2023 Chicago Pro: Justin Shier wins pro debut

July 23, 2023

2023 Chicago Pro: Justin Shier wins pro debut.

The long-awaited 2023 Chicago Pro took place on 22 July 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.

This event was another great opportunity for pro athletes to earn their qualification for the 2023 Olympia Weekend.

The 2023 Chicago Pro will be an event that one athlete will never forget, and that is Justin Shier.

The 2023 Chicago Pro was Justin Shier’s pro debut, after earning his pro card in 2021 at the NPC National Championships.

Not only did Justin make his pro debut, but he managed to win the event and book his place at the 2023 Mr. Olympia, hoping to make a great impression at the biggest event of the year.

Read More about Justin Shier – Justin Shier – Turning adversity into success.

Unfortunately, only 10 athletes registered to compete, with a number of top bodybuilding stars still not qualified for the 2023 Mr. Olympia, it’s mind-boggling why they are not competing.

The judges immediately focused on three competitors that stood out above the rest. Justin Shier, John DeLaRosa and Stanislaus de Longeaux aka “Stanimal”.

Unfortunately, the rest of the lineup did not have what it takes to crack the top three.

It was a very close battle between the top three, with the judges switching the competitors around continuously, trying to pick out who had what it takes to win.

Justin presented a fantastic physique, with the perfect balance of size and condition. Justin’s front double biceps pose and side chest are contest-winning poses.

Jonathan DeLaRosa returned to the stage after a three-year absence. The last time DeLaRosa stepped on stage was at the 2020 New York Pro, where he finished in third.

DeLaRosa impressed, as nobody expected him to bring his physique back to what it was. Not only did DeLeRosa make an incredible return to the stage, but he challenged for the win.

Jonathan presented a physique with great size, but Justin Shier edged past him with better condition. If DeLaRosa continues to compete, he has a great chance of winning an event, and qualifying for the 2023 Mr. Olympia.

Stanislaus de Longeaux aka “Stanimal” had to settle for third. This result will hurt Stanimal’s motivation, after placing in the top three at his last few shows.

Going into the show, Stanimal was hoping to go that one better and win the event, but he was beaten convincingly by DeLaRosa and Justin Shier.

An Olympia qualification is still possible for Stanimal, if he continues to compete, and hopefully wins an event. Unfortunately, the Pro League removed the option to qualify with points, and a victory will only qualify an athlete to the Olympia. If the point system was still valid, Stanimal would have definitely secured his qualification to the 2023 Mr. Olympia.

Blessing Awodibu and Patrick Moore had to settle for fourth and fifth place respectively. Not much can be said about these two athletes, other than they were not at their best. Unfortunately for Blessing, as with every event, there is a lot of hype leading up to the show, but when it’s time to show what he has, unfortunately, he disappoints.

Unfortunately for Patrick Moore, it seems he can’t get back to his best, after suffering some injuries. Patrick will definitely need to reflect on his recent results.