He went in as the huge favorite, no pun intended, and, although he was far from his best, Toney Freeman ended the season on a winning note with a victory at the Sacramento Pro on Saturday. Now, I didn’t attend the event but I’ve talked to several people who were there and they felt Freeman, the 6’2", 290-pounder affectionately known as "The X-Man", was fortunate to get the nod ahead of runner-up Craig Richardson.
From the photos I’ve seen, I feel Freeman’s victory was a legit, albeit not a dominating one. Richardson is one of the most underrated pro’s on the circuit so it’s not a shock. Freeman being a bit off, of course, is perfectly plausible since Toney competed in the Olympia seven weeks ago. I’m amazed he looked that good. Have you seen what some bodybuilders look like seven days after a show? I have, plenty times over and, it ain’t a pretty sight.
Looking on the bright side of things, Craig qualified for the Mr. Olympia next season, as did third place finisher Robert Piotrkowicz, Poland’s top physique artist. Local fave Kris Dim placed fourth, just ahead of Ed Nunn. Mark Dugdale landed in sixth, with another local chap, Grigori Atoyan, finishing in seventh, and Darrem Charles in eighth.
So, the 2009 pro season is in the books. Now for the fun stuff; come back later in the week for the Swami’s Nationals predictions….with some updates from the video that currently appears on the site.
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