Report by Michael Phillips with photography by Eric Guy
Saturday October 10th at The Frontier Club, Batley, West Yorkshire
Another very successful competition for the NPA, the last of 6 qualifying competitions for the NPA British Finals. 48 competitors in total and arguably this competition had what many saw as the finest ever line-up on a Natural stage in the UK – that line-up was for the Mike Williams Pro-Am class, which boasted 9 top class Champions, with many of them multi-titled, World, European, and British among those titles! As the weeks counted down to the contest, and the entries were coming in, I knew the Pro-Am line-up would be world class, and so it proved, but more on that later in the report!
The main show sponsors were EAS-UK Performance Nutrition and Udo’s Choice, with all the class winners taking home hundreds of £££ worth of supplement prizes for their success, with the Pro-Am class receiving a total of £1500 in prize money! Many thanks to both EAS-UK and Udo’s Choice, in particular Nigel Perkins and Tony Barnes respectively, for their great backing of the competition.
This was the 9th year the Pro-Am contest has been held, and the 4th year it has been named in honour of one of Britain’s greatest Champions, Mike Williams, who was one of the founder members of the NPA, a gentleman and outstanding bodybuilder much missed by his many friends not only in the NPA but in bodybuilding in general. I know there are competitors who enter the contest because of what Mike’s name means to them, and long may this very important competition continue.
On with the report!
Ladies Physique
Jane Miller comfortably defended the title she won last year, with a superb combination of shape, size, balance and condition. Lesley Haswell got all the second places, with newcomers Joanne Barnes and Shannon Thomas taking 3rd and 4th respectively.
1 – Jane Miller (and best presentation)
2 – Lesley Haswell
3 – Joanne Barnes
4 – Shannon Thomas
Juniors
Nathan Willmott made an excellent competitive debut in winning the Juniors; big legs, wide and thick back, very good shape, needs to be harder for the Britain Finals but overall very impressive. Kais Hussain showed a lot of promise, only 17 years of age, good shape, just needs more time to challenge the likes of Nathan.
1 – Nathan Willmott (bp)
2 – Kais Hussain
Masters
Steve Howarth totally dominated the Masters class. Huge size, superb shape and proportion, Steve competes at well over 90kg, and is very impressive. His comeback this year is gaining momentum; he won the NPA North West Overall, and now has 2 Masters titles, with his main goal the NPA Britain, where he will be one of the favourites! Runner-up was last year’s Champion Phil Rutter. Phil was ripped to hell, he has superb shape and taper, but I would love to see him come in maybe 7lbs heavier, just to see him a bit fuller. There were just 3 points separating places 3rd to 5th, with third going to Simon Woodham-Owen. Big arms, wide back, and huge legs, Simon got 3rd, with Barrie Williams taking 4th. Two very different physiques, with Barrie having better lines, shape, and aesthetic qualities. One point behind was Patrick McGrath, who I actually had in 3rd. Thick muscle mass, good proportions, and improving condition, which gets better every contest. David Rose needs to improve his condition to get higher than 6th, with John Bullock and Mark Cavalier both in 7th.
1 – Steve Howarth
2 – Phil Rutter
3 – Simon Woodham-Owen (bp)
4 – Barrie Williams
5 – Patrick McGrath
6 – David Rose
7 – John Bullock (best Over 50)
7 – Mark Cavalier
Novices
It’s amazing how many first timers turn up at competitions and are outstanding leaving you thinking ‘Where has he come from?!’ I remember Delroy Galloway making that impression at the 2006 NPA Yorkshire, and it happened in this year’s Mike Williams Classic as Simon Bowler took every first place going, and was very impressive indeed! Very good combination of size, muscle separation and condition, with every muscle full to bursting point yet fat free with it – a dominant win for Simon. Pavel Fiala (2nd) in his third contest this year has a near faultless physique, with every muscle developed and in balance, outstanding shape and structure, with great abdominals. As he gets harder and more cut he improves even more. Michael Hill got 3rd, stunning shape, particularly upper body, good degree of muscle separation and condition. Adi Duff in his first contest got 4th, a raw Novice with a lot of muscle mass and potential. Simon Shaw was the lightest in the class, and as such needs to get his condition tighter to place higher than 5th, which he did at the NPA H of E when he placed 3rd. He’ll be back to his best at the Britain, no doubt! Thomas Hicks showed huge size, massive back and delts, and has great potential, he got 6th, with Alex Gibby making his debut in placing 7th. Alex just needs more time to train heavy and hard, a respectable debut for him, in a tough class.
