NPC Worldwide Physique Pro Natural Classic Results – September 26, 2026

NPC Worldwide's Physique Pro Natural Classic ran on 26th September 2026 alongside the Open Classic, with a full card spanning Bodybuilding, Classic Physique, Men's Physique, Women's Physique, Figure, Wellness, Fit Model and Bikini. Jordan Long took the overall Men's Bodybuilding title, Divine Nwankwo topped Classic Physique, Ahmed Salih claimed Men's Physique, Seren Cooper won Figure, Melissa Hubbard took Wellness, Alice Swale claimed Fit Model, and Chelsea Richardson took overall Bikini.

Men's Bodybuilding

True Novice

1 Suffian Zubair
2 Matthew O'halloran
3 Jordan Shay
4 Joshua Alleyne
5 Archie Hughes-West

Novice

1 Joe Curle

Junior

1 Solomon El-Shirbiny
2 Oban Smith-Hume
3 Ryan Rich

Masters Over 35

1 Suffian Zubair

Open Middleweight

1 Tyrone Dean
2 Aleksandar Velizarov
3 Marius Licurici
4 Joe Curle
5 Zac Edwards
6 Archie Hughes-West

Open Light Heavyweight

1 Jordan Long
2 Harry Cosgrove
3 Jordan Shay
NS Callum Nurthen

2Bros Open Light Heavyweight and Overall winner Jordan Long

Open Heavyweight

1 Theo Golaub
2 Joshua Alleyne

Men's Classic Physique

True Novice

1 Taylor Hine
2 Edward Stock

Novice

1 Edward Stock
2 Caleb Walker
3 Lorenzo Uccheddu

Junior

1 Oban Smith-Hume
2 Alex Abbott

Masters Over 40

1 Ade Rufus

Open Class A

1 Tyrone Dean
2 Alireza Naghdisedeh
3 Zac Edwards
4 Biraj Joshi

Open Class B

1 Tyvon Brown
2 Alessandro Mammone
3 Ishmael Bawumia
4 Michael Ampofo-Anti
5 Mikie Carle
6 Lorenzo Uccheddu

Open Class C

1 Divine Nwankwo
2 Herakles Azika
3 Marcus Adeniran
4 Ade Rufus
5 David Sutton
6 Edward Stock
7 Caleb Walker
8 Taylor Hine

