This was the second Grand Prix Chemical Nutrition had put on and was a much much bigger success than last year. Managing Directors Kerry Kayes and 6 time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates as well as all the Chemical gang really pulled together and put on an ultra-professional job.

From the staging, to the lighting, to the endless running around by all the many helpers, every effort was made to insure all the pros got the star treatment and it was even overheard that competitor Gunter Schlierkamp was overall more impressed by this show than the Olympia!

With the English Grand Prix becoming the pro show with the fifth largest prize money and the faultless organization by Chemical, my only question is why did most of the pros not turn up ? ‘Allegedly' Flex Wheeler was in hospital seriously ill but I've heard that one before (Shit, I'm in trouble if he was !) then there's ‘professional' Kevin Levrone, my favorite bodybuilder on the planet, who had lost his passport. I thought that was bullshit as well but I was told that Flex Editor Peter McGough was trying to sort it out but was refused as this was the fourth time in the past few years that Kevin had done this.

Doh!

Kevin, buddy, sort it out mate, your job description is ‘professional bodybuilder' and yes you certainly look like one and then some, but start acting like one ! Can low carbs really affect the brain this badly ? Hmm...

So no Flex, no Levrone, no Nasser, no Priest, but did it really matter ? I don't think so as the guys that did turn up looked even better than they did at the Olympia, so who cares ? The atmosphere was electric, Ronnie was there looking like he had landed on the wrong planet (Shit, is there anyone who even comes close ?) and throw in a few of the best of the new British pros and you will have a guaranteed awesome show.

The absolute highlight for everyone must have been the posedown at the end. Imagine this…6 of the world's top bodybuilders in the posedown, the crowd going totally ballistic ( including me ) then they all proceed to come down off the stage right into the audience posing on people's chairs, hitting most musculars just inches away from your face. You would never ever see that at the Olympia and that was just one of the many things that made this show an unforgettable experience for everyone there. Chemical, thank you for a day that I and everyone there will never forget.

AMATEUR SHOW

As it was last year, the amateur men's show in the morning entitles the winner to not only turn pro that day but also have the chance to compete in the evening show with some of the best pros on the planet. That would be cool, imagine that, amateur in the morning and posing down with Coleman and Ruhl in the evening !!

With ten quality bodybuilders in the category the final four were as follows-

4th – Mark Harris - A new face from Wales with the freaky lower body that when he brings up his upper body will be hard to beat as a middleweight amateur.

3rd – Lee Powell- Still a young guy who has made so many improvements size-wise since his 6th place as a light-heavy at the EFBB British in 1997, if he improves his condition there will be no-one to stop him as an amateur next year. A future pro with masses of potential and a really nice guy if that makes any difference!

2nd - Wayne Tancock- Breathtaking shape, flawless posing and no doubt still riding high after his 3rd place in the heavyweight class at the British Championships just two weeks earlier.

1st – Dennis Francis – Finally a pro card for Dennis who has been hacking away in the EFBB for the last three years coming so close at times. Great balance and excellent condition, he will really need to pack on the pounds to be a threat at pro level but with his symmetry and condition he's already halfway there. Well done Dennis!

THE BIG MUTHAS….THE PROS!

With 16 guys lining up on stage to do battle it instantly appeared that our Brit's were going to do little to no damage with most guys having been in top condition for many weeks, it was no wonder. The reality really set in when I was backstage with the British guys seeing how they were looking when Ruhl and Dennis James walks in...

Game over...

Almost as though these guys are a different species altogether, the mind boggles when you wonder what these guys are doing so differently and also how fast the American pros are progressing.

Then Ronnie came down and a room full of jaws dropped to the floor ! Inspirational yet also very traumatizing at the same time for a moment I seriously considered taking up another interest, stamp collecting perhaps?

Jeez!