1 – Simon Bowler (and best First-timer)
2 – Pavel Fiala (bp)
3 – Michael Hill
4 – Adi Duff
5 – Simon Shaw
6 – Thomas Hicks
7 – Alex Gibby
Trained Figure
Debbie Scholefield took 14 out of 15 available first places from the judges to make a winning return to the stage 8 months after having a baby, and she was in the ideal sort of shape which is what the criteria asks for the NPA Trained Figure class. I thought Debbie looked the best she has ever done, she has very good shape and taper, with the required level of conditioning which should be attainable for all the other girls who compete in the class. A great win for Debbie, I actually got her husband to say a few words, and it was he who told me it was only 8 months earlier that she had had a baby, so a great achievement for her to win! Runner-up by one point was Hayley Brylewski, just one ahead of Angela Gee, with Sarah Graham one point behind Angela, so it was close for the next 3 places! Hayley was harder but needs more shape and taper; Angela was the best she has ever looked, at 51 she was a revelation, and clearly showed you can improve as you get older; Sarah is stunning, but just needs more time to develop more muscle, so will definitely will be one to watch next year. 5th was Elesa Argent, not quite in the shape she was when she won the Heart of England in 2005; 6th went to Nikki Fuller, improved over her Yorkshire showing, with an impressive taper particularly on her back; 7th was Michelle Mercer, another first time competitor, Michelle was 70lbs heavier a few months before the contest, then had a baby, and decided to compete! She isn’t at the level to win yet, and like Sarah Graham, just needs to train hard to develop her muscles more to place higher, and she’ll be back next year! An excellent class throughout.
1 – Debbie Scholefield (bp)
2 – Hayley Brylewski
3 – Angela Gee
4 – Sarah Graham
5 – Elesa Argent
6 – Nikki Butler
7 – Michelle Mercer
Under 70kg
Seven quality entrants for the lightweight class, with a best ever Helder Barroso taking his first NPA title in resounding fashion. Helder looked like a man on a mission; he was in fantastic shape, and couldn’t have looked any better. Big, thick, superb condition, great tan, and complete dominance of the stage, a great win for Helder. Runner-up was Sergiy Topchiy. All the second places except one, which was a first (Helder got all the other first places). Sergiy has a physique that takes years to build; thick muscle mass, especially his chest and back, but he was only at around 90% of his best, this cost him, especially as Helder was in the shape of his life. ‘Little’ things like the perfect tan, and that finished look to the skin / physique make a difference at this level – Helder looked perfectly prepared in all aspects, Sergiy didn’t quite have the finished look Helder had – with it, it would have been close I think, but Helder today was unstoppable and deservedly took the title. Two points separated 3rd, 4th and 5th…Steve Joyner got 3rd, looked superb with excellent condition, showing very good muscle separation particularly on his back; Ryscard in 4th was also in great shape, outstanding front lat spread, and front double biceps especially; Keith took 5th, in his best shape yet, great arms and chest, he lost out on the back shots to Steve, and still lacks in the legs, although they have improved. 6th was Wayne Kerry, who needs to be sharper, although he was in good shape overall, and 7th was Darrell James, a martial artist of some repute who is determined to do well in bodybuilding. Darrell needs more mass to place but will be back in 2010. An outstanding class.
1 – Helder Barroso
2 – Sergiy Topchiy (bp)
3 – Steve Joyner
4 – Ryscard Tokarczyk
5 – Keith O’Connell
6 – Wayne Kerry
7 – Darrell James
Under 78kg
Steve Wall was unopposed in the middleweights, and actually went on stage with the heavyweights. Steve has a balanced, muscular physique but needs better condition to place highly at the Britain Finals. He posed brilliantly without music after a problem with his cd – his impromptu off the cuff posing went down a storm, and he received huge applause from the audience.
1 – Steve Wall
78kg+
Three contrasting, quality physiques in the heavyweights; John Madourie was in his best shape for years, he has that quality of muscle that takes years to build. Every muscle developed, superb condition, and that ‘finished’ look too; Wayne Braddock won the NPA Novice Britain title in 2007, and returned to the stage with a huge physique – massive arms and legs, wide back and shoulders, and very good condition; Andy Gill must have the widest shoulders and best taper in the NPA, especially when viewed from the back, he’s virtually unbeatable in the quarter turns, but loses a little when he hits his 8 compulsories, and he’s still striving for the sort of muscular condition that John Madourie displayed. After round 1, Andy Gill was winning, yet he didn’t get a first place in round 2 or 3, as all those were split between John and Wayne. When all the marks were done John Madourie got the nod by one point to record a fantastic win – on the microphone I recall saying that its not just the classes with 15 competitors that can be hard to judge – this class was very hard to call and there were only 3 in it!