Open Class D

1 Mikhail Johnson
2 Ololade Olajide
3 Rhys James Lloyd

Men's Physique

True Novice

1 Roman Filipchuk
2 Aaron Arrellano

Novice A

1 Jatinder Sidhu
2 Roman Filipchuk
3 Aaron Arrellano

Novice B

1 Andre Tofts
2 Maks Bogdalski
3 Jordan Mckie

Masters Over 40

1 Kareem Elsorafy

Open Class A

1 Jatinder Sidhu
2 Aaron Arrellano

Open Class B

1 Gabriel Onojobi

Open Class C

1 Olufemi Kusimo

Open Class D

1 Ahmed Salih (below)
2 Aaron Bailey
3 Olivian Hritcu
4 Kareem Elsorafy

2Bros Men's Physique Open Class D and Overall winner Ahmed Salih

Open Class E

1 Maks Bogdalski
2 Ravi Rawji

Open Class F

1 Will Exton
2 Ollie Shennan
3 Andre Tofts

Women's Physique

True Novice

1 Shoma Seeruttun

Masters Over 40

1 Shoma Seeruttun

Women's Figure

True Novice

1 Deborah Murphy
2 Mira Mau

Novice

1 Ariane Hine

Masters Over 50

1 Michelle Lawrence

Open Class B

1 Deborah Murphy

Open Class C

1 Laura Wilkinson
2 Harriet Devaney
3 Amy Page

Open Class D

1 Seren Cooper
2 Michelle Lawrence
3 Ariane Hine
4 Mira Mau

Women's Wellness

True Novice

1 Mia Bocquillon
2 Maria Costanza Katsaros

2Bros Wellness Novice and Overall winner Melissa Hubbard

Novice

1 Melissa Hubbard (above)
2 Bethany Ralph

Open Class A

1 Carmen Madonna
2 Denisa Avramescu
3 Lauren Barton

Open Class B

1 Olivia Graham
2 Lauren Dexter
3 Ebun Rashidah Ani-Agbaje
4 Cara Jones

Open Class C

1 Melissa Hubbard
2 Bethany Ralph

Open Class D

1 Eudoxie Mutombo-Cartier

Women's Fit Model

True Novice

1 Naomi Collins
2 Emmie Fox
3 Georgia Frost
4 Laura Bosah-Reece

Novice A

1 Valeria Muntean
2 Georgia Frost

Novice B

1 Laura Bosah-Reece

Junior

1 Emmie Fox

Masters Over 35

1 Hidefer Blatch

Masters Over 40

1 Aneta Szafranska
2 Carrianne Ward

Masters Over 45

1 Sanjeeta Patel
2 Alison Morris

Masters Over 50

1 Alison Morris

Open Class A

1 Ali Zeb Amna Arjmand
2 Aneta Szafranska
3 Georgia Frost

Open Class B

1 Hidefer Blatch

Open Class C

1 Alice Swale
2 Jasmine Burt
3 Naomi Collins
4 Emmie Fox
5 Eleanor Muscat
6 Alison Morris

Open Class D

1 Zsofia Thomas
2 Laura Bosah-Reece

Women's Bikini

True Novice

1 Aria Vince
2 Hui Kei Wu
3 Nadia Anna
4 Elwira Kaczmarek
5 Ella Bayley
6 Shak Townsend
7 Maria Costanza Katsaros

Novice A

1 Lotte Deubel
2 Naomi Doran
3 Amal Alsubaie

Novice B

1 Victoria Wydra

Junior

1 Nadia Anna

Masters Over 40

1 Malgorzata Kasprzycka
2 Shak Townsend

Masters Over 45

1 Juliette Morgan

Masters Over 50

1 Shirley Morrison

Open Class A

1 Denisa Avramescu

Open Class B

1 Hui Kei Wu

Open Class C

1 Nadia Anna

Open Class D

1 Lotte Deubel

Open Class E

1 Chelsea Richardson

Open Class F

1 Victoria Wydra
2 Sian Morgan

Open Class G

1 Zsuzsanna Gabor
2 Jess Andrews
3 Kira Darby

Open Class H

1 Aria Vince
2 Ella Bayley

Overall champions

Men's Bodybuilding Overall: Jordan Long
Men's Classic Physique Overall: Divine Nwankwo
Men's Physique Overall: Ahmed Salih
Women's Figure Overall: Seren Cooper
Women's Wellness Overall: Melissa Hubbard
Women's Fit Model Overall: Alice Swale
Women's Bikini Overall: Chelsea Richardson (below)

2Bros Women's Bikini Overall Chelsea Richardson

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NPC Worldwide Physique Pro Open Classic Results – September 26, 2026

NPC Worldwide's Physique Pro Open Classic ran on 26th September 2026, with a huge card spanning Bodybuilding, Classic Physique, Men's Physique, Women's Physique, Figure, Wellness, Fit Model and Bikini. Matthew Howard took the overall Men's Bodybuilding title, Cameron Cleaver topped Classic Physique, Jordan Richards claimed Men's Physique, Katie Barnes won Women's Physique, Valentina Ecclestone took Figure, Naiara Aparecida Alves Da Silva won Wellness, Alice Swale claimed Fit Model, and Lily Remington took overall Bikini.

