MUSCLE INSIDER Predictions for the 2018 Toronto Pro SuperShow

Contest Coverage Sponsored By ALLMAX

MEN’S OPEN BODYBUILDING (full competitors list HERE)

Cedric McMillan – The “Big Mac” will look to bounce back after a disappointing 4th-place finish in Columbus at the 2018 Arnold Classic. Toronto will welcome the six-foot-plus McMillan and his signature artistry of the finals posing round. McMillan has the potential to win any show that isn’t the Mr. Olympia contest when he comes dialed-in. He’s a bit of a surprise entry, but that’s not out of the norm for Cedric. In Ohio earlier this year, we saw a bigger and denser version of McMillan. I’m not convinced that’s his best combination of conditioning though. I’d like to see him a bit sharper and I think that version of Cedric could make first-callouts at the big show in 2018.

Juan Morel – The ever-popular “Diesel” will be making the short trip from Long Island, NY to Canada’s largest city. Morel sports clumps of muscle in his back, full and detailed pecs, and a tiny waistline. For Morel, the knock is and has always been the lack of quad sweep. It’s fascinating because from the side his legs are some of the best in the entire division. He’s become known for bringing an insanely full physique to the stage when it comes to conditioning. Morel finished second to De Asha in the Big Apple in a decision that really could’ve gone either way. It’s not impossible for Morel to upset McMillan in Toronto, but I think he has to be the probable runner-up again here.

Rafael Brandao – Brazil’s Brandao jumped onto the scene this year at the New York Pro, where many feel he was overlooked, finishing sixth. If you’ve yet to see Brandao onstage, he sports a very densely muscled (yet clean-lined) torso paired with a small waist that tapers down into some great flaring quads. He’s just 24 years of age and a second-year pro who has really started to tap into his potential. It will take some serious contenders nailing their condition to keep him out of the top five in the T-O Pro. Just last week he improved his placing from New York to land a third in California. If the favourites are off, it could be Brandao who is taking home the win.

Jeff Beckham - Will make his 2018 IFBB season debut in Toronto but he was able to notch a top-five finish here last year. From the minute he first got on an IFBB stage, he’s been noted for his talent in the finals routine much like Cedric McMillan. He’s built himself quite a fanbase due to that and regardless of how he looks, he’ll pull off a great routine at finals. Beckham has displayed great physiques as a pro, but rather inconsistently. As of last season, he had a pair of glaring weak-points: chest thickness and abdominal distension. If he was able to beef up his chest to match his insanely developed quads and back while keeping his stomach in check – he could finish as high as 3rd.

Akim Williams – New Jersey’s Williams is off to a bit of a rough start in 2018. Not having made first callout in either New York or Cali, he’s looking for redemption in the Great White North! Williams has all the muscle he needs to compete in the IFBB, but seriously struggles with consistency when it comes to conditioning. If he’s even 90 percent conditioned, he should make the top five; if not, it won’t be a surprise to see him well outside a first callout.

Maxx Charles – Charles attempt to hit the ground running this year has failed. It was only a few seasons ago that it seemed like the sky was the limit for this bodybuilder. However, the common theme of inconsistent conditioning has attached to Charles. When conditioned, Charles is a force. He’s set his sights on Toronto for redemption, but I would venture a guess that he's more likely to finish lower than higher of my prediction here due to lackluster conditioning again. It’s disappointing because if he nailed it, it would only take McMillan and Morel to be slightly off the mark for a 100% Charles to beat them.

Antoine Vaillant – Just over a decade ago this Canadian teenage bodybuilder was oozing with potential. Quebec’s Vaillant brought home a CBBF Nationals win in 2012, jumping into the IFBB ranks. However, the popular Vaillant struggled with offstage issues that would limit his physique and take him from the stage altogether for quite some time. Now, Vaillant is back! Do call this one a comeback. He’s teamed up with trainer John “Mountain Dog” Meadows and Dorian “Heavy D” Hamilton is taking care of his diet. Vaillant has been in near-ready condition for weeks, so that won’t be an issue. He’s still a bit light in the lower lats and overall back width but should be fighting for a first callout.

