You had to know that something was going to knock Craig ‘n’ Kelly’s plea bargain off the Bodybuilding Gazette front page, but this is not what you would have had in mind. Forgive the gallows sarcasm—I’ve been to more than my share of funerals lately—but an event horrible beyond imagination that has shaken the muscle world has left me, well, sarcastic; and angry; and sad beyond belief.

If you’re a regular bodybuilding-Internet browser, most likely you’ve heard the news: Figure star Amanda Jo Savell was found shot to death along with her sometimes-yes/sometimes-no boyfriend Dave Jacobs in the master bedroom of Jacob’s home in Plano, Texas, early this morning. The immediate buzz was a murder-suicide scenario—Jacobs was reportedly jealous, possessive and intensely resistant to Amanda’s attempts to leave the relationship. As of this writing, however, the Plano police are treating it as a double homicide—and maybe not just to be thorough.

Jacobs had recently been convicted of charges related to steroid trafficking and gotten three years’ probation in a highly publicized case in which he’d implicated two NFL players, according to the New York Times online, and had provided league officials with other names and evidence. That suggests multiple possible scenarios for what went down if you watch enough Law & Order, especially when you add some other stories I’m hearing from the so-called street—which I won’t be repeating unless I read ’em in the Times or the Dallas Morning News.

I’m also hearing various versions of whether Amanda and Dave were off-again or on-again when this senseless act of violence occurred. She was supportive when his legal woes began last year—witness a sweet entry from her MySpace page that’s being widely passed around online—but in another she reportedly said she believed that her association with Jacobs had kept her from being invited to the ’08 Figure International competition at the Arnold Classic. As Savell had been the runner-up in ’07, a lot of people were speculating along those lines. I’d heard she had distanced herself from Jacobs, but that was old news, apparently. Her family led the police to Jacob’s house after no one had heard from Savell for a couple of days, so they knew to look for her there. Details to come as the case develops.

Of course the bottom line is not whether it was a crime of passion or the 30-year-old former tennis champ was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. A bright, beautiful, big-hearted young woman is gone, and it don’t matter no way, no how, as the saying goes.

In the meantime the story is all over the news—and the Internet. As always, I caution the curious to stick with legitimate news sources before you start believing what you read. IRON MAN’s Lonnie Teper is headed for Plano tomorrow to emcee the NPC Lone Star Classic, and he’ll be on the story there, so check out L.T’s blog after Sunday, June 8 (you’ll find a link at right).

Photo: A favorite shot of Amanda Jo Savell.

The California Pro Figure competition, which was held on May 24 at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Culver City, produced one good-looking top five—and I’m not just talking about their physiques. Felicia Romero headed a lineup of 26 lovely ladies, making good on the promise she showed in 2007—third at the Cal and first at the Jan Tana—and picking up the win with a perfect score. Heather Mae French, coming off a noticed-at-last fourth-place landing at the Pittsburgh Pro, moved up to second, fulfilling her destiny in terms of the ’08 Figure Olympia. Kristi Tauti provided the pleasantest surprise of the evening by earning the last Olympia-qualifying slot. Pleasant because 5’3” Tauti had shown such potential in winning her class at the ’06 Fig Nat’s but hadn’t done as well as one might have expected in her freshman year in the pros. Huong Arcinas and Darlina Brown rounded out the aforementioned good-looking top five.

In general, the IFBB’s campaign against excessive muscularity and conditioning and oversized shoulders seems to be working, although some athletes will take a few shows to find the balance that works for them. Not so for the most part, the rest of the top 10, who included, in order, Heather Green—sixth again—April Fortier, Hazal Nelson, Andrea Dumon and Michelle Mayberry.

To browse IRON MAN’s gallery of the ’08 California Pro Figure contest—photos by Bill Dobbins—click here.

Photos (from top): Felicia Romero and Kristi Tauti.

Little Cathy LeFrancois scored her very first pro win at the New York Pro Women’s Bodybuilding contest on May 10. I say “little Cathy” because so much has been made of the fact that one of the so-called smaller women bodybuilders came out on top at the event, which promoters Steve Weinberger and Bev Francis revived after a two-year absence. The ascension of the Canadian-born LeFrancois to the top of the lineup has been heralded as the arrival of a new era, in which the federation is favoring a more feminine look in its female flexers. While it’s true that the lady is but 5′2” and competes as a lightweight when weight classes are called for, I submit that the judges at the New York simply did what they always do—they picked the person they thought had the best physique onstage that day, period.

