Freaky Frietas Brings Brazil Another Pro Title

01 July 2012
Steve Wennerstrom, IFBB Women's Historian



Hartford, Connecticut, June 30: It was a distinctively dynamic dozen that descended on the Connecticut Convention Center for the third annual Battle of Champions, and as most would agree, the 12 contestants entered here made up one of the finest bodybuilding fields – other than the Ms. Olympia and Ms. International – in recent memory. And if you were an avid bodybuilding fan, there was a purist air that enveloped this contest in that the pro division consisted solely of men's and women's bodybuilding.....period. This 'Battle' had an 'old school' feel dating back to the early 90's before the saturation of fitness, figure, bikini and physique had been adopted. It was about muscle of the unbridled kind, and everyone brought their fair share...and then some.

Ably promoted once again this year by Ed and Betty Pariso, the Battle of Champions is establishing a tradition of excellence with previous winners Brigita Brezovac in 2010, and Kim Buck last year each moving on to the Ms. Olympia. And although the 12 entries at this year's event was just half the size of last year's Battle, the overall quality here more than made up for the smaller field.


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