1 – John Madourie (bp)
2 – Wayne Braddock
3 – Andrew Gill
Men’s Overall
All 6 class winners came to battle it out for the Overall title, and 17 years after he won his class at the ANB (now NPA) Yorkshire Championships, a delighted John Madourie took the Overall Mike Williams Classic title, with 5 of the 6 judges placing him first. John respected Mike Williams very much and said a few words after his win, including a quite emotional mention of Mike, which was simply fantastic to hear. Well done John, a great victory for you!
1 – JOHN MADOURIE
2 – Helder Barroso
3 – Simon Bowler
4 – Steve Howarth
5 – Nathan Willmott
6 – Steve Wall
Mike Williams Pro-Am Invitational sponsored by EAS-UK
As the Overall Mike Williams Classic winner, John Madourie then took his place in the Pro-Am line-up, joining 8 others, including 2 former winners. This was a fantastic class, much anticipated by many people, who weren’t disappointed by the incredible quality throughout. I did the draw for this class in the early afternoon, with myself meeting all the competitors in the weigh-in room, numbers face down on a table. As they all came into the room, you could feel the tension, and the anticipation, I kid you not! Some competitors were in hoodies, some were very quiet, others were very friendly – it only took 10 minutes to do, but as the competitors took their numbers, the fact that Vince Mwayi, Michael Hannam and Jay Hollingsworth were to be stood next to each other worked out perfectly…here’s my comments on all the competitors as they appeared in numerical order…
Steve Davies was first on; I knew Steve’s main goal this year was to defend his NPA British lightweight title, 2 weeks away. Steve was delighted to be competing – he was big, wide, and cut – very thick back, big legs, good separation, with some killer shots (abs & thighs, most muscular); Steve knew he wasn’t going to win but overall he was in very good shape, and would be in the top 6 for certain.
Rob Feesey was next. As someone who has seen Rob win this title 3 times, and seen him compete in staggering shape and condition, I find it hard to write about him when he clearly wasn’t at his best, in fact, he was nowhere near it. Rob had a bad leg injury last year, which affected him. Unfortunately, his legs in this show were way down in development. His condition was very good, but I have to say he looked over-dieted, not by days, but by weeks. He went for all out shredded condition but by overdoing it, it just highlighted his weaknesses more. This would be a tough day for Rob, there was no way he was going to place well in this class.
Andrew Palmer, last year’s Champion, was next. His arms, legs, and back are world class, and at last year’s Pro-Am he nailed his condition. This year Andrew still had all his strong points, with an incredible back, particularly, but his overall look was not as conditioned as last year, and he was a fraction smooth compared to others in the class. So this would mean Andrew would not be winning today – had he looked at his very best, I believe Andrew would have challenged the top 3, but today that wasn’t going happen.
John Madourie was in his best ever shape, and more than held his own in this class after winning the Overall Mike Williams Classic title.
Andy Hallahan, current NPA Masters Champion, was delighted to be on the stage with so many top class Champions. Like Steve Davies, he knew he wasn’t going to win, and his main goal was defending his NPA Britain title 2 weeks away. Andy always has one of the thickest physiques – he isn’t an aesthetic bodybuilder, Andy’s strengths are his muscle thickness and cuts, he was also in very good condition, but it would be tough for him to place well today.
Michael Hannam, was number 47, and the sixth man to walk on-stage. At 27 years of age, Michael has simply everything. The 2008 Overall NPA British Champion, he confirmed to me weeks before that he would be competing, and that he wouldn’t disappoint…he didn’t. Nobody, but nobody, looks better in the semi-relaxed front stance than Michael, and from the moment he walked on-stage it was clear he would be a front-runner for the title.
Jay Hollingsworth then walked out to stand next to Michael. Jay hasn’t competed since 2005, and has been busy breaking world records in power-lifting. I knew months beforehand that Jay would be competing, and with that knowledge I knew he would be in incredible shape. Jay was in the same NPA teams as Mike Williams for the UIBBN Europeans and Worlds 4 years ago, and had immense respect for Mike - I knew he would be in top shape for this contest! Prior to the contest, and if all competitors were to be at their best, in my head I had Jay winning, with Michael pushing him all the way. Well, both of them were in incredible shape, so this was going to be an amazing battle!
Vince Mwayi is a genetically gifted Champion who has muscle to spare, the density of his physique is just about peerless, especially his back, which was the best in the whole contest! Vince hasn’t competed since 2005, and entered a few weeks beforehand, though he likes to keep a low profile, and asked me not to announce he would be competing! On the day, Vince would announce himself as soon as he walked on the stage, and as he did, it was soon apparent that the battle for the Pro-Am crown would be between Michael, Jay, and Vince!
