by Christian Duque
Rubiel Mosquera aka Neckzilla seems to be like one thing out of a comic book guide and he’s lighting up the professional circuit not like something I’ve ever seen. Just some weeks in the past this man wasn’t even a professional. Now he’s a professional and he’s made severe harm on the professional circuit. Only one look and also you’re left questioning the place his neck ends and the place it begins. Should you cherished the freaks, you then’re going to like this man. He’s a throwback to guys like Markus Ruhl and Paul Dillett, however together with his degree of conditioning, he can stand with the most effective of the most effective.
Not solely has this Columbian phenom pushed the mesomorph card to absolutely the restrict he’s getting in contrast with the likes of Samson Dauda! That’s fairly insane contemplating the ink on this man’s professional card hasn’t even dried but and he’s being included in the identical dialog as a defending Arnold Traditional champion and a Prime 3 Olympian. And it’s not a fantasy comparability or a subject to go the time amongst muscleheads on a message board, both. These guys really went toe to toe in open competitors. Furthermore, Dauda didn’t precisely greatest the rising star, and that too has been grounds for some fairly full of life discussions.
It is extremely very uncommon for an newbie competitor to show skilled after which flip round and accomplish that effectively at a professional competitors like we simply have seen with Neckzilla. The truth that only one present into his professional profession he already has a particular nickname and this quantity of buzz makes it as to the place any promoter goes to wish to have him of their lineup.
On the finish of the day we can’t ignore the ten,000 lb elephant within the room. It is extremely vital to promote tickets on the door and to promote pay-per-view packages. These days it appears everybody needs world class productions for buy on-line however only a few promoters are seeing the numbers to justify the funding. Furthermore at a time when many companies are submitting for chapter safety it’s changing into more and more troublesome for contests to promote sales space house. Firms don’t wish to take a shower and lose out on the chance to maneuver merchandise when there are merely only a few members of the viewers obtainable to buy something. Competitions must suppose exterior of the field they usually want rivals whose very presence goes to herald the followers. Extra followers means extra cubicles they will promote and meaning extra money they will preserve on the finish of the night time. In any case, contest promotion may be very a lot a enterprise primarily and a pastime secondarily. You may’t pay the payments with ardour, however you may pay the payments with cash.
The underside line is that Neckzilla is already changing into a pressure to be reckoned with. Loads of rivals have gotten very uneasy at the truth that he’s incomes so many accolades and successful over so many followers with little or no time within the sport.
Now right here’s the massive query and that’s – will he be capable of do what he did at his professional debut at a few of the larger competitions? Wouldn’t it be justified for him to get an Arnold Traditional invitation when he’s barely been a professional for simply a few months?
I’ve to be trustworthy with you, the invitational committee has to consider the {dollars} and cents concerned in placing on a contest whose prize cash final 12 months was $300,000 and which subsequent 12 months could also be equal to that or much more. The one factor they by no means wish to expertise once more in Columbus Ohio is that the second largest bodybuilding present solely has six rivals. The present that’s second solely to the Olympia and it nearly didn’t occur in 2023. They must actually carry it in 2024 to have the ability to rival a contest often known as the Tremendous Bowl of Bodybuilding.
There have been years the place the occasion in Columbus was as massive because the occasion in Vegas. Final 12 months after all was not one in every of them. Might we see Neckzilla on the 2024 Arnold Traditional? Solely Time Will Inform.
I’ll let you know I might not be shocked to see his title on the invite listing though many veteran rivals can be up in arms that he can be given this monumental reward so early on.
Folks are speaking about whether or not or not we are going to see Neckzilla on the 2024 Mr Olympia? Might he qualify? And if he certified the place would he place?
The actual fact of the matter is he’s changing into a fan favourite in a short time and he may doubtlessly win the folks’s award subsequent 12 months in Las Vegas. If we see Mosquera battling with the most important guys within the sport on the most important stage – all bets are off. Think about seeing Neckzilla battling it out with a revamped Large Ramy, a revamped Nick Walker, and guys like Hadi and Derek. That might be the type of showdown that each fan of mass monsters and genetic freaks would kill to see. Even when Neckzilla didn’t win, if he was a minimum of within the dialog, that will be blockbuster!! Gangbusters!! It might be the most important bodybuilding present that you would ever think about! I don’t even know the best way to describe it!
I imply it’s a must to understand that though the game of bodybuilding is predicated on aesthetics and symmetry most followers may care much less about all that. They don’t wish to see little frail bodybuilders with lovely muscle bellies. They wish to see veins, slabs on slabs of muscle, and guys that look as cartoonish as attainable. They might not have lovely physiques however who cares about that to on a regular basis followers?!?! They wish to see the wow issue. They don’t care if bodybuilding doesn’t develop into a mainstream sport. They’re not right here to develop the game or see it within the Olympics. They know that the freaks use gear they usually know that a few of the freaks are actually human pincushions. They might care much less about that. They need the freak issue and Neckzilla delivers on that 110%.
The large query will not be going to be whether or not or not Neckzilla will be capable of rise to the highest of the game somewhat the query will likely be how lengthy will it take? When you have a bodybuilder that’s significantly dedicated and listens to the judges, that bodybuilder can go all the best way to the highest.
Furthermore, Columbia is a hotbed for the game as is Brazil, Europe and Asia. Despite the fact that bodybuilding appears to be targeted in the US, I might argue that the game is way extra well-liked world wide than it’s right here. The identical manner that Large Ramy and Hadi set the Arab world on hearth once they received the Olympia, I believe that Mosquera would do the identical for Latin America.
Now we have by no means seen a Latin American champion. There have been some fairly shut calls with Victor Martinez and Gustavo Badell, however there has by no means really been a Spanish-speaking Mr Olympia – a minimum of not because the late nice Sergio Oliva again within the late Sixties. That was 50+ Years In the past!! This may be an absolute bonanza for each nation from Mexico to Chile and Argentina all the best way over to Spain. The game would come alive if it had a Latin American as Mr Olympia.
Now after all that is extraordinarily untimely as a result of we’re speaking a few man who actually simply received his professional card lower than a month in the past however nonetheless the chances round this one explicit competitor are principally limitless.
As somebody that loves media and loves advertising I can let you know I can consider any variety of campaigns centered round Neckzilla. That is nice for the game when it comes to creating an actual buzz that may be sustained not only for a number of weeks and even a few months however for years to come back. This man may very well be the following Markus Ruhl or he may very well be the following Dorian Yates or Ronnie Coleman. Once more we’re not simply speaking a few man with slabs of muscle; Mosquera has some form, he does have some symmetry and he has conditioning on his aspect. Nonetheless, the neck seems to be fairly gnarly and I don’t know if that’s going to throw a monkey wrench into his Olympia aspirations. Nonetheless so long as he’s this well-liked and this dedicated and pushed the sky’s the restrict for him.
How far do you see Neckzilla going? Do you suppose a whole lot of that is untimely hype or do you suppose this explicit competitor warrants all the consideration?
Solely time will inform what he does on the professional circuit however from what I’ve seen to date a whole lot of guys needs to be completely mortified to share a stage with Neckzilla!