Men's Bodybuilding

True Novice

1 Jack Bell
2 Ryan Lane
3 Joshua Mahoney
4 Christian Murray
5 Leon Burgess

Novice

1 Rafal Bentkowski

Junior

1 Jack Bell

Masters Over 40

1 Steven Marzouk
2 Zack Gibson
3 Adam Northover
NS Tom Stephens

Masters Over 50

1 Gary Chappell
2 Jamie O'Neill
3 Brett Smith
4 Leon Burgess

Open Middleweight

1 Kumar Swaminathan

Open Light Heavyweight

1 Connor Launder
2 Jack Doughty
3 Karl Grayston
4 Samuel Benson
5 Jack Earle
6 Lewis Church
7 Joshua Mahoney

2Bros Open Heavyweight and overall winner Matthew Howard

Open Heavyweight

1 Matthew Howard (above)
2 Mahmood Movahed
3 Rafal Bentkowski
4 David Nkomo
5 Laurynas Zaurinis
6 Jack Bell
7 Neil Rennie
8 Ishmael Hudson
9 Adam Northover
10 Andriy Todorenko
11 Awwal Yusuf
12 Ashish Malik

Open Super Heavyweight

1 Thomas Richards
2 James Sabini
3 Soren Valls
4 Craig Madden
5 Luke Rogers
6 Maris Martinsons
7 Hooman Shafieerad
8 Alex Dinev
9 Lewis Hamill
10 Jamie Burman
11 Eimantas Sarpalis
12 Mindaugas Medzius

Men's Classic Physique

True Novice

1 Ryan Lane
2 Ashley Armitage

Novice

1 Gabriel Constante
2 Darren Hill
3 James Overton

Junior

1 Ellis Brown

Masters Over 35

1 Matthew James
2 Jack Buchan

Masters Over 40

1 Luke Layman

Masters Over 50

1 David Seddon

Open Class A

1 Ovidiu Chilibon
2 Tim Landreth
3 Rhys Richards

2Bros Classic Physique Open Class B and Classic overall winner Cameron Cleaver

Open Class B

1 Cameron Cleaver (above)
2 Samuel O'Keeffe
3 Elliot Robinson
4 Dennis Bell
5 Ryan Brambleby
6 Michael Oduwole
7 Gabriel Constante
8 Ben Blades
9 Jacob Morgan
10 Adem Mustafa Kolliari
11 Mike Melladay
12 Darren Hill
13 Morgan Phillips
14 Callum Donnelly

Open Class C

1 Cam Wales
2 Ellis Brown
3 Alfie Davies
4 Joshua King
5 Shervin Shiri

Open Class D

1 Alan Costa
2 Ross Bowley
3 Lewis Barker
4 Kyle Raison
5 Connor Rudelhoff
6 Ramel Singh
7 Timothy Gbadeyan
8 Hugh Marsh
9 Tim Oswin
10 Constantin Rauti
11 Tommy Galpin

Men's Physique

True Novice

1 Jordan Richards
2 Mo Wazeem
3 Nathan Isaac
4 Jack Howe
5 Akshay Rangari
6 Ben Holden
7 Jonathan Goodsell

Novice A

1 Mo Wazeem
2 Tristan Booth

Novice B

1 Ethan Waterhouse
2 Craig Mcnichol

Junior

1 George Webbon
2 Will Fishlock

Masters Over 35

1 Lotan Carter
2 Ahmad Naif
3 Jack Howe
4 Ben Holden
5 Jonathan Goodsell

Masters Over 40

1 Marcus Smith
2 Amadou Ndiaye
3 James Heath
4 Sameer Abdulla
5 Lance Cooper
6 Craig Mcnichol
7 David Leech

Masters Over 50

1 Ufuk Isik

Open Class A

1 Ariyan Aliyan
2 Nkemjika Eka
3 Marcus Smith
4 James Heath
5 Mo Wazeem

Open Class B

1 Nathan Isaac
2 Muhammad Rameez Jaffer
3 Tristan Booth
4 Haris Sherzai
5 Adam Matthews

Open Class C

1 Lotan Carter
2 Patompong Chaiyasat
3 Will Fishlock

Open Class D

1 Jamal Louis-Cort
2 Muhammad Cole
3 Ant Porter
4 Amadou Ndiaye
5 Ty Khoarai
6 Akshay Rangari
7 Finlay Roberts
8 Mohit Mishra
9 Mitchell Fenton

