elssbiay was slated to guest pose in 2022, but he didn’t make it to the show. There was no reason given for his absence at the time either. It would later be deemed that his absence was for personal reasons. It was because of this that Lunsford stepped in to guest pose in his place, and Lunsford made such an impression that he not only was allowed to move up to the Open, he came within one spot of winning the title.
Rosters for the divisions that will be seen competing have not been announced as of this writing. For more information on the Pittsburgh Pro or to purchase tickets, go to www.npcpittsburgh.com