2023 Legion Sports Fest Pro Preview, Top Bodybuilders To Watch

In just a few days, competitors will meet on the 2023 Legion Sports Fest Pro stage in Reno, Nevada from October 7-8. The Men’s Open division headlines this Olympia-qualifying event. Aside from the marquee attraction, talent from the Classic Physique, Men’s Physique, Fitness, Figure, Bikini, Women’s Physique, and Wellness divisions will also vie for gold. 

Pressure to qualify for the sport’s biggest event of the year is at an all-time high. This is the final weekend for IFBB Pro League athletes to guarantee their spot on the 2023 Olympia stage, as the deadline is October 9. This year’s Olympia competition will occur from November 2-5 in Orlando, Florida. 

Even though the 2023 season is winding down, there are still plenty of athletes to get excited about. Charles “The Definition” Griffen and Justin Rodriguez are two frontrunners for gold, though the lineup is stacked with other threats looming such as John Jewett, Vitor Boff, Mokhamed El Emam, Jan Turek, and Dorian Haywood. 

Find the full lineup and a comprehensive preview below: 

2023 Legion Sports Fest Pro Men’s Open Roster 

• Mokhamed El Emam
• Stephen Frazier
• Kenneth Jackson
• Chad Merchant
• Johan Rico Rivas
• Logan Robson
• Steve D. Thayer
• Vitor Boff
• Lewis Breed
• Charles Griffen
• Dorian Haywood
• Martin Hernandez
• John Jewett
• Darius Milton
• Manolakas Nikitas-Sotrius
• Jossue Plascencia
• Denis Reinhold
• Justin Rodriguez
• Joel Thomas
• Jan Turek
• Eric Wood

2023 Legion Sports Fest Pro Men’s Open Competitors To Watch 

Charles Griffen 

After an astounding 2022 season, which saw him pick up a victory at the 2022 California State Pro, Griffen is looking to bounce back from his latest offering at Olympia last December. While some thought he was overlooked, Griffen landed in 14th place against a stacked lineup that saw Hadi Choopan come out on top. 

Instead of making a quick return, Griffen used his time to make improvements, specifically to his chest and legs — and it appears the time was well spent. Heading into the final Men’s Open qualifier of the season, Griffen plans to win this event and ride that momentum into Orlando, Florida in less than one month. If he is successful this weekend, it would be a major feat considering he recently dealt with a nasty pec tear. 

Dorian Haywood

Dorian Haywood is another name to keep a close eye on this weekend. His active schedule, work ethic, and striated arms/shoulders always give him the illusion of looking much bigger than some of his opponents on stage. Haywood gave it his best shot at the super-competitive 2023 Europa Pro a few weeks ago but slotted in a ninth-place finish. 

With enough muscle volume and dry conditioning, fans aren’t counting out Haywood ahead of his next appearance. Given his natural ability to command the stage, Haywood plans to leave no doubt with the judges in Reno, Nevada. 

John Jewett 

Jewett, a proven talent in the IFBB Pro League, intends to make a statement. Riding high off his major win at the 2023 Lenda Murray Atlanta Pro in July, Jewett plans to use his conditioning, shape, and balance to steal the show in Nevada, though he will be competing as an Open class talent in this event. 

Expressing excitement about peak week, Jewett has continued to fill out his frame for the Men’s Open and fans see him as a deserving contender heading into the first weekend of October. 

Justin Rodriguez 

Unlike Justin Rodriguez’s 2022 season, he has competed in far fewer events this year. Last year, Rodriguez battled at this show, though he narrowly took second place behind Tonio Burton. When it was time to step on the Olympia stage, Rodriguez finished one spot below Charles Griffen in 15th place. 

Rodriguez has remained one of the best in the world for years now and if he brings an undeniable level of conditioning and fullness, his freak factor is hard to compete against. Fans look forward to seeing if J-Rod can qualify for Olympia yet again with a stellar performance this weekend. 

Vitor Boff 

Vitor Boff is back in action. Always up for a challenge, Boff will look to assert his name among a crop of hungry contenders. Boff’s conditioning, shape, and huge legs are some of his best weapons, which he’s used to find success over an impressive tenure. 

Boff last competed at the 2023 Sheru Classic France, won by UK’s Nathan De Asha. While Boff looked to have made improvements to his physique, he ended the show in seventh place, respectively. Should he enter this competition shredded to the bone, fans believe it could be his night. 

Mokhamed El Emam 

Even though fans haven’t seen Emam on stage in a few years, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t maintained a world-caliber physique. Emam’s back could easily hang on the Mr. Olympia stage and with proper posing and conditioning, he could walk away as champion this weekend. 

Mokhamed El Emam last competed in 2021 at the Arnold Classic, where he picked up seventh-place honors. Considering the time he’s had to improve his build, he remains one of the biggest wild cards heading into the last Open qualifier of the year. 

Jan Turek

With a bullet-proof lower body, Jan Turek plans to cement himself as a title contender in just a few days. Unfortunately, his performance at the recent 2023 Europa Pro Championships didn’t go quite as planned, as he finished in eighth place. Looking ahead, Turek is confident that his abilities on stage have only gotten better in recent months. 

