It took eight years but Dennis James once again experienced the sweet feeling of being the last man standing as he triumphed over a field of twenty-seven competitors to win the 2009 IFBB Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Championships, in Tampa, Florida. “This is the one I’ve been waiting for,” James said of his first pro victory in the U.S. and his second pro victory overall. “I never gave up. We’ll see if we can be even better next week in Dallas [at the 2009 IFBB Europa Super Show, August 14-15].
James fought off the hard-charging Fouad Abiad, who notched his highest placing in a pro show and qualified for the Mr. Olympia for the second time in his three-year pro career. Canada’s Ben Pakulski, making his pro debut, finished third and grabbed the final Olympia qualification of the show. Bill Wilmore finished fourth and Ben White rounded out the top five.
David Henry had too much conditioned muscle combined with tiny joints and the division’s best back to become the two-time Tampa Pro 202-under champion. Ripped to the bone journey-man John Hodgson finished runner-up with Lee Powell right behind him in third. Henry returns to defend his 2008 202 Showdown title while Hodgson and Powell make their first appearance on the Olympia 202 stage.
Fifty-three year old Betty Pariso took the 2009 IFBB Pro Bodybuilding Weekly woman’s bodybuilding champion, adding it to her Jan Tana Classic heavyweight win in 2001 for the second pro victory of her career. Gale Frankie took runner-up, with Tina Chandler in third, Nicole Ball in fourth and Klaudia Larson in fifth.
