Jonathan De La Rosa shared that he has received threats, calls for respect for athletes in bodybuilding.
The bodybuilding community is a passionate one but sometimes, it can be taken a little too far following a show. On Sunday, Jonathan De La Rosa took to his Instagram story to share that he has received death threats following his victory over the weekend.
READ MORE: 2024 Tampa Pro Bodybuilding Results
“I’ve been getting death threats and all kinds of crazy sh*t on my Instagram. I know some of you are big fans of Mohamed. I’m a fan of Mohamed. He has a great physique. I think some things go a little too far. I understand the passion from the fans behind what we do and I appreciate it but death threats, guys? Come on.”
De La Rosa was victorious in Men’s Open during the Tampa Pro and will return to the Olympia for the first time since 2019. He earned two runner-up finishes in 2023 during the Tampa Pro and Chicago Pro. Now, he will take the stage against the best in the world come October.
Jonathan De La Rosa Talks Threats Received
Jonathan De La Rosa brought his best package to the stage in Tampa and this earned him a victory on stage. He defeated Mohamed Foda after the two separated themselves from the field.
Along with threats, there were thoughts that De La Rosa won the competition for “political reasons.” This is something he addressed as well:
“There’s no political motive for the judges to give me a win. Let’s look at this. What do the judges get for giving me the win? Do they make money? Do they get some sort of compensation? I don’t sell extra tickets. I’m not a Ramy or Chris Bumstead where it’s going to make a difference in ticket sales for them.”
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The threats did not only come for De La Rosa but his family as well.
“Another thing I want to talk about is keeping my loved ones out of this. My wife has nothing to do with it…Again, we should just have a little bit more class and respect.”
Derek Lunsford spoke about respect in bodybuilding following his victory at the 2023 Olympia. He was receiving hateful comments on social media and addressed them following the show. This has been a point of emphasis within the sport and De La Rosa continued the trend of asking for respect for others.
“Let’s learn to give the athletes the respect and flowers they deserve on the days that they win. There can always be a respectful discussion on why you feel the other person should have won but key word, respect. So let’s do better guys. Thank you for the love and support. Thank you for all the messages, even the bad ones. Let’s learn to appreciate the hard work that we all put in.”
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