Open Class E

1 John Sanderson

Open Class F

1 Jordan Richards
2 Scott Harrison
3 Ashley Harris
4 Ahmad Naif
5 Ethan Waterhouse
6 Craig Mcnichol
7 Hasan Furkan Tasdemir
8 Daniel Pollard

Women's Bodybuilding

Open

1 Eleonore Vatin
2 Ashley Di-Carlo

Women's Physique

Masters Over 35

1 Sarah Page
2 Claire Johnson

Masters Over 40

1 Susan Delgado

Masters Over 45

1 Elizabeth Helen Genese
2 Susan Delgado

Masters Over 50

1 Diane Manning
2 Daniella Scozzi

Open Class B

1 Katie Barnes
2 Melisa Mulazimovic
3 Sophie Clay

Open Class C

1 Sarah Page
2 Olga Gil

Women's Figure

Novice

1 Tamara Anderson
2 Frankie Connell

Masters Over 40

1 Monika Papiez
2 Georgina Khachadourian

Masters Over 45

1 Carrie Godfrey
2 Georgina Khachadourian

Masters Over 50

1 Amanda Reith
2 Lisa Woodruff
3 Amanda Hillman
4 Deborah Shelton
5 Frankie Connell

Open Class B

1 Katie Barnes
2 Amanda Hillman

2Bros Open Class C and overall winner Valentina Ecclestone

Open Class C

1 Valentina Ecclestone (above)
2 Lindsay Shaw
3 Lisa Kelbie
4 Monika Papiez
5 Emma Matthews

Open Class D

1 Michelle Powell
2 Tamara Anderson
3 Georgina Khachadourian
4 Frankie Connell

Women's Wellness

True Novice

1 Rebecca Mardon

Novice

1 Jamie Louise Loader

Masters Over 40

1 Olivia Wright
2 Jemmineese Ayers

Masters Over 45

1 Emily Coe

Open Class A

1 Tayla Hunter
2 Carmen Madonna
3 Priya Shah

Open Class B

1 Naiara Aparecida Alves Da Silva
2 Rebecca Mardon
3 Jamie Louise Loader

Open Class C

1 Emily Coe
2 Viktoriia Shcherbakova
3 Nancy Agnes
4 Eleri Landeg

Women's Fit Model

True Novice

1 Rosie Welham
2 Amy Mcveigh
3 Lauren Cooper

Novice A

1 Jasmine Russell
2 Nikki Halvaei
3 Demi Harrison

Novice B

1 Lauren Cooper
2 Laura Mechem

Masters Over 35

1 Grace Johnson
2 Laura Mechem

Masters Over 40

1 Herjit Sutherland
2 Nicola Povey
3 Carrianne Ward

Masters Over 45

1 Sanjeeta Patel

Masters Over 50

1 Sam Southey

Open Class A

1 Jasmine Russell
2 Angel-Cherub Lyons
3 Amna Arjamand Ali Zeb

Open Class B

1 Rosie Welham

Open Class C

1 Alice Swale
2 Herjit Sutherland
3 Naomi Collins
4 Grace Johnson
5 Eleanor Muscat
6 Lauren Cooper
7 Elisha Draper
8 Blair Bishop
9 Sam Southey

Open Class D

1 Amy Mcveigh
2 Lauren Hancock
3 Halie Harasyn
4 Fleur Florin
5 Nicola Povey

Women's Bikini

True Novice

1 Larisa Ghiurau
2 Devon Hartley
3 Katrina Osborne
4 Katarina Fikke
5 Hannah Jane Louise Goodsell
6 Nadia Anna
7 Lydia Blakley
8 Magdalena Pazik
9 Jess Cowdean
10 Adele Cleave