Pete Brown, Gary Lister, Marcus Ruhl

In 13th place was Britain's great hope Gary Lister. This placing, although fully deserved, was not the same Gary Lister that had controversially taken second at the Nabba Pro Universe just a few weeks earlier. Having been in top condition for so many weeks at first the Universe, then the EFBB qualifier, then the British, then here, Gary just looked flat and lifeless when he posed. Especially when stood next to Marcus Ruhl in the line-up, you could see how much he had lost over the weeks. If in top shape he could well have been the highest placed Brit, but Gary is a true hardcore iron warrior and never says die, he'll be back then you'll all be shocked!

Ronnie Coleman and Mike King (editors note*sorry Giles I must disagree, I am looking at this pic and laughing....Mike King looks like the Teen Nationals winner standing next to Ronnie)

12th was this years first ever overall middleweight British champion, Mike King. Mike looked brilliant and you would think coming out straight after Ronnie Coleman he'd be laughed at, well, he didn't. Okay, he probably weighed as much as Ronnie's leg, but this guy has a quality and thickness especially in his incredible lower body that just screams to be looked at, Coleman or no Coleman. Back and biceps is what he now needs to finish everything off nicely, then he'll get more than a look in next time. Oh yeah, forgot to mention those amazing abs, freaky!

11th place Steve Creighton

11th was Steve Creighton from Scotland. Quite amazing how anyone can get so hard time after time, this wasn't what Steve deserved, he should have been much much higher. Everyone in the audience clung to their seats in anticipation when Steve received a symmetry callout with Gunther and Orville Burke, then with Marcus Ruhl ! If that's not an indication you're going to get the nod for a top placing then I'm confused. However, Steve had a great routine, great symmetry, totally shredded legs with the deepest separations imaginable. At 205lbs this was lighter than we're used to seeing Steve as he normally competes at around ten pounds heavier, so maybe he over-dieted and could have come in fuller, but what he lost in size he sure gained in quality. Dorian's help the last few weeks saw to that I'm sure. Still, Muscletech must have thought he was pretty good as after the show, along with fellow brit Dennis Francis, was flown off to Canada for photo-shoots with photographers like Alex Ardenti ( THE best ! ) and given a contract with Muscletech, so it wasn't such a bad weekend after all.

10th was potential monster Gustavo Badell. Last year at the Grand Prix he was massive and out of condition, this year however saw a vast improvement and was much sharper. But ! He stills needs to be a lot tighter especially in the legs otherwise all that potential will be wasted. He has the size, he has a great shape as well so we'll see next year if Kerry's recent advice will make any significant difference.In 9th was Temple Gym's Tommy Thorvildsen. A future star in the making with all the ingredients necessary to become one of the all time greats, I'm confused about something…Last year at this show Tommy did the guest spot and was utterly shredded with back shots that would certainly have helped him into the top 6 beating many big names. This year, he's bigger but nowhere near in the same kind of condition. This placing was a gift, but if he'd have been in shape he could have placed as high as 7th ! 8th was Dennis Francis. A good placing for Dennis.

7th place Pete Brown (editors note* He needs to back off of the synthol) 7th place went to Pete Brown. Having looked really impressive guest posing at the British Championships a couple of weeks earlier, I was expecting big things for Pete. But something went wrong and he came in massive yes, but not quite as sharp which was a shame. Ahhh, who cares though, the guy's got more thickness than just about anyone and when you've got arms that look as though they'll explode if they get any bigger everything else doesn't seem so bad!

Now you're talking...

Orville Burke from the rear

Dennis James and Orville Burke Go Toe To Toe

Marcus Ruhl, Orville Burke and Ronnie Coleman

Jay Cutler, Orville Burke and Dennis James

In 6th place was genetic freak Orville Burke. I've been looking forward to seeing Orville ever since I saw the pics of the Night Of Champions and after hearing Eddie Abbew's ( Eddie came 9th in the NOC ) amusing story of how he went up to Orville backstage and said, ‘Those aren't legs'….deadly silence, a cold hard stare from Orville, ‘they're tree trunks !' Laughs all round…But anyway, he lived up to the hype and how ! The freakiest front double biceps with lats that come off his body as right angles and huge shredded quads that simply freaked me out. Standing relaxed next to Coleman they don't look a mile apart, I'm serious, this guy is going to take some beating in the next few years. Oh yeah, his placing was bullshit as well...