Kenneth Jackson – This physique has star potentialwritten all over it. It’s been years that I’ve been waiting for Jackson to start building momentum, but it just hasn’t come yet. He has the potential for a top-five finish here, but he’s on the outside looking in. Add to the fact that he routinely looks better on social media during peak week than on stage and you’ve got the odds stacked against Jackson. Every prep for Jackson it seems like he’s on a mission to breakout of the lower-echelon of IFBB pros. He often starts out ahead of the game conditioning-wise, but never peels that last layer. A first-callout here could be the start of his best season yet. However, I think many people will have to be off for that to happen.

Manuel Romero – As far as musculature goes, Romero has made quite an improvement over the last few seasons. But when you get to this level, you’re only as good as your last show.  Romero’s size has been good but his conditioning has been off in his last few competitions. When you’re struggling as bad as he is in that department, it’s rarely a good idea to keep banging out show after show. Look for Romero’s muscularity to carry him somewhere into the second-callout. If Romero threw his scale out and concentrated on being the most condioned athlete in the show rather than the largest athlete in the show, he would be hard to beat. 

Maher Al-Asfar – A Toronto-area bodybuilder, “Muscle Rush” makes his pro debut in Toronto. This Matt Jansen disciple appears to be in good condition, but I think will be a little out-massed onstage. A top-10 finish should excite him for the 2019 season, where he has the potential to make a bigger splash.

Jonni Shreve – A client of Neil “Yoda” Hill’s, Nova Scotia’s Shreve was the overall bodybuilding champion at last year’s Canadian Nationals. He’s tried his hand in New York and California this season, but it appears it’s just not his time yet. It may take another year before he finds his stride and knocks on the door to a first callout in a smaller show. 

Mike Cipriani ­– This Ontario pro has seen a lot of stage in the past couple years, but he hasn’t been able to pull together anything near an IFBB champion physique. Cipriani is yet another competitor who fails to nail his condition. If he does in Toronto, he may be looking at a second callout.

MEN’S 212 (full competitors list HERE)

Zane Watson – Earlier this year I listed Ontario’s Zane Watson atop my “2018 Rising Stars” in MUSCLE INSIDER. Well, he’s making good on that with a runner-up posting in New York that some people thought he should’ve won. To me, Watson is the odds-on favourite to be the last man standing in Toronto. After that, I’d love to see him in Vegas, where he’d likely be battling for a 4-to-6 spot at the 212 Mr. Olympia.

Mahmoud Al Durrah – Formerly from Egypt, Al Durrah studied to be an engineer. Today he calls Quebec home after an illustrious amateur career that included two Mr. Canada titles and a pair of Legacy Cup wins. The rookie pro was a pleasant surprise in New York, taking fourth. He packs a lot of muscle onto his frame: coarse and full quads, great back width, and a great chest that all attach to a tapered waist. I see him fighting for a podium finish.

Cody Montgomery – After perhaps the most successful amateur career ever, Montgomery competed in a couple shows in the open category. Now, after a bit of a hiatus, he’s back—but in the 212 division. In my opinion, this division is much more suited to his physique than the Classic Physique division he said he was switching to several months back. Cody does pack a lot of muscle on his frame (or did so in the open division, at least), so that may be enough to carry the young Texan to a top-three this weekend.

Masoom Butt – Butt is a densely muscled, compact, aesthetic 212 pro. When he nails his condition, the Brit has the potential to catapult himself up the lineup. Look for Butt to make some noise in the first callout, likely to collect a couple of points toward Olympia qualification.

CLASSIC PHYSIQUE (full competitors list HERE)

Terrance Ruffin – This is a guy who epitomizes what Classic Physique means. From Maryland, Ruffin has great lines, he’s someone who makes an extreme effort of displaying his idea of a golden-age physique, and he has tons of aesthetics. I thought Ruffin had been overlooked at the past two Olympias, but make no mistake about it, he is an elite-level athlete. His sweeping quads, wasp waist, and flaring lats are extremely imposing in nearly every pose. I expect perfect marks on his scorecard this weekend.

