With the 2009 NPC USA Championships upon us, we take a look at some factoids relating to the show
By Shawn Perine
July 19, 2009
FLEXONLINE.COM
This weekend the bodybuilding world will turn its attention to the 2009 NPC USA Bodybuilding, Figure & Bikini Championships, held at the Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall at UNLV, Las Vegas, Nevada, July 24-25. The USA‘s bring with them high hopes, for exciting competition and the elevation of hard working athletes from the amateur ranks to the pro‘s.
In honor of this most hallowed of amateur events we thought we‘d bring you some fun facts, stats and figures regarding the show, as a way of getting you in the mood before your sojourn to Vegas this weekend. And don‘t forget to check in with flexonline.com for our up to the minute galleries and reports following prejudging and finals.
WHAT: 2009 NPC USA Bodybuilding, Figure & Bikini Championships WHEN: JULY 24-25 WHERE: Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall at UNLV, Las Vegas, Nevada FOR MORE INFO:Go here
IN THE BEGINNING… The inaugural NPC USA event was held in 1982. The overall winner was Dale Ruplinger, who competed as a middleweight. It was the first of the two times in the contest‘s history that the Middleweight class winner took home top honors. The second was 1983, when Ernie Santiago won it all.
THAT‘S HEAVY It wasn‘t until Mike Quinn won the overall title at the 1987 USA‘s that a heavyweight would take top honors.
THAT‘S EVEN HEAVIER Through 1997 the heaviest class at the USA‘s was the heavyweights. The following year a super-heavyweight class was added with a cut-off between the two classes at 221-1/2 pounds. In 1998 Jason Arntz won the heavies while Dennis James took the supers and overall title.
WELTER SWELTER Promoter Jon Lindsay turned up the heat for lighter competitors by adding a welterweight class at the 2005 USA‘s. The class debut was won by Jose Raymond.
ROOKIE LUCK? Only three USA‘s overall winners also won their IFBB pro debut:
Eddie Robinson (1989) – 1990 Niagara Falls Pro Flex Wheeler (1992) – 1993 Ironman Pro Phil Heath (2005) – Colorado Pro
THE LONG… At 6‘4” Quincy Taylor, the 2001 superheavy and overall winner, is the tallest man to have competed in the USA‘s.
…AND THE SHORT A number of bantamweights have scratched past the 5‘ mark, including currently active Rafael Campuzano and Bleu Taylor, both of whom claim to stretch the tape to 5‘1”.
WHAT A CROWD! The 2007 USA‘s featured a whopping 135 male competitors.
GOOD OMEN Winning the USA‘s overall title was often a portent of good things to come in the pro ranks. Here‘s a listing of overall winners who have gone on to success, in order of number of wins.
Flex Wheeler (1992) – 17 wins Chris Cormier (1993) – 11 wins Phil Heath (2005) – 3 wins J.J. Marsh (1986) – 2 wins Melvin Anthony (1999) – 2 wins Dennis James (1998) – 1 win Bob Cicherillo (2000) – 1 win Eddie Robinson (1989) – 1 win Phil Williams (1984) – 1 win
REGARDLESS Even without winning the overall title at the USA‘s, a few men did manage to graduate to the IFBB and have successful pro careers.
Lee Labrada (1984 light heavyweight, 2nd)- 7 wins Mike Christian (1982 heavyweight, 4th)- 5 wins Gary Strydom (1984 heavyweight, winner)- 4 wins Mike Francois (1993, heavyweight, 3rd) – 4 wins Orville Burke (1998 super heavyweight, 3rd)- 2 wins Johnnie Jackson (1995 light heavyweight, winner) – 2 wins Troy Alves (2002, light heavyweight, winner)- 1 win Art Atwood (2001 super heavyweight, 3rd)- 1 win
WHAT‘S IN A NAME? Coolness, that‘s what. Over the years the USA‘s have featured guys with some pretty awesome names. For example:
Rocky Nehk Brock Bentson Shiloe Steinmetz Adorthus Cherry JoJo N‘Tiforo Korbie N‘Tiforo Ivan Putski Ming Chew Antonio “Snake” Adger Stoney Lee Grimes Guadalupe Gallegos D‘Marko Blewitt Yohnnie Shambourger Alpha Smith Tab Hunter Parenthesis Devers Eryk Bui Son Van Tran Mandeep Singh Sigge Malkvist
