2023 Ben Weider Naturals Pro Predictions
The 2023 Ben Weider Naturals Pro/Am show will be held on the weekend of Nov. 17-18 at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center in Alexandria, VA. This show used to be a Canadian tradition, but promoter Ron Hache and Gary Udit have joined forces in recent years to host it in the shadows of the US Capitol of Washington, D.C.
This pro show is for natural athletes only, but winners for most divisions will still qualify for the 2024 Olympia. The only exceptions are Men’s and Women’s Open bodybuilding. Amateurs that turn pro in the amateur shows will also be eligible to compete in the pro shows. The Men’s Open event only has one athlete competing as of this writing, but the predictions for the other divisions are below.
Men’s Open
- Eric Salazar
212 Bodybuilding
- Peter Boncardo
- Keiva Bundy
This will be a matchup of two Canadian competitors, and it will be a toss-up. We literally tossed a coin on this one and it landed on heads, meaning we will call Peter Boncardo to take the win here.
Classic Physique
- DeVon Causey
- Han Jin Choi
- Prince Emeka
- Greg Grant
- Chuck Mauceri
- Jamie LeRoyce McTizic
- Mahdi Parvani
- John Puskaric
- Jesse Valencia Jr.
- Stephen Webley
- Lenny Wicks
- Kim Chan Young
The Classic Physique show will feature 12 men if no new pros jump in, and we see 2022 champion Lenny Wicks retaining his title here. Watch for Canadian Prince Emeka and Chuck Mauceri to finish in the top three, however.
- Lenny Wicks
- Chuck Mauceri
- Prince Emeka
Men’s Physique
- Ikenna Amaliri
- Luther Bradford
- Chien-Hsin Chen
- Dennis Dogbatse
- Frank Griffin
- Kadeem Hillman
- Tyler James
- Dev Maxwell
- Cedric Miller
- Mitchell Moss
- Ahmad Mustafa
- Toby Owen
- Timothy Robertson
- Torre Washington
- Jamar Watkins
- Michael Williams
- Hyung Jae Woo
The largest men’s lineup is in Men’s Physique, and it has three of the top five from 2022 back in the lineup. Chien-Hsin Chen was runner-up to Long Wu one year ago, but we think he will take the top spot this time around. Torre Washington and Toby Owen will also improve on their finishes from one year ago.
- Chien-Hsin Chen
- Torre Washington
- Toby Owen
Women’s Physique
- Andrea Alonso
- Jehina Malik
- Lee Ann Thompson
- Janessa Roy
This is a whole new roster for Women’s Physique, and we don’t know if a new pro will jump in or not. Lee Ann Thompson qualified as a pro in the 2022 Ben Weider amateur show, and she’s making her pro debut here. We’ll take her for the win in her 2023 appearance as well.
- Lee Ann Thompson
- Jehina Malik
- Andrea Alonso
Fitness
- Ellie Ambs
- Abby Bolton
- Rosie Burr
- Ashley Downes
- Michelle Gales
- Andrea Glass
- Aurika Tyrgale
Abby Bolton and Michelle Gales were second and third, respectively last year, and we think they could be in the top three again this year. Aurika Tyrgale will be in this show, which could be the most competitive out of all nine divisions featured. We will take the Canadian for the victory and Olympia qualification.
- Abby Bolton
- Aurika Tyrgale
- Michelle Gales
Figure
- Shanice Abrams
- Rose Black
- Rebecca Coons
- Shea Crotty
- Florencia Hunt
- Jennifer Johnson
- Sierra Jones
- Chelsea Mooney
- Michelle Soares
- Amy Harris Willock
It’s hard to predict against Shanice Abrams’ Olympia experience, so we must take her for the win here, but we do have three Canadians in the lineup, and two of them (Chelsea Mooney and Michelle Soares) can lock up top three spots.
- Shanice Abrams
- Michelle Soares
- Chelsea Mooney
Bikini
- Leslie Billups
- Anais Biron
- Lizzy Cunningham
- Hikaru Sarah Dundore
- Toniesha Gaddis
- Shaneeka Harmonson
- Emily Olivia Harper Hemming
- Janine Herrera
- Cassie Hunter
- Milene Lingiardi
- Jennifer Lynch
- Larissa Midkiff
- Kasie L. Rodriguez
- Africa Sanz
- Brittany Shulman
- Annabel Da Silva
- Biana Van Wyk
- Flora Wang
- Noel Zayour
2022 winner Maia Gordon is not in the lineup this year, so we will have a new champion. 2022 third-place finisher Leslie Billups is back, and we got her as the favorite for Bikini. Flora Wang will make a big jump from fifth to second, we think.
- Leslie Billups
- Flora Wang
- Janine Herrera
Wellness
- Carie Bradshaw
- Mizel Cataquiz
- Katharine Yu Huimin
- Dalila Kindermann
- Chenqi Liu
- Maria Rita Penteado
- Cara Schorn
- Alisha Sturkie
Dalila Kinderman is the highest finisher from 2022 in this show. She was third one year ago. Mizel Cataquiz can make this an interesting showdown, but Kinderman won’t be denied for the win. Joining them in the top three will be Cara Schorn.
- Dalila Kinderman
- Mizel Cataquiz
- Cara Schorn
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