Who Will Win The 2025 IFBB Tampa Pro? – IronMag Bodybuilding & Fitness Blog

by Christian Duque

It seems everybody’s talking about the 2025 Tampa Pro as there are more than 15 great competitors competing from all over the world. This is by far one of the top bodybuilding shows in the world and the fans do not want to miss a second of it. As the Olympia in October approaches, there are still many competitors that have not qualified. There are some big names competing here including Jon Delarosa, who comes in as a defending champion. We also have Lionel Beyeke of France, who hasn’t competed in two years and hasn’t done very much in the last five years. John Jewett is also in the mix; as a successful crossover from the 212. Many pundits are looking closely at him. A lot of Patrick Moore fans are enthused to see their favorite bodybuilder in the mix. Other recognizable names include Justin Shier, Bruno Santos, Britain’s Stuart Sutherland – or “Beef Stu” as he’s known by his Instagram handle.

There are some other pretty big names in the lineup and there’s no shortage of talent at this competition. Promoter Tim Gardner always pulls out all the stops and has tremendous production value. The pecking order of shows as we know is the Olympia at the top, followed by the Arnold Classic, and then the New York Pro. After that it really is up for debate. What’s the next big show in the pecking order? I would say the Tampa Pro and the Chicago Pro are more or less neck in neck for that fourth place spot. And that is a huge honor given how many professional shows there are around the world. I think that whoever walks away from Tampa with the win, will have tremendous bragging rights. And with the close proximity to the O they will be in the conversation moving forward. That being said, there is no surefire favorite in my opinion.

Nick Miller, the most popular YouTuber, seems to think that John Jewett is the favorite. I certainly give him his props. He came from the 212 and competed in the open placing Top 11 in the world. Honestly the Olympia Top 6 is the gold standard, but being one spot shy of the top 10 for a former 212 guy is pretty impressive. In addition to that, John is a conditioning freak. In an era when guys come in puffy and watery, to have a guy that understands the value of coming in shredded and peeling to the bone, that’s very important. I think that John is not afraid of the fact that he has to give up some inches in height or some pounds in weight, because he understands the value that his physique brings to the stage. He’s also a guy that knows how to pose hard and he doesn’t take a backward step to anyone. That being said, I don’t know that I would necessarily call him a favorite. I thinkJon Delarosa may have that distinction in the bag.

At 41 years of age Jon has been overlooked for much of his career. I for one think that he has all the goods necessary to win the title again. I think that he is a competitor that works hard for everything and has been given very little. I also think that he’s got a phenomenal coach in his corner that understands exactly how his physique works. That’s very important because sometimes the unexpected can occur. In fact , that can occur quite a bit in the sport of bodybuilding. There are a lot of variables at play. There’s water retention, cortisol levels, there are also ways that the body reacts to certain macronutrients. Sometimes a competitor could respond adversely to carbs when they never have before. You need to have a real guru in your corner in order to roll with the punches. There are many coaches out there, but there are few gurus that can really truly lay claim to that distinction. Patrick Tuor is definitely a guy that I would consider a guru among coaches. Jon is coming for the win. Maybe John stops him – maybe he doesn’t.

Another guy that I have got to give love to is Lionel Beyeke from France. Lionel is special because I always thought he was going to be Mr Olympia. He had everything necessary to be the best bodybuilder in the world. If Lionel had the conditioning of John Jewett he would have won at least one Sandow. But if my aunt had stones, she would be my uncle.

Basically you are dealt the hand you’re dealt. Unless you are an absolute workhorse like a Branch Warren, then you’re not going to rise to the top. And why do I mention Branch? Because Branch really doesn’t have the best aesthetics but he worked his ass off and he created a physique that saw him go all the way to runner-up at the Olympia and to win the Arnold Classic. The fact of the matter is Branch did not accept what he had to work with. He far exceeded expectations and he was able to create something very special. I don’t want to throw any shade at Lionel because he is also a very hard worker. That said, back in the days that I was working for RX and writing Muscle In The Morning, Beyeke took a lot of abuse. He was often accused of not working hard enough. Many pundits and fans could be pretty hard on him. Like I said, many people saw him as a future Mr O and it frustrated them to no end that he always came up short.

For what it’s worth could you imagine if Lionel walked away with the win in Tampa? Ten years ago, he was definitely in the conversation. I agree wholeheartedly with Nick Miller on that point. Back then he was competing at the biggest shows in the world and holding his own. As recently as 2018 he placed Top 6 at the Arnold Classic in Columbus Ohio. As I recall there was an Arnold Classic Brazil that he almost won as well. I think for that show, the politics of it all kept him from the winner’s circle. Again, I don’t know if this guy can do it in 2025, but I do know that for somebody that has the structural components to be Mr O it really comes down to heart. If Lionel wants to come in the best condition of his career – he could win. The question is how badly does he want it? And why is he competing now? What got him into this particular competition? Because Tampa is not an easy show and If he was looking for easy qualification I could name at least a half a dozen other shows that he could have competed at where he would have had a far better chance of an easy win. The fact that a guy comes out of obscurity or semi-retirement to compete at a tough show like this, can only mean one of two things. One, ne he didn’t know any better, or two, he has something to prove. If it’s the latter, everybody had better watch out because this guy could most definitely give everyone a run for their money.

I don’t always agree with Nick Miller and I don’t always agree with a lot of the other pundits, but I will tell you that if Lionel could pull off the upset, it would be utterly insane. Most people have written him off, however. Some people look at it as though he hasn’t done anything in the last 5 years and as a result that kills any chance he has of winning.

i, on the other hand, believe that Beyeke’s body has been able to rest and has not been pushed to the limit as so many other competitors’ physiques have been. It would be different if he had been competing non-stop for the last 10, 11, or 12 years since his heyday. Instead it seems like he has found Christianity, spent more time focusing on things off the stage, and may be coming back totally rejuvenated. Therefore when some of the talking heads point to the fact that he’s 44 years of age I don’t really put too much importance into that. Look at Kai Greene, for example. Kai hasn’t competed in almost a decade so I wouldn’t really hold his age against him, either. That’s a big reason why the comeback danger of The Predators return always seems to haunt whatever lineup is being discussed. That is because although he kept the size and the condition, he did not have to endure the rigors of active competition. He has not had to go through peak weeks, he has not had to hit the diuretics hard, he has not had to deal with the stresses of active competition, and he’s doing this whole thing for fun. Therefore some, like myself, argue that Kai Greene is as dangerous in 2025 as he was in 2016. I mean we saw what happened with William Bonac, right? The guy took an entire year off and came back sharper than ever. It was just what the doctor ordered, figuratively speaking. So who knows if these last few years of rest and relaxation will bode well for Beyeke?

As the Tampa Pro gets underway between July 31st and August 2nd, the entire world of bodybuilding will be tuned into this phenomenal event. My pick to win is Jon Delarosa, but I have Lionel Beyeke and John Jewett in the mix, as well. If Jon wins it that’ll be a great feather in his cap. If John wins it, that will be a high point of his resume. If Lionel wins the competition that would be headline news all over the world. Jaws would drop and the entire venue would probably go radio silent. Could you imagine if this was his first and only pro win? That would give everybody a shot of adrenaline like no other. But maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part. Maybe the odds of that are all but impossible, but hey if you’re a betting man, you either bet big or go home. You know what I mean? Lol.

As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my article here at IronMag. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. It will definitely generate lively conversation.