Antwane Hamlett – Hamlett is yet another rookie Canadian IFBB Pro. He’s a clean-lined Classic Physique competitor, but is a little thin in some places. If he’s been able to add some muscle in weaker areas since getting his pro card, we could be looking at another new pro from Canada that will score points toward competing in Las Vegas.

MEN’S PHYSIQUE (full competitors list HERE)

The MPD lineup looks to be pretty large in the number of competitors this weekend. Frankly, there’s only one stand-out in my eyes: Logan Franklin. If he’s on, he should leave the stage one victory richer.

WOMEN’S PHYSIQUE (full competitors list HERE)

Daniely Castilho – Brazil’s Castilho missed the mark earlier this year at the Arnold Classic, which was disappointing because she had won that show a year earlier. She’s a favourite to walk away with a win here though because she’s been in crazy condition for weeks, at least according to her social media. She’s the only pro in this division competing this weekend who has displayed a physique onstage that separates her from the middle echelon of WPD IFBB pros. If she’s on, she’ll be the winner.

Leah Johnson – A veteran of the IFBB stage, Nova Scotia’s Johnson has been up and down lineups for years. She’s has a pretty complete physique, and she pairs it with good conditioning. I think she’ll definitely make the first callout. However, her game-day conditioning dictates where she ultimately lands.

Amanda Smith – Another rookie Canadian pro takes the stage this weekend. To me, Smith has all the body parts to be extremely competitive this weekend. I think she graduated to the IFBB with a physique that could’ve been fighting for a 6-to-10 spot in most IFBB Pro circuit shows, so if she’s improved even a little, this could be her WPD breakout.

WOMEN’S FIGURE (full competitors list HERE)

Melissa Bumstead – If you recognize the last name, it's becasue her brother is Muscle Insider cover model and Mr.Olympia contender Chris Bumstead! To me, Bumstead is sometimes overlooked in these types of shows. She has nearly every body part to make her the total complete Figure package. She’s a little underdeveloped in the hams and glutes, but I think she’s so good everywhere else here she’ll be the one to beat. Watch out for: Martina Yabekova (one of the most conditioned physiques in any show), Azaria Glaim, Renata McEwan & Jennifer Freeman

WOMEN’S BIKINI Full competitors list click HERE.)

A trio of Ontario beauties will be front and centre at the Toronto Pro SuperShow. Jennifer Dorie is the favourite going into the show. Natalie Waples is making her return after taking time off to have a child. She's now switched from the Figure class to Bikini under the guidance of Darren Mehling of Freak Fitness so watch for her to come in lean and dry. Jade Atkinson should be seen battling it out in the first callout this weekend. If it were me, I’d give the nod to Dorie if everyone nails their condition and presentation.

WOMEN’S FITNESS

This group of impressive female athletes is pretty much wide open this weekend! The Finnish beauty Minna Pajulahti is my pick to grab her ticket to the Olympia. This will ultimately come down to who brings her best physique and executes her best routine, though many women could claim the top prize depending on who brings their A-game. Who else to watch: Jocelyn Hebert & Emanuela Dibari

WOMEN’S BODYBUILDING Full competitors list click HERE.

I expect a two-women race in this division. First you have veteran Margie Martin who has had her share of stage success and experience as a pro and amateur. The one she’ll be battling it out with is 51 year old Maria Mikola. It’s a bit of the classic “apples and oranges” and I believe it will come down to the scoring of finals. If I had to make a prediction, I’d give the slight edge to Mikola if conditioning is equal.

Watch out for: Silvia Matta

WHEELCHAIR BODYBUILDING

No doubt about it, the man to beat this weekend is Harold Kelley. It’s truly inspiring to see what he has done with his physique with his obvious limitations. This man’s upper body musculature is absolutely top-notch and on par with the best of the best Men’s Open competitors in the world.