Andrew Jacked the Genetic Wonder!

It's extremely rare for a bodybuilder to win his first pro contest. Stars like Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates, Lee Haney, Dexter Jackson and Jay Cutler did not. A few who did were Flex Wheeler, Phil Heath and Big Ramy.

- By Ron Harris

Now we can add Andrew Chinedu aka Andrew Jacked, to that list. I was there at the Texas Pro when the Dubai resident by way of his native Nigeria shocked the bodybuilding world with one of the most overwhelming pro debuts in nearly a decade. Had it been a weak show with an "easy" lineup of B-listers, his accomplishment would not be nearly as noteworthy. But Jacked squared off against heavy pre-contest favorites Steve Kuclo and Martin Fitzwater, from right there in Dallas. Kuclo was out for redemption from the previous year's Texas Pro where he took second place, as well as the Mr. Olympia qualification he missed in 2021. Fitzwater, just 25, had been trained and coached by none other than Branch Warren, and he had made drastic improvements in both size and condition since his rookie season last year. Did I forget to mention that 212 Olympia champion Kamal Elgargni was entering the Open class for the second weekend in a row, after having taken a close second to Akim Williams in Tampa? We also had Canada's Quinton "Quint Beastwood" Eriya, a study in symmetry and proportion at 6-foot-1 and 260 pounds, riding his third place from Tampa into Texas. All in all, I wasn't expecting anything more than a possible top-five or top-three finish at best from Jacked in his pro debut. I'd seen him in Columbus when he won his pro card at the Arnold Amateur nearly six months prior, and his conditioning was less than stellar. This was a man with tremendous potential, but I assumed it would take him a while to figure it all out as he navigated his way through his first few pro shows. As is often the case, I was wrong.

BEHOLD A RARE SPECIMEN