2022 New York Pro Preview & Full Competitor List

May 17, 2022

The 2022 New York Pro is just a few days away and there is now a full list of competitors!

The bodybuilding season rolls on with another big-time competitor coming on Saturday. Just one week after the 2022 Indy Pro, some of the best competitors in the world will return to the stage during the 2022 New York Pro. This is considered one of the biggest shows of the year, outside of the Arnold Classic and Olympia. The competition will take place at the Marriott at Glenpointe in Teaneck, NJ.

There are a total of nine divisions that will be present at the New York Pro. Once again, this will be headlined by Men’s Open. Indy Pro champion Blessing Awodibu will make a quick return to the stage as one of the favorites to win the competition. Maxx Charles will also return after a third-place finish in Indianapolis, along with Justin Rodriguez.

We will get into the Men’s Open competitors below but there are other elite names ready to take the stage. Sadik Hadzovic made his return to the stage and earned Olympia qualification after winning the Pittsburgh Pro. He will take the stage once again in New Jersey. Bikini is a growing division in bodybuilding and there will be no shortage of talent this weekend.

Lauralie Chapados has taken over as one of the two best competitors in the division, along with Olympia champion Jennifer Dorie. Chapados will look to earn another victory during the NY Pro. Janet Layug finished third in Pittsburgh and will look to challenge Chapados, who took home the title in this competition.

The Men’s Open division will once again be headlined and feature some elite names looking to stay in championship shape. Below, take a look at some of the top competitors to watch during the NY Pro.

Blessing Awodibu

Blessing Awodibu entered the Indy Pro as one of the favorites to win. After showing up in his best shape, Awodibu might be the clear-cut favorite to win once again in New Jersey. This is a show that Awodibu will take personally after a sixth-place finish in 2021. This is when Awodibu’s rivalry with Nick Walker, 2021 NY Pro champion, began. Awodibu will now have a chance to avenge his performance last season and do it at his absolute best.

Maxx Charles

Maxx Charles was considered one of the top competitors in Indianapolis but was jumped by Charles Griffen on the score card. Charles finished third in Indy and without Griffen in the lineup, Charles might considered the favorite to challenge Awodibu. It is amazing to see how it changes week to week and this is a chance for Charles to learn from his performance last week and enjoy a quick turnaround.

Justin Rodriguez

Justin Rodriguez is one of the competitors who is looking to reach his potential. It began at the Arnold Classic, where he looked impressive during prejudging. He fell during the finals and this happened once again in Indy. Rodriguez and Awodibu were expected to finish at the top but Rodriguez fell to fourth when it was all said and done. With many of the same competitors returning to New Jersey, Rodriguez will look to make some necessary improvements on stage.

Dorian Haywood

Dorian Haywood finished fourth at the Indy Pro last year but took a step back this time around. He finished sixth in Indianapolis last week. Haywood competed five times in 2021 and it looks like he is staying busy once again. If there is a tier of competitors looking to take a step forward, Haywood is leading the charge. He has experience in this show, which was another fourth-place finish last year.

Slavoj Bednar

Slavoj Bednar is improving year to year. He competed twice in 2021 with a top-10 finish at the Chicago Pro. In Indy, Bednar finished eighth and will have a chance to improve on his position. Bednar does not bring the massive size of other competitors but he has great symmetry and conditioning on stage.