RoNiN said:
Ask me a couple of years ago and I would have had Dexter Jackson at #3 on my list. However in the last couple of years he has been doing well , he placed 2nd at the Toronto Pro and NOC behind Marcus and Orville. Considering how freakish and massive those two are I can accept Dexter loseing to that in this current state of pro bodybuilding.
I know exactly what you mean there, but Orville was smooth at the NOC (God bless the guy...he's had some rough times lately). His stomach protruded badly. Dexter should've taken him and Ruhl, who's a total beast but has shit for symmetry (comparatively terrible forearms for his biceps, weak triceps, not enough back detail).
Dexter is one of my favorite "new" pros along with Melvin Anthony , Dexter is a Shawn Ray with another 20-30 lbs of muscle spread throughout the physique. So far Dexter has been able to put on ALOT of mass since turning pro as a light heavy weight and has been able to maintain his symmetry and proportions. Most guys look worse with so much mass so soon and ruin their physiques but Dexter pulled it off. I don't know if that is attributed to his genetics or from staying away from certain substances ( synthol? hugh amounts of slin ... ) but he did a great job.
He's awesome. But I don't know that I truly believe he's carrying much more muscle than Ray. He doesn't at least look like he is, to me. I think Shawn's a bit shorter, but having seen those guys stand side-by-side, I thought Dexter had better balance and Shawn looked a fair amount thicker (imagine that!).
Maybe Dexter was just flat in that show. But I would like to see him come in a bit thicker in general...it'd help him immensely in the symmetry round, when he can't pose and have all that crazy detail and roundness pop out at you.
Actually if you look at Dexter and Darrem at the Toronito Pro this year they both look fantastic and have added alot of mass recently and still look make it look good... they are perfect examples of the "total package" that I would also give to Orville Burke and Ronnie Coleman if it wasn't for their distended guts...
Yes. Darrem's awesome too. He could use bigger wheels and some calves, but his upper body's fantastic for someone his height.
My pick for most second-most underrated pro would be J.D. Dawodu. He's just uber-thick and strong-looking as hell; and he
can come in shredded but is still blown off, so I think he thinks to himself, "Why bother coming in ripped if I'm going to get
ripped off anyway?"
My number one pick is Quincy Taylor, hands-down. He was a total freak at the Ironman. He's going to clean house one of these days.
Oh, and Claude Groulx too.