Michal Krizo Leaves IFBB Elite Pro League to Compete in NPC
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One of the largest bodybuilders in the world is from Slovakia and goes by the name Michal Križo. Most North American bodybuilding fans may never have never heard of Križo because he’s only competed in Europe and he’s competed exclusively in the IFBB International/IFBB Elite Pro League. This is the rival federation to the IFBB Pro League that we all know here in North America, which sanctions the Olympia and the Arnold USA and all of the bodybuilding shows that Muscle Insider, FLEX, MD, RxMuscle and NPC News cover. As such, Michal Križo has never been allowed to compete against the best physiques of the IFBB Pro League. We know it’s confusing, but think of this as the NFL (IFBB Pro League) and the CFL (IFBB International/Elite Pro League), where each league holds football games but has nothing to do with the other. Muscle Insider fans have always wanted to see the best of one federation against the best of another, and that looks like it could happen as Michal Križo is leaving the IFBB Elite Pro league to compete in the NPC/IFBB Pro League.
Michal Križo Leaving IFBB Elite Pro League
Just a few weeks ago, Adela Ondrejovicova defected from the IFBB International/IFBB Elite Pro League to compete in the NPC and successfully earned her IFBB Pro Card. She is trained by Alexander Hlobik, who also trains Michal Križo! Both athletes are also from Slovakia. Both were the IFBB Elite Pro’s and Slovakia’s best athletes. We don’t know if the two events are related, but we’d bet our last bottle of Nitro-Tech that they are!
Did Rafael Santonja Get Kicked in the Nuts?
Well, not exactly. But this is a huge loss for Rafael Santonja, President of the IFBB Elite Pro League, as Michal Križo was his top brand ambassador for the IFBB Elite Pro league in the bodybuilding class. But Michal isn’t the only top athlete who has left the IFBB Elite Pro League. We saw a similar situation happen a few years ago when IFBB Elite Pro Wellness Champion Angela Borges defected to the NPC/IFBB Pro League, where she eventually earned her Pro Card and competed in the Olympia with the best wellness athletes in the world. Angela Borges was the most decorated wellness competitor in the IFBB Elite Pro league, so having her join the NPC/IFBB Pro League was a testament to the opportunities in this federation and the caliber of athletes who want to be part of it.
Michal Križo to Compete in NPC at EVLS Pro Qualifier
In a video posted by the contest promoters of the EVLS Prague Pro show, Michal is seen signing a contract where he is said to be joining their team. It appears to be some type of brand ambassador contract, but we don’t know the full story yet. See the press release below from the EVLS Contest Promotion team.
Dear fans,
As you all know very well, EVLS PRAGUE is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. During these ten years, it has created a solid place not only in the bodybuilding world, but also in your hearts, which we greatly appreciate and thank you for.
That is why we are happy that we managed to enter into cooperation with a personality whom we respect very much and we believe that with our support he will achieve many successes and fight for the highest one, Mr. Olympia.
MICHAL “KRIŽO” KRIŽÁNEK is a new member of the EVLS Team!
Michal has decided to end his time in the Elite Pro federation and we are extremely honored that he will be showing his qualities in the NPC federation as a member of the EVLS team.
We have always had only the highest goals, we have prepared great, dare we say timeless festivals, we have created a globally respected brand that is a symbol of quality and pride, and we firmly believe that it will continue to be so in the next ten years!
Final Thoughts
Michal Križo is taking a huge risk in making this move, but we think it’s the right move for building his own brand and challenging himself as an athlete by stepping onstage against the absolute best physiques in the world. We believe he will compete in the EVLS Praque Pro Qualifier next month, which is an NPC pro qualifier. If he wins that show (and we think he will), he will be eligible to compete in the pro show that same weekend! Now to make this storyline even more exciting, if he wins the pro show, he qualifies for the 2022 Mr. Olympia, making this show a whole lot more interesting. A dream showdown would be to see him standing next to “The Mutant” Nick Walker and Big Ramy to see who is the freakiest bodybuilder on the planet! We’ll keep you updated as this storyline progresses.
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