Marcus Ruhl 5th place

Markus hits a front lat spread....the only man on stage that can match Coleman in size

Is this the freakiest Most Muscular of all time?

Ruhl side chest....nuff said

5th went to the superfreak of the century, Marcus Ruhl. Backstage at the registration he walked past me and even clothed he's probably the most massive human being I've ever seen and that's in contest condition ! Whooahhh ! This guy takes bodybuilding to a whole new level with the scariest amounts of muscle mass imaginable. In this past year, Marcus has really brought up his weaknesses like his hamstrings, his triceps and the thickness in his lats, all he desperately requires now is more detail from the back. He'd obviously lost condition overall from the Olympia the week before but I couldn't care less, the man isn't human and the crowd went mental for him as much as they did for Ronnie. I just hope he doesn't go the way physique-wise of Jean Pierre Fux and lose all his shape. One criticism is his posing, out he comes to the beginning of his routine to a class Metallica track, heavy and hard, perfect for this guy's physique, yeahh. Then, into the wussiest, girliest music you could imagine, I could have cried. Marcus please...

Gunther Schlierkamp......4th place, but no way should he have beaten Marcus Ruhl!

4th place was given to Gunther Schlierkamp. I'm not sure what to say on this guy other than I was impressed, he's a big, big guy, must weigh close to 280lbs and he was in reasonable condition. Hard in the legs and soft in the back with great posing, there's not much else to say but no way should he have placed fourth! 6th would have been more like it.

Dennis James: 3rd place

Most Muscular...Dennis James style

...and a side chest shot

Cutler, James and Coleman

In 3rd was future superpro Dennis James. No forget that, he already is a superpro looking like this. Totally complete and faultless condition, shape, posing, this guy kicks ass and I heard others and himself remark that he was much better than the previous weeks Olympia. Dennis now has himself another fan, it was so close deciding between him and Jay Cutler for second. Dennis was harder from the back but Jay was better from the front. This guy is class pure and simple. Respect!

Jay Cutler...vastly improved since the Mr. Olympia

Jay Cutler...Most Muscular

Rear Lat Spread Cutler Style.....

2nd went to this years Night Of Champions winner Jay Cutler. The first guy out onstage, everyone was stunned! I've never seen anyone with striations in his quads like these, totally unreal. Kerry told me that he had lost 12 pounds in the past week from the Olympia and didn't it show ! When you see Jay on his own you can't imagine anyone ever beating him, from every angle the guy's just got it all. I have a funny feeling that the best is still yet to come from this guy, with age very much on his side I truly believe that he'll win the Olympia one day. Well, when Ronnie get's bored and retires that is!

1st place: Ronnie Coleman....is he beatable?

Look at the size of this guys freaking legs!!

When Ronnie turns around....Shows Over!!

Although it's over from the front as well.

Amazing....simply amazing....Ronnie hits a rear lat spread

Chalk up another win in the Coleman column......

In my opinion, this is the most impressive pic of Coleman I have ever seen....The man's thickness is fucking astounding.....Could an all time best Dorian have beaten him?

Ronnie, Ronnie, Ronnie!! What can you say about this amazing bodybuilder that just as Dorian did in 1993 has now taken the sport to a whole new level. What amazes me is that at times Ronnie almost looked soft when he stood relaxed, then he would flex and bam ! Detail everywhere, veins, separation, sinew, just masses of rock hard freaky beef from head to toe. You think you've seen ripped glutes? Forget it, this man rewrites the book. You think you've seen arms, quads, hamstrings that show separation even from the side? Ronnie's the man, that's all I'm prepared to say on the matter, subject closed. Refer to photographs for visual proof and look out for him on the X-Files.. Wow...