Novice A

1 Devon Hartley
2 Anastasia Cambitzi
3 Lydia Blakley
4 Hannah Gane
5 Adrijana Murauskaite

Novice B

1 Nuria Canada
2 Elizabeth Nield
3 Rhiannon Guthrie
4 Magdalena Pazik

Junior

1 Ral Radulescu
2 Nadia Powell
3 Aoife Daniels
4 Nadia Anna
5 Lucy Crawley

Masters Over 35

1 Aston Marsden
2 Anastasia Cambitzi
3 Hannah Jane Louise Goodsell
4 Elizabeth Nield
5 Katarina Fikke
6 Elaine Rea
7 Adele Cleave

Masters Over 40

1 Becky Goodall
2 Anastasia Cambitzi
3 Lucy Garland
4 Victoria Brickley
5 Magdalena Pazik

Masters Over 45

1 Becky Goodall
2 Katarina Fikke
3 Heather Thompson
4 Suzy Davis
5 Sibel Osman
6 Zoe Williams

Masters Over 50

1 Suzy Davis
2 Sibel Osman
3 Julie Lister
4 Heather Cedenio

Open Class A

1 Kerry Bullock
2 Aoife Daniels

Open Class B

1 Kamila Pasciak
2 Victoria Brickley
3 Larisa Ghiurau

Open Class C

1 Ral Radulescu
2 Stefania D'incecco
3 Anastasia Cambitzi
4 Nadia Anna
5 Hannah Gane
6 Lydia Blakley
7 Adele Cleave

Open Class D

1 Dalal Taylor
2 Devon Hartley
3 Laura Pickard
4 Tanya Eaton
5 Helen Peebles
6 Caitlin Mac Gregor
7 Agnes Leviczky

Open Class E

1 Chelsea Richardson
2 Molly Jones
3 Katrina Osborne
4 Nuria Canada
5 Elaine Rea

Open Class F

1 Nadia Powell
2 Eleanor Lee
3 Lindsay Spence

Open Class G

1 Jess Andrews
2 Elizabeth Nield
3 Lucy Garland

Open Class H

1 Lily Remington
2 Aston Marsden
3 Kateryna Kabushka
4 Rhiannon Guthrie

Overall champions

Men's Bodybuilding Overall: Matthew Howard
Men's Classic Physique Overall: Cameron Cleaver
Men's Physique Overall: Jordan Richards
Women's Physique Overall: Katie Barnes
Women's Figure Overall: Valentina Ecclestone
Women's Wellness Overall: Naiara Aparecida Alves Da Silva
Women's Fit Model Overall: Alice Swale (below)
Women's Bikini Overall: Lily Remington

2Bros Women's Fit Model Overall: Alice Swale

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NPC Worldwide Mr JT Grand Prix Results – September 13, 2026

NPC Worldwide's Mr JT Grand Prix took place on September 13, 2026, with a full card spanning Bodybuilding, Classic Physique, Men's Physique, Figure, Wellness, Fit Model and Bikini. Tom Summers took the overall Men's Bodybuilding title, James McDermott topped Classic Physique, Joseph Pappoe claimed Men's Physique, Leanna Clark won Figure, Katy Searle took Wellness, Valeria Muntean claimed Fit Model and Anya Limbert won overall Bikini.

