Okay, so Ron “Yogi” Avidan did get one right. Ronald Sargeant took the Overall at Saturday’s Orange County Muscle Classic (see previous blog). I went to the pre-judging, and knew it was going to happen so, when I heard the ringer on my land line go off at about 9:45 pm, and saw it was Yogi on the caller ID, I got the message before listening to the message.
Yogi was babbling, at full speed. The saliva was coming through the receiver. I THINK he was demanding that my “Swami” crown needs to be switched from my head to his noggin after the 6’1 ½”, 245-pound Sargeant, a 43-year old from Corona, CA competing in only his second contest, swept the field at the Cook Auditorium event on the campus of Anaheim High School.
Hold on a minute, Yogi. Yes, “Sargeant-at-Arms” did look much better at the OC, coming in 10 pounds lighter, and it was an impressive victory. Yeah, he can win the ‘Cal next month, too. But, I’m waiting until the big guy steps on stage against some of the NPC’s finest at the USA before I even dare think about giving you any more praise.
Say, wasn’t that humongous cheeseburger and the three coke’s at the Cheesecake Factory after prejudging more than enough reward? That’s two times in a row I picked up the check, in case you’ve forgotten.
You didn’t expect Shawn Ray to put the tab on his plastic, did you? Or Isaac Hinds. Oh, Isaac was in Colorado continuing his “Lingerie Football Team” shoots (see www.hardbody.com), so Lifter gets off the hook this time around. Again.
Shawn was at his classic best. He was severely disappointed that Silvio Samuel wasn’t in the house. Not that he likes the dude so much, but that 12 months earlier, same location, he badgered Samuel into paying for the whole group.
Hell, you’ll never see Shawn move quicker than when he made like Maurice Greene in jetting out of the eatery, in time to have his parking ticket hit the tape before the two-hour free window ran out.
With the exception of having to pay for the all the food again, I enjoyed myself, as always, at the show. One of the many sub-plots in the contest was the return to the stage of Will Duggan.
Will last competed when he won my Junior Cal, then called the Cal Collegiates, back in 2007. He and fellow former Junior Cal standout, Rene Chavez, battled down to the wire in the Middleweight class before the judges tabbed the recently married Duggan as that division’s best.
Gunter Schlierkamp and Kim Lyons were there; they were pumping up their Hawaiian Islands Bodybuilding & Figure Championships, to be held on June 27, with co-promoter Rick Suzuki. Look for Gunter and Kim to grace a future cover of IRON MAN Magazine, by the way.
Flex Wheeler showed up with two of his recent protégés—Keith Williams and Stan Efferding, not to mention his souped up Dodge Charger, complete with big “EFX” lettering on the door.
I met Williams when he took Wheeler’s contest, held in Minnesota, last July. The former high school and college football and track star felt he got waaaay overlooked at the 08 USA, and promises things will be different this time.
Stan, the 08 Emerald Cup Overall winner, is preparing for the Masters Nationals in July, the 6-foot, 240- pounder (contest weight) says he, not Johnnie Jackson, is the world’s strongest bodybuilder.
Stan informed me he’s currently the number two ranked 275-pound “Raw” powerlifter in America, and is eighth in the world rankings. His 2, 070 pound totals are the fourth highest in the world, and says results and video of the lifts are posted on powerliftingwatch.com, as well as on YouTube (under Stan Efferding), if you are a non-believer.
I believe ya, big guy, I really do!
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