I challenge you to check out IRON MAN’s gallery from the show—photos by Roland Balik—and find another competitor who had as much mass (proportionately), shape, balance and conditioning, not to mention bodypart flow, as Cathy. That said, I had to wonder if her physique wasn’t a little bigger—and harder—than the package that brought her sixth at this year’s Ms. I.

If it was, it didn’t seem to bother anyone. LeFrancois, who was the ’03 lightweight winner at the Ms. International, “brought sexy back to women’s bodybuilding,” according to one on-the-scene observer. That may be, but it’s also true that there was nobody taller and/or more massive onstage whose physique featured all those qualities.

According to the panel, it was not even close. LeFrancois earned a perfect score and finished 33 points ahead of runner-up Jeannie Paparone, with Rosemary Jennings a mere four points behind her in third.

The choice of Paparone, an excellent bodybuilder who is never the biggest gal onstage, in second could also be cited as evidence of a trend—until, once again, you look at the pictures. Jeannie definitely dialed it in, and there was no one in good condition who had the size plus aesthetics to beat her. (Had Annie Rivieccio been in top shape, it would have been a different story.) Ironically, Paparone took second in the lightweights at the last New York Pro, in 2005—to Jennings, who won the overall as well. This time, though, the honor came with an Olympia invite.

That the third Olympia-qualifying slot went to Rosemary, who’s about LeFrancois’ height but has a more muscular look, should have put to rest any thoughts that the judges have gone soft on muscle. Fourth- through sixth-placers Dena Westerfield, Debi Laszewski and Rivieccio all had their good points, aesthetically speaking, but the panel wasn’t tempted. As the saying goes, No cuts, no glory.

Props also to ’07 National Middleweight champ Tina Chandler, who tied for seventh (with Debbie Bramwell) in this lineup of 19 in her pro debut.

As for the resurgence of femininism, we’ll see what happens in August at the next round women’s pro-bodybuilding battles—the Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Championships in Tampa, Florida, on August 9 and the Europa Supershow in Dallas on August 15. Why is it interesting? The Europa features weight classes while the PBW show doesn’t, and since many of the same athletes will be targeting both shows, it should be very interesting to see how they both come out.

Photos (from top):

Cathy LeFrancois was a popular winner in New York—popular with the judges and the pundits.

Jeannie Paparone is Olympia bound.

The panel placed Rosemary Jennings in the last Ms. O–qualifying slot.

Texan Tina Chandler got some notice in her pro debut.

Find the New York Pro Women’s Bodybuilding gallery here.

Hometown honey Amy Fry scored her first pro victory at the ’08 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Figure Championship on May 3, surprising absolutely no one who’s been paying attention to current action in the figure ranks. Second was Nicole Wilkins, who’s now earned Olympia qualifications in both the fitness and figure—also not a shock to this reporter—while Teresa Anthony, flying under the media buzz, picked up the third Big O slot in her pro debut.

Nineteen built-by-barbell bodies lined the stage in the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial auditorium for Jim Manion’s annual event, held in conjunction with the NPC Pittsburgh Championships. It was the first show since the Figure International—and since the athletes received a letter from the IFBB Pro League (of which Mr. Manion is the chairman) asking them to tone it down, physiquewise. The perceived wisdom in the press pit was that the ladies had complied. I was too focused on trying to photograph them to notice at the time, but in comparing photos from the two shows—and allowing for differences in lighting, cameras and other relevant factors—it appears that they did, somewhat, starting with Fry, whose six-pack and shoulders were not quite as etched.

Heather Mae French brought a beautiful presentation to the stage and finished fourth, making this the breakout competition she’s been seeking since she hit the pros a couple of years ago. Fifth went to veteran Shannon Meteraud, whose lean, not-too-hard and not-too-soft body may have been at its best ever. There’s little doubt that both those athletes will get their Olympia qualifications by season’s end.

Other ladies who caught my eye included Heather Green, Catherine Anderson and Huong Arcinas. As they finish sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively, I guess you could say I agreed with most of the panel’s choices. Bernadette Galvan and Allison Williams rounded out a strong top 10.

As mentioned above, Fry was the hands-down favorite to win this show (she placed third here last year), and not just because she comes from Pittsburgh. The prediction was a “well, duh”—she was coming off a third-place finish at the International and outranked everyone else in the lineup. Any hometown advantage was backed up by the package she brought to the stage.