He is growing with each passing show and with more posing refinement, he could be in the driver’s seat for gold if he catches his opponents slipping. Turek has very few weaknesses and enters this event as one to watch. 

Prize Money Structure 

The second part of the event will be held on Sunday, October 8th, and will showcase the IFBB Pro Open Championship with a remarkable cash prize of $83,500. The championship event will feature several categories including IFBB Pro Open Bodybuilding, Bikini, Classic Physique, Fitness, Figure, Men’s Physique, Wellness, and Women’s Physique.

Cash Purse Breakdown:

• Bodybuilding: $20,000
• Bikini: $8,500
• Classic Physique: $3,500
• Fitness: $3,500
• Figure: $3,500
• Men’s Physique: $33,500
• Wellness: $3,500
• Women’s Physique: $3,500

2023 Legion Sports Fest Pro Classic Physique Roster

• Greg O. Larson
• Scott Sheeran
• Logan Franklin
• Kekoa Godfrey
• Jacob Graham
• Jorge Herrera
• Kyron Holden
• Michael Lopez
• Jerark Toribio Perez
• Terrence Ruffin
• Lucas Di Santi
• Bryant Smith
• Wilfredo Victoria
• Kellen Wilson

2023 Legion Sports Fest Pro Men’s Physique Roster

• Louis Caruso
• Kenyon Leno
• David Merrill
• Sharif Reid
• Critelli Ortiz Scatolini
• Robert Williams
• Aslan Abdullayer
• Jamal Everette
• Andre Ferguson
• Reuben Glass
• Hossein Karimi
• Roberto Lima
• Jeffrey Robbins
• Tyler Smith
• Jimmie Stewart
• Serge Victor
• Rocco De Villiers
• Erin Banks

2023 Legion Sports Fest Pro Fitness Roster

• Danielle Chikeles
• Heather Coscia
• Danielle Delikat
• Andrea Glass
• Corina Harkelroad
• Taylor Learmont
• Kristin Pope
• Trishanti Rocke
• Kayla Rossi
• Jenny Worth

2023 Legion Sports Fest Pro Figure Roster

• Stephanie Caldwell
• Jennifer Delgado-Martin
• Brooke Foley
• Stephanie Koerber
• Morgan Martin-Jarred
• Spomenka Miller-Stanic
• Kathryn M. Morrissey
• Jessica Reyes Padilla
• Rori Ross
• Missy Sandeman
• Lacy Schlimmer
• Stacey Steiner
• Desiree Alferes
• Tatiana Altergod-Alerborn
• Kaylee Essers
• Claudia Garcia
• Sophie Jenkins
• Jennifer Johnson
• Daniella Means
• Nathalie Nichols
• Erika Phillips
• Tamika Robinson
• Shelace Shoemaker
• Christine Stearns
• Aksana Yukhno

2023 Legion Sports Fest Pro Bikini Roster

• Christine Barnum
• Nikia Hovey
• Jill Humphrey
• Huong Mai
• Shannon Showalter
• Katie Zaslove
• Erika Devera
• Hikaru Sarah Dundore
• Shiho Fukuda
• Marioly Galarza
• Aisha Kaipova
• Lena Okanovic
• Lacy Rutland
• Courtney Walton
• Tianna Weymouth

2023 Legion Sports Fest Pro Women’s Physique Roster 

• Tia Douglass
• Farrah Faulkner
• Cynthia Marks
• Suzan Oktay
• Natalia Spierings
• Marcela Corona
• Fay Simone Ellis
• Jennifer Erhardt
• Lenka Ferencukova
• Susan Graham
• Tina Mauer Guadarrama
• JiHye Lee
• Jodi Marchuck
• Julia Monroe
• Katie Nyland
• Brooke Pighin
• Michelle Polanik
• Anna-Lena Prinz
• Laura Pyszora
• Rachel Reid
• Diana Schnaidt
• Christina Siegrist
• Paola Viveros
• Ayana Ward
• Heidi Worrell-Osborne

2023 Legion Sports Fest Pro Wellness Roster 

• Maria Borisch
• Rian Choi
• Tracy Eden
• Christine Ford
• HyeYoon Kim
• Madison Luna
• Rosa Benadero Munoz
• Teresa Myers
• Jasmine Payne
• Natasha Peay
• Elena Sandaevskaia
• Tammy Sievers
• Sina Maria Teresa
• Victoria Reyes Villa
• Simara Walter
• Jennifer Zollars

RELATED: 212’s John Jewett Shares Ripped Update 10 Weeks from Open Debut at 2023 Legion Sports Fest Pro 

The Men’s Open winner to walk away victorious in Reno, Nevada will have the chance to prove himself against the sport’s best in less than four weeks at the prestigious 2023 Mr. Olympia competition, where the reigning champion Hadi Choopan awaits…

Stay on top of the latest fitness news and updates by adding Fitness Volt to your Google News feed: You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for even more content.