The Olympia 202 Showdown is one Vegas event where all bets are off. Only three of the top six at the inaugural event in 2008 made the posedown last year, and with two of last year’s top six (Flex Lewis, Mark Dugdale) in the audience this year, we were guaranteed to shuffle the deck once again. And so it is. With the prejudging now complete, the title is up for grabs between 2008 winner David Henry and 2009 winner Kevin English. The two were brought out alone for the final comparison. In the third Olympia 202 Showdown, this is the third time Henry and English have been in the top two and battling for first. The former has sharper abs and greater back detail, while the latter is wider in the shoulders, lats and quads. It’s apple vs. orange, with one destined to become the first two-time 202 champ and establish himself as the best “little” big man of the 202 era.
A case could be made for Eduardo Correa winning the whole thing, as he has a more aesthetic physique than either of the top two. Instead, he was brought out for a one-on-one comparison with Jose Raymond. Correa seemed to win that easily, and should have the three spot on lock-down (the same placing he earned last year) with Raymond in fourth (he was sixth last year). Thick and balanced, Jason Arntz was in the first five-man comparison with Henry, English, Correa and Raymond, but he was also brought out later for a comparison with Stan McQuay, Jaroslav Horvath and Tricky Jackson that may allow one of those latter three to slip by him and land in the money. We’ll all find out tonight at the finals on the Orleans Arena stage as English and Henry duel again and those chasing them try to climb up the 202 ranks.