Many of the women who came to quarter-turn in Pittsburgh were headed next to LosAngeles for the IFBB California Pro Figure Championship on May 24 at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Culver City. That’s Memorial Day Weekend, which has become a huge time for physique festivities in the L.A. area, including the Cal Pro, the accompanying NPC California Championships (now open to United States residents from all 50 states) and the Muscle Beach International Classic in Venice on May 25 and 26.

At the Cal I’ll have a real photographer or two on hand, so I can concentrate on looking at what I’m looking at and get a better handle on the Goldilocks factor—as in who’s coming in not-too-hard and not-too-soft but just right.

For info on the Cal, go to www.MuscleContest.com. For more on the Muscle Beach events, check out

www.MuscleBeachVenice.com.

Captions (from top):

• Class dismissed. Hometown honey Amy Fry did her homework and got extra credit.

• The first callout could have been the winner’s circle shot: Amy Fry in the center, with Nicole Wilkins in the second-place position and Teresa Anthony on the other side, in third. I was so impressed with Teresa, I thought she’d be the runner-up—another example of why I don’t get good marks at reading the judges’ minds.

• Petite powerhouse. At 5’ Heather Mae French proves that you don’t have to be tall to look tall.

• Ask Shannon Meteraud how she got in such great shape and you get a quick answer: “Mother of two.”

• Heather Green, also a mother of two. Wow. Maybe there’s something to that.

Talk about it’s all being good. The ’08 New York Pro Fitness, held April 12 at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center in lower Manhattan, produced gobs of encouraging results—both for the fans and for the numerous athletes who caught the spotlight at the annual Steve Weinberger–produced competition. First on the list was the always-engaging Heidi Fletcher, who earned her first-ever pro win after taking second at this show in ’06 and ’07. Also popping into view were second- and third-placers Trish Warren and Nicole Wilkins, who snagged their first-ever Olympia invites, but more on them in a minute.

Fletcher, who was 15th at the ’07 Fitness O and fourth at the post-O West Palm Beach competition, wisely skipped even thinking about the Fitness International in favor of focusing on New York. With the absence of heavier hitters in the lineup (Julie Shipley-Childs and Tracey Greenwood took top honors in ’06 and ’07), it was Heidi’s time to shine. Based on the photos, she looked lean and curvy, maybe even a little more conditioned than the tight package she brought to the O last year. The judges placed her second in both physique rounds as well as in the 90-second routines. Winning the show round, the two-minute routines, brought her to the end of the evening with a comfortable 36-point lead. Go, Heidi! We’ll see you at the O.

The 14-woman lineup was long on ladies with strong routines who are not as proficient in the physique rounds, at least not at present. Warren and Wilkins, who finished just a point apart, were notable exceptions, with each taking first in one of the physique rounds and third in the other. For Trish, who earned her card at the ’02 Fitness Nationals, made her pro debut a couple of years later in figure and then finally hit the pushups-for-pay arena in 2006, it was a tall leap from her previous fitness outings. From 12th at the ’06 Europa Pro Fitness to seventh at the ’07 N.Y. Pro to second here, she more than earned her rep as a body—and routine—to keep your eye on.

Wilkins took a more accelerated pace to get to the Olympia invite list. After an 11-th place landing in her pro debut at the Figure International last month, she proved that her double-dollop-victories at the ’07 Team Universe—overall trophies for the T.U. Fitness Championships and the Figure Nationals—were not just random acts of kindness by the judges. The fact that she held her own in the routines against some of the performers I’m about to mention, placing third and fourth in those rounds, says it all.

Nicole Duncan and Bethany Wagner made my ones-to-watch list when they won their classes at the ’06 Fit Nat’s and ’07 T.U., respectively. In New York they landed second and third behind Fletcher in the long routines, not too shabby when you consider who didn’t leave the venue with a top routine score.

I have to admit, if I’d been making predictions for this contest, I’d have picked Russian sensation Oksana Grishina for an Olympia-qualifying top-three spot, maybe even for an upset victory over Fletcher, the favorite. Good thing I didn’t. Yeah, I’m familiar with the perceived wisdom that Grishina’s physique just isn’t competitive right now, but what was up with her score in the long routines? Not to take anything away from the above-mentioned athletes—and Kendra Elias—all of whom got better marks than her in the performance round, but if Oksana’s routine was good enough to be valued third behind Jen Hendershott and Kim Klein at the International, how could she drop to seventh in this company?