The final competitor of the day was Lloyd Stewart. Lloyd was a very good friend of Mike Williams. Lloyd has a competitive record almost on a par with Mike, with World, European, and British Masters’ titles to his name. Lloyd, now an unbelievable 60 years of age, was his usual impressive and muscular self – he knew he wasn’t going to win, but nobody deserved his place on the stage more than Lloyd. He was massive and muscular, with a skin tone better than many half his age.
After the initial comparisons, the first call from the judges was for Michael, Jay, Vince, and Steve, and from this comparison, it was obvious that the real battle for the title would be between Jay and Michael, and Vince settled into third. Steve looked excellent but didn’t have enough to challenge the top 3, certainly as I saw it. Jay certainly had the most support, with the crowd very noisy for him. The second call had Jay, Michael, and Vince, joined by Andrew and John. Andrew looked impressive, especially his aforementioned back, but again it was apparent that he didn’t have the condition to challenge the top 3. Third call out had Rob, Lloyd, and Andy joining John and Andrew. Rob clearly was battling with Lloyd and Andy, just to hit the top 6, but I honestly think that Rob’s excessive dieting cost him far too much muscle, and he was swamped by the size of the others, especially the leading Champions. This one call to my eye clearly placed Rob, Andy, and Lloyd out of the top 6, with the final call out of John, Steve, Andrew, and Vince, clearly battling for 3rd to 6th places. Everybody knew, in my opinion, that the battle for the title was now a two horse race between Michael and Jay.
My own thoughts, after rounds 1 and 2?
I had Michael taking round 1, with Jay taking round 2. Michael’s quarter turns are virtually faultless, and his front stance is the best out there – he looks a winner as soon as he sets foot on-stage. On the back stances, Vince matched Michael, but Jay hunched his traps, and was flexing his erectors to the extent he lacked the V shape that is required on the back stance. Jay was also slightly stooping on the side stances.
In round 2, the way I saw it between Michael and Jay…Michael won the front and back double biceps, and front lat spread; Jay looked incredible on the side chest, side triceps, and most muscular. The abs and thighs were close, but I gave it Jay, with them both matching one another on the back lat spread. So Jay won round 2 by 4-3. This is how I saw it. Of the judges, 5 from the 7 had Michael winning round 1; 5 of the 7 had Jay winning round 2, so they really were neck and neck, with Vince a solid third, taking 16 of the available 21 third places.
In round 3, the free posing round, Michael was placed 1st by 5 judges, the other 2 going for Jay. The reality is that either one of them would have been a deserving Champion, as both of them looked incredible! I agreed with the judges, Michael deserved to win, just - what sets Michael apart is that when you watch and study him, as a judge, he leaves nothing to chance, everything is spot on, bang on the button, from his tan to his composure on stage. Jay, at times, can still look like a novice – he let himself down by not standing correctly at times, his back stance let him down big-time, so when everything gets studied, Michael was the consummate professional on-stage, every pose he maximised his strengths, and while there was nothing to pick between them in terms of muscle quality and development, muscle fullness and condition, it was the fact that Michael could not have looked and performed any better than he did, and Jay could have. Its nit picking I know, but at this level, this is what happens to decide who wins! So it was a delighted Michael Hannam taking the title, with Jay second, and Vince third. Andrew got fourth, with Steve two points behind in fifth. John had had a great day, and was happy in sixth, with Rob and Andy tied for seventh, split on a count-back, which put Andy in eighth, and Lloyd in ninth.
Overall, this was the best ever line up seen on a Natural stage in the UK – just my opinion though! Well done to all the competitors in a great class! Nigel Perkins of EAS-UK and Janet Mitchener (nee Williams) presented the trophies, and handed out £1500 in prize money to the top 6.
1 - MICHAEL HANNAM
2 – Jay Hollingsworth
3 – Vince Mwayi
4 – Andrew Palmer
5 – Steve Davies
6 – John Madourie
7 – Rob Feesey
8 – Andy Hallahan
9 – Lloyd Stewart
Many congratulations to all the class winners, and particular congrats to a best ever John Madourie winning the Overall MW Classic title, and to a sensational Michael Hannam who is unquestionably the Number 1 Natural bodybuilder in the UK, his Pro-Am win cements that standing!
Judges: Lee Kemp, James Thomas, Janet Mitchener, Stephanie Williams, Ann Gardner, Jon Harris, Roy Jones, and Michael Phillips.
Doping Control Officer: Jon Bibb.
Additional thanks to all sponsors, competitors, officials, judges, helpers, and spectators, heroes all!
Michael Phillips
Secretary – NPA
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