Many pro sports leagues have an all-star game that signifies the midpoint in the season. Bodybuilding doesn’t have such a game, but they do have the Tampa Pro. When this contest comes around, bodybuilding fans know that the march to the Olympia is on.
The Tampa Pro was first held in 2008, and it has become an annual contest since. There have been 14 Tampa Pro contests held, all of which have seen different champions. No bodybuilder has won the Men’s Open contest twice. As you will see, many of those who have won it went on to establish themselves as stars in the sport.
Tampa Pro Bodybuilding Show Winners
- 2008 — Toney Freeman
- 2009 — Dennis James
- 2010 — Ben White
- 2011 — Marius Dohne
- 2012 — Shawn Rhoden
- 2013 — Evan Centopani
- 2014 — Victor Martinez
- 2015 — Maxx Charles
- 2016 — Akim Williams
- 2017 — Josh Lenartowicz
- 2018 — Alexis Rivera
- 2019 — Dexter Jackson
- 2020 — Hunter Labrada
- 2021 — Iain Valliere
All results were courtesy of Muscle Memory and NPC News Online.
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Bkbeast (@akim_bkbeast_williams)[Related: Mike O’Hearn: Success in Fitness Comes From Staying Consistent, Not Expecting Recognition]
2008 — Toney Freeman
The first Tampa Pro featured some big-name athletes such as Dennis James, David Henry, Fouad Abiad, and a young rising star named James “Flex” Lewis. However, the first champion to emerge was the “X-Man” Toney Freeman. At 6’2” and 270-plus pounds, Freeman’s size and symmetry were unmatched. James went on to finish second, with Henry in third. Henry went on to win the first Olympia 202 title later that year. Freeman went on to finish fifth at the 2008 Olympia, won by Dexter Jackson.
- Toney Freeman
- Dennis James
- David Henry
- Darrem Charles
- Fouad Abiad
- Tarek El Setouhi
- James “Flex” Lewis
- Jaroslav Horvath
- Marcos Chacón
- Quincy Taylor
- Frederic Sauvage
- Paul Baker
- Mark Dugdale
- Rashid Shabazz
- Bob Weatherhill
2009 — Dennis James
“The Menace” didn’t like the taste of second in this contest in 2008. He returned in 2009 for retribution, which he got. James held off Fouad Abiad and Ben Pakulski to win his second of three career titles. James won the Europa Supershow that same year, but he came to the Olympia off the mark, and he fell to 14th place overall. Jay Cutler won the Olympia that year.
- Dennis James
- Fouad Abiad
- Ben Pakulski
- Bill Wilmore
- Ben White
- Tarek El Setouhi
- Leo Ingram
- Johnnie Jackson
- Frank McGrath
- Marcus Haley
- Craig Richardson
- Joel Stubbs
- Lionel Brown
- Clarence DeVis
- Robert Piotrkowicz
2010 — Ben White
At the turn of the 2010s, bodybuilders with size and strength were getting more attention, and Ben White had both in spades. White was one of the stronger men on the circuit, having competed in powerlifting meets during his career.
In 2010, White focused more on competing than lifting, and he scored his only career victory in the Tampa Pro. He held off Troy Alves, who came in second, and Johnnie Jackson, who had beaten White for the World’s Strongest Bodybuilder title one year prior. A former Mr. Olympia was in the lineup for this contest as well — Brandon Curry finished in sixth place.
- Ben White
- Troy Alves
- Johnnie Jackson
- Edward Nunn
- Michalis Kefalianos
- Brandon Curry
- Hidetada Yamagishi
- Paco Bautista
- Mike Liberatore
- Darrem Charles
- Alexandre Nataf
- Constantinos Demetrious
- Omar Deckard
- Manuel Romero
- Jojo Ntiforo
2011 — Marius Dohne
Marius Dohne was the 2008 NABBA World Champion, and he wanted to test himself in the IFBB Pro League. In his second season, he won his first contest, the Tampa Pro. In spite of finishing 14th at the Olympia that year, he was thought to have a bright future ahead. Unfortunately for him, he never won another title. Hidetada Yamagishi came in second place, and Frank McGrath rounded out the top three.