File that under topics to pursue in the near future.
Photos (from top):

New York’s a lucky town for Heidi Fletcher, who will make her third Olympia appearance in September.

Trish Warren carbs up—and shows off her abs—at the ’06 Cal Pro Figure. A couple of months after this shot was taken she switched back to fitness.

Nicole Wilkins also has reason to love New York. She cleaned up at last summer’s Team Universe—on the very same stage.

Here’s something that’s been gnawing at my mind since the big weekend in Columbus, Ohio. What exactly is up with the IFBB Amateur Arnold International competition? Not that I’m suggesting there was anything wrong with the event, which was promoted for the second year by Bob Lorimer and Mike Davies as part of the humongous Arnold Sports Festival. As far as I can see it was a whopping success, attracting some 225 physique athletes from around the world, including a spectacular crop of winners. Is it just me, however, or does it seem as if there were two different amateur events taking place on February 29 and March 1?

How I became aware of the dichotomy is one of those tales we pundits like to tell. On a shuttle bus full of competitors and officials (and media members) riding from the Veterans Memorial Auditorium to the Doubletree Hotel, I was chatting with Albert Busek, a distinguished member of the European muscle press and a very-long-time friend of the legendary bodybuilder for whom the weekend in Columbus is named. Albert, who had attended the amateur competition earlier in the day, was enthusiastic about how excellent the international field had been and expressed great surprise that the American athletes had not been stronger. It could be that he was rubbing it in just a bit.

As I hadn’t seen the results yet, we moved on to other things. Still, I was puzzled as to what all the fuss was about. After all, it was just a midlevel contest from the standpoint of NPC competitors, wasn’t it? I had forgotten that I’d asked the same question when I’d heard that the Arnold Amateur was going international in its second year. Why would people want to come all the way to Ohio to get onstage at that show? The answer should have been obvious, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

In practical terms, when the promoters—and IFBB President Rafael Santonja—went worldwide with this event, they effectively jacked up its status far beyond its humble beginnings. Whether that message sank in for the NPC rank and file remains a question mark. The international teams, buoyed by the notion of either competing at the prestigious Arnold Sports Festival, getting their pictures taken with Governor S or simply getting some big-time publicity in the Western Hemisphere, brought their top amateur bodybuilders, including European and World champions. The U.S. entries, on the other hand, included some excellent bodybuilders, but they were not exactly the class winners from last year’s Nationals; so it should have come as no surprise that they got creamed. (The situation was different for fitness and figure, where the U.S. and Canadian athletes ruled, although why that was is a topic for another day.)

Maybe it’s also no surprise that the bodybuilding lines were drawn where they were. Elite-level amateur physique competition on this side of the Atlantic (and the Pacific) seems to be much more pro-card oriented than it is over there (and there). In other countries the top guys and gals keep going back to the European Championships, the Asian Championships, the South American Championships, the World Championships, et al., and many never make it to the professional ranks. In the U.S. a class win at the Nationals gets you the right to apply for a pro card, and for the most advanced warriors and warriorettes it’s all about the path to the flex-for-pay ranks.

One could argue that the former approach is more in keeping with the spirit of sport—well, amateur sport—and the latter is more of that crass commercialism one hears so much about. I suspect that somewhere, somehow politics is at work as well. The question is, Will the highest-ranking homegrown amateur bodybuilders step up to the plate and stop off in Columbus on their way to where destiny leads them next year, or will they leave all the glory to folks like Mari Segura of Mexico, the ’07 North American champ, who won the ’08 Amateur Arnold title in women’s bodybuilding, and two-time World Amateur champ Robert Piotrkowicz of Poland, who came in second in the Arnold men’s superheavyweight class?

What if anything could the promoters do to sweeten the pot? I’m making no predictions, but it’s definitely a story to keep your eye on.

Photos (from top):

Mexico’s Mari Segura, eligible to apply for pro status after her overall win at the ’07 North Americans, entered the Arnold Amateur International and picked up an overall win there as well.

Canada’s Allison Ethier, a well-known athlete who’s come over to the IFBB from another organization, took the fitness overall at the Amateur Arnold. Look for her to make a pro-card run at the Canadian Championships later this season.