Men's Bodybuilding

Novice

1 Petru Aradoaie
2 Aku Mannonen

Masters Over 50

1 Christopher Unitt

Open Light Heavyweight

1 Ivo Hristov
2 Ryan Dolan
3 Barry Cunliffe

Open Heavyweight

1 Tom Summers
2 Jay Davies
3 James Young-Walker
4 Dan Pickstock
5 Liam Davies

Open Super Heavyweight

1 Macaulley Jordan
2 Henry Taylor
3 Adam Harding
4 Petru Aradoaie
5 Aaron Carpenter

Men's Classic Physique

True Novice

1 Lucas Dabek
2 Ammar Agha
3 Jake Robertson

Masters Over 35

1 Lewis Moore
2 Junaid Shaik

Masters Over 40

1 Junaid Shaik

Masters Over 50

1 James Room

Open Class B

1 James McDermott
2 Jack Williams
3 Suban Nawaz

Open Class C

1 Connor Shuttleworth
2 Theodore Scorer
3 Joshua Farmer
4 Lucas Dabek
5 Ammar Agha

Open Class D

1 Lewis Moore

Men's Physique

True Novice

1 Mehtab Dhaliwal
2 Amir Hossein

Novice A

1 Adam Matthews

Novice B

1 Simon Bagheshian

Masters Over 40

1 James Wynn

Masters Over 45

1 Parvinder Powar

Open Class A

1 Allan Picardo

Open Class C

1 Aydin Giray
2 Andrew Barkes
3 Scott Bradley

Open Class D

1 Joseph Pappoe
2 Bradley Cocksedge
3 Onur Deyirmenci
4 Simon Bagheshian
5 James Wynn

Open Class E

1 Tim Hunt
2 Amir Hossein

Open Class F

1 Miles Addison
2 Oliver Barker

Women's Figure

True Novice

1 Leanna Clark

Masters Over 40

1 Lindsay Shaw

Masters Over 50

1 Sarah Lawson
2 Rebecca Thompson

Open Class A

1 Leanna Clark
2 Amber Goodall

Open Class B

1 Caitlin Tew
2 Rebecca Thompson

Open Class C

1 Lindsay Shaw
2 Philippa Rogers

Women's Wellness

Open Class A

1 Katy Searle

Open Class B

1 Ellie Brigden

Women's Fit Model

True Novice

1 Laura Giles

Novice A

1 Jasmine Russell

Novice B

1 Valeria Muntean
2 Zsofia Thomas
3 Laura Giles
4 Samantha Li

Junior

1 Jessica Hunt

Masters Over 35

1 Laura Giles

Open Class A

1 Valeria Muntean
2 Soni Marwah
3 Jasmine Russell
4 Jessica Hunt

Open Class C

1 Frances Oakes

Open Class D

1 Zsofia Thomas
2 Laura Giles

Women's Bikini

True Novice

1 Phoebe Underhill

Novice B

1 Chelsea Richardson
2 Hollie Bamford
3 Isobel Lusted
4 Nyla Whelan
5 Katherine Hall
6 Nicole Broadhurst

Junior

1 Madison Kane
2 Nicole Broadhurst
3 Carmen Packman

Masters Over 35

1 Emily Wilkinson

Masters Over 40

1 Michelle Brown
2 Jessica Rushen

Masters Over 45

1 Sibel Osman
2 Angela Rivera
3 Heather Thompson

Masters Over 50

1 Nyla Whelan
2 Sibel Osman
3 Gabriela Harapu-Collins

Open Class A

1 Madison Kane

Open Class C

1 Anya Limbert
2 Angela Rivera

Open Class D

1 Emily Wilkinson

Open Class E

1 Chelsea Richardson
2 Hollie Bamford
3 Isobel Lusted

Open Class F

1 Katherine Hall
2 Michelle Brown
3 Gabriela Harapu-Collins

Open Class G

1 Kateryna Kabushka

Open Class H

1 April Mann
2 Joanna Barnett
3 Jasmine Uppal
4 Heather Thompson
5 Carmen Packman

Overall champions

Men's Bodybuilding Overall: Tom Summers
Men's Classic Physique Overall: James McDermott
Men's Physique Overall: Joseph Pappoe
Women's Figure Overall: Leanna Clark
Women's Wellness Overall: Katy Searle
Women's Fit Model Overall: Valeria Muntean
Women's Bikini Overall: Anya Limbert

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Should IFBB Masters Pro Card winners only compete in Masters?

The new IFBB Pro League dilemma

By Gary Chappell

WHEN the dust settled in Milan at the NPC European Masters last month, a handful of athletes walked away with something bigger than medals: IFBB Pro League cards. For most people, this is the pinnacle of an amateur bodybuilding career – the ticket to the big league.