- Marius Dohne
- Hidetada Yamagishi
- Frank McGrath
- Mark Dugdale
- Marcus Haley
- Robert Piotrkowicz
- Jason Huh
- Khalid Almohsinawi
- Brandon Curry
- Marc Lavoie
- Alexandre Nataf
- Santana Anderson
- Gregory Ulysse
- Lee Banks
- Jerry Nicholls
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2012 — Shawn Rhoden
This contest is remembered for two reasons. First, it was featured in the film Generation Iron, which chronicled the 2012 Olympia. Second, it was the launching pad for Shawn “Flexatron” Rhoden.
This was the first time Rhoswn captured much attention, and he took advantage. After this win, Rhoden placed third in the Olympia to champion Phil Heath and would go on to defeat Heath in 2018. After that victory, Rhoden was accused of sexual assault and was suspended from competing. He passed away in 2021 at the age of 46 before the case went to trial.
- Shawn Rhoden
- Toney Freeman
- Hidetada Yamagishi
- Roelly Winklaar
- Lee Banks
- Brandon Curry
- Jason Huh
- Todd Jewell
- Pablo Ayala Zayas
- Keith Williams
- Manuel Romero
- Alexandre Nataf
- Clarence DeVis
- Nathaniel Wonsley
- Manuel Lomeli
2013 — Evan Centopani
By 2013, there was a new crop of rising stars that were ready to take the helm, and Evan Centopani was among them. “Ox” had won the 2009 New York Pro, and he already upset Dexter Jackson at the 2011 Flex Pro. This was his third career victory and his last. He suffered a quad injury in February 2017 after slipping on ice, and took time off. He spoke about returning to the New York Pro for a couple of seasons but has yet to return to the stage.
- Evan Centopani
- Juan Morel
- Essa Hassan Obaid
- Mohamad Bannout
- Lionel Beyeke
- Lee Banks
- Manuel Romero
- Keith Williams
- Aliaksei Shabunya
- Rafael Jaramillo
- Bill Wilmore
- Jason Huh
- Rudy Richards
- Mathias Botthof
- Constantinos Demetrious
2014 — Victor Martinez
The 2014 contest featured a blend of veterans and rising stars. There was much excitement about Victor Martinez, the 2007 Arnold Classic champ. He showed up and dominated the contest, which was his sixth pro win. He went on to place eighth at the Olympia that year. William Bonac came in second, and Mohamad Bannout finished in the bronze spot.
- Victor Martinez
- William Bonac
- Mohamad Bannout
- Maxx Charles
- Ben White
- Manuel Romero
- Bill Wilmore
- Manuel Lomeli
- Pablo Ayala Zayas
- Kenneth Jackson
- Rafael Jaramillo
- An Nguyen
- Franklin Roberson
- Timothy Gaillard
- Julius Page
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2015 — Maxx Charles
Many fans now know Maxx Charles as that veteran that is still competitive in lineups featuring athletes 10 or more years younger than him. In 2015, Charles was the up and comer, having won the 2013 NPC USA title. The 2015 Tampa Pro was his first win. As of July 2022, it’s still the only victory he has. Abiad came in second place, and Johnnie Jackson finished in third. Charles went on to finish 12th at the 2015 Olympia.
- Maxx Charles
- Fouad Abiad
- Johnnie Jackson
- Stefan Havlik
- Michael Lockett
- Robert Piotrkowicz
- Joel Thomas
- Akim Williams
- Timothy Gaillard
- Jose Luis Rodriguez Oyola
- Paulo Almeida
- Grigori Atoyan
- Eboni Wilson
- Rudy Richards
2016 — Akim Williams
2016 was the year that Akim “BK Beast” Williams put bodybuilding on notice. His powerful upper body was unmatched by anyone in the 2016 Tampa Pro, and he walked away with the trophy and Olympia qualification. In the years since, he also added the Chicago Pro and Puerto Rico Pro titles to his list of accomplishments. His highest rank at the Olympia was sixth in 2020. The first win always stands out, and he will remember the Tampa Pro for the rest of his career.
- Akim Williams
- Alexis Rivera-Rolon
- Abdulhadi Alkhayat
- Roman Fritz
- Jonathan DeLaRosa
- Henri-Pierre Ano
- Ryan Pateracki
- Clarence DeVis
- Manuel Romero
- Renaldo Gairy
- Rafael Jaramillo
- Timothy Gaillard
- Sean Harris
- Russ Allen
- Jeff Long
2017 — Josh Lenartowicz
Australia’s Josh Lenartowicz was considered his home country’s greatest bodybuilder since the days of the legendary Lee Priest. Lenartowicz made himself known in 2016, but the 2017 Tampa Pro may have been his biggest win to date. He had a lot of momentum going into that year’s Olympia, but it was quickly derailed when he returned from training to find that his roommate and fellow competitor, Dallas McCarver, had passed away.
