Last weekend the Romania Pro delivered one of the most exciting regular-season events that bodybuilding fans have seen all year long and now, less than twenty-four away from the EVLS Prague Pro, once again, some of the biggest stars in the pro league are set to take the stage for, what should be, another wild weekend.
“Samson Dauda is the most dangerous man in the IFBB Pro League.” - Terrick El Gundy
Once again, Samson Dauda headlines the Men’s Open lineup, as he looks to keep the momentum going following last weekend’s big win, where he bested a handful of athletes who he’ll be sharing the stage with again in Prague. Unfortunately for bodybuilding fans, once again, they will not have a chance to see Behroz Tabani onstage tomorrow. Earlier this week Tabani’s team announced that he was unable to travel due to visa issues, which is a narrative that has become all to familiar for Tabani fans over the last two seasons, when he’s been plagued by a seemingly endless array of visa problems.
However, the Men’s Open lineup could very well end up having an addition by subtraction this weekend, with the return of Michal Krizo, who took nearly a full week off after securing a hard fought top 7 finish at the Mr. Olympia.
Ashkanani vs Zagarella Round 2
Whereas there was no doubt about Samson Dauda’s clearcut path to victory at the Romania Pro, last weekend’s decision that saw 4th place Olympia finisher Ahmed Ashkanani skate by eventual 2nd place finisher Christian Zagarella in the 212 division certainly felt like it was anything but a consensus decision in the eyes of most bodybuilding fans.
Under the rules of the new Olympia qualification system, last weekend’s win secured Ashkanani’s invitation back to the Mr. Olympia stage in 2024, which may take some of the pressure as he heads into his third consecutive event. However, although it’s Ashkanani who’s heading into the weekend riding a hot streak on the judge’s scorecards, it’s Zagarella who stands to gain the most if he’s able to slide into the winner’s circle here because, not only would it give him redemption for last weekend’s runner up finish, it would also earn him his own invitation to the 2024 Mr. Olympia weekend, which could turn out to be a tremendous advantage in the run-up to his Olympia prep. 