But in the days following the show, a quiet debate has begun around bodybuilding scene:

If you win your Pro Card in a Masters-only event, should you only compete in Masters?
Or does earning that card give you the right – and the expectation – to step into the Open?

This is not an abstract discussion. It's already affecting athletes who stood on that stage in Milan. And those who did not.

What Is an IFBB Masters Pro Card?

An IFBB Masters Pro Card is awarded to competitors who win their class at age-restricted bodybuilding events, such as the European Masters.

Unlike Open Pro Cards, which are earned in unrestricted competition, the European Masters is only available to athletes over a certain age category, typically 35 or 40 and above.

However, once awarded, an IFBB Pro Card carries the same status regardless of how it was earned, allowing athletes to compete in Open professional divisions as well as Masters shows.

bodybuilding Masters division competitors Milan European Masters stage

The core issue: A fairness problem nobody wants to talk about

At the European Masters, some competitors finished had, either this season or in previous seasons, placed behind athletes who were not even old enough to be eligible for that Milan show. Those younger athletes never got the chance to test themselves under the same judging panel, in the same format, on the same day.

Yet now, ironically, the older Masters athletes become IFBB Pros, while the younger, arguably better athletes from the same regional pool remain amateurs, partly because they are not old enough to win their professional status at a Masters show.

To many competitors watching from the sidelines, it raises eyebrows.

Is it fair that someone who wins a Pro Card in an age-restricted field can immediately jump into the Open Pro ranks – ahead of people who might have beaten them in a non-Masters comparison?

What the IFBB Pro League actually says

Winning a Pro Card – regardless of whether it’s from the Open, Juniors, or Masters – grants the same status:

On paper, it is simple. In reality, it is more complicated.

bodybuilding Masters division competitors Milan European Masters stage

Are Masters cards “easier”?

This is no disrespect to Masters athletes – in fact, quite the opposite. Many of them are incredible, often more complete, more conditioned and more polished than their younger counterparts. In fact, frontdouble.com recently published an article about how the Masters division is now raising the bar.

But the competitive depth in a Masters lineup is almost always thinner than the Open.

This means a Masters competitor can earn a Pro Card without ever beating the best amateurs in their region. And to some observers, that does not quite sit right. To others, however, it is simply the reward for longevity and commitment.

The practical consequence: Jumping the queue

Here’s the uncomfortable truth many athletes won’t say publicly:

With the greatest amount of respect, a Masters Pro Card can be considered a shortcut into the IFBB Pro League. And because stepping into the Open Pro ranks immediately raises your profile, it creates a situation where age-restricted victories produce Open-category professionals who did not get the nod when battling the top amateurs head-to-head. Perhaps this is why Masters Pro Card winners should compete only as Masters Pros, despite what the ruling says.

From a competitive integrity standpoint, that is a debate worth having.

bodybuilding Masters division competitors Milan European Masters

So: Should Masters Pros stay in Masters?

There are three arguments:

1. YES – They should stay in Masters

Because the qualification was earned in an age-restricted setting. A Masters Pro should compete against other Masters Pros to maintain parity.

2. NO – A Pro Card is a Pro Card

The rules are the rules. If you’ve earned Pro status, you’ve earned the right to compete wherever you want.

3. The middle ground – a restructure

Some might argue for a system where:

Where does this leave the European Masters?

The Milan show highlighted a structural reality in the sport:

You don’t need to beat the best amateurs to become an Open Pro — you just need to win the right show.

For some, that is an opportunity. For others, it is a distortion. But one thing is clear:

As Masters events continue to expand across Europe, this fairness question will grow louder, especially among the younger amateurs watching athletes they might have beaten step past them into the Pro ranks.

For clarity, no athlete should ever have their achievement devalued. And this is not what this article sets out to do. Winning any Pro Card requires discipline, sacrifice and a level of commitment most people will never understand.

But the sport evolves through honest conversations. And the European Masters has forced one.

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