Lenartowicz opted to compete in the Olympia as a tribute to his friend, and he finished in ninth place. He took the 2018 season off and returned in 2019. After failing to win a show that year or in 2020, he stepped away from the stage. He hasn’t competed since but teased in a Facebook post in July 2022 that he may make a comeback.
- Josh Lenartowicz
- Maxx Charles
- Henri-Pierre Ano
- Abdulhadi Alkhalyat
- An Nguyen
- Regan Grimes
- Lukas Wyler
- Rasheed Oldacre
- Dorian Haywood
- Stephen Frazier
- Jose Oyola
- Ferlan Bailey
- Chad Reid
- Jared Kemp
- Michael Cipriani
2018 — Alexis Rivera
Heading into the 2018 contest, the favorites were Sergio Oliva Jr., Charles, and Justin Rodriguez. However, Alexis Rivera pulled off the upset win. It was his first victory in his first and only season of competition. He placed second in Vancouver earlier that year, and 11th at the 2018 Olympia.
- Alexis Rivera
- Sergio Oliva Jr
- Maxx Charles
- Justin Rodriguez
- Sergey Kulaev
- Rasheed Oldacre
- Brad Rowe
- Lucas Carroll
- An Nguyen
- Joel Thomas
- Matthew Kouba
- Victor Rea
- Renaldo Gairy
- Philip Clahar
- Keith Williams
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2019 — Dexter Jackson
The 2019 Tampa Pro is significant because it’s the only year that a Mr. Olympia winner competed in the contest. Dexter Jackson has a lifetime qualification for the Olympia since he won that coveted title in 2008. He showed up at the Tampa Pro to face two young international stars: Luke Sandoe and Iain Valliere.
In spite of the youth and enthusiasm, Jackson’s experience and proportions were enough to give him his 29th career victory, which is still the most of any male competitor in any division. He retired after the 2020 Olympia. Sandoe finished as the runner-up but sadly passed in 2020 at the age of 30. Valliere finished in third.
- Dexter Jackson
- Luke Sandoe
- Iain Valliere
- Lukáš Osladil
- Hassan Mostafa
- Milan Šádek
- Charles Griffen
- Joel Thomas
- Philip Clahar
- Shawn Smith
- Ronald Gordon
- Dorian Haywood
- Camilo Diaz Garzon
- Manuel Romero
- Keith Williams
2020 — Hunter Labrada
The pandemic caused many contests to be postponed, moved to a different location, or canceled, but the Tampa Pro remained unchanged. However, the show had limited athletes competing due to travel restrictions. Out of the 12 that did compete in the Men’s Open, Hunter Labrada made his pro debut. He showed why many experts saw him as a future Olympia contender by emerging victorious. Valliere finished as the runner-up, and Dwayne Walker settled for third.
- Hunter Labrada
- Iain Valliere
- Dwayne Walker
- Philip Clahar
- Ronald Gordon
- Dorian Haywood
- Justin Maki
- Joseph Mackey
- Matthew Kouba
- Kenneth Jackson
- Seth Shaw
- Jorge Abraham Trejo Reyes
2021 — Iain Valliere
The third time would be the charm for Valliere, who had quite the 2021 season. He started that year by winning this contest, then moved on to Texas, where he beat Steve Kuclo for Texas Pro title. Valliere followed that up by placing second to Nick Walker at the 2021 Arnold Classic and finished his year by placing seventh at the Olympia.
- Iain Valliere
- Phil Clahar
- Charles Griffen
- Maxx Charles
- Mohamed Shaaban
- Seung Chul Lee
- Joel Thomas
- Dorian Haywood
- Mohamed El-Emam
- Jephte Cherenfant
- Douglas Fruchey
- Camelo Diaz
- Kevin Jordan
- Justin Maki
- Matt Kouba
[Related: Hunter Labrada Discusses Training Frequency, Carb Selection, and How to Become a Bodybuilder]
2022 Tampa Pro
The 2022 Tampa Pro is scheduled to take place Aug. 6-7 in Tampa, FL. This will be the 15th edition of the contest. It will be interesting to see if any past champion tries to become the first two-time winner or if another new champion will emerge. If the past contests are any indication, the only thing certainty about predicting a winner is that nothing is certain.
Featured images: @akim_bkbeast_williams, @mrolympia08 on Instagram
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