by Christian Duque
I think it’s very important to make the point that my articles for this publication are never fluff. I don’t write fluff pieces like so many other writers on so many other publications. Iron Magazine has two writers and we both pride ourselves in giving the absolute best content possible. With regards to what I do, I have my finger on the bodybuilding pulse.
I like to write about current events in the sport, I like to write about controversial topics in the sport, I like to feel as if I am pretty much up to date with everything that’s going on – the newsworthy and even the not so newsworthy. It all matters to me because I’m not writing for my own personal pleasure so much as I am writing for what you, the readers, want to read. I also have to answer to an editor who is also my boss and he’s not going to let me just put out any piece of trash like so many other publications do all the time. So you have my interest, you have research involved, but you also have systems in place that ensure quality content.
So last month I wrote an article titled the Return of William Bonac. Actually, it was April so technically two months ago, but here I am writing a follow-up about 6 weeks later talking about a progress video that the Arnold Classic champion posted just a couple days ago. It is pertinent to follow up with the initial article because we have a man who is on a mission. We have a guy who has placed as high as second at the Mr Olympia in a FAR DEEPER LINEUP than what we have today. What we have is a professional bodybuilder that can win it all in 2024.
If you’d like to read the April article: The Return of William Bonac
It’s important to distinguish wishful thinking from realistic expectations. It’s also very important to talk about media attention, buzz, and the lack thereof. There’s a lot going on with this particular competitor and it is absolutely worth mentioning. But I want to follow up from the last article because what we have now is actual evidence that his body is firing on all cylinders. We are leaving The Wishful Thinking category that he was never really in because of his past accomplishments and we are now moving into the Very Credible Threat category where the top tier of the professionals are now looking at him.
It may not matter that the media is not giving William the time of day because the media never did. He never relied on his mouth or on his keyboard to get talked about. But when this guy is firing on all cylinders even the most blind of judges cannot help but move him to the center. And unfortunately we are once again in a situation where we are talking about questionable judging. After the very controversial New York Pro where Martin Fitzwater took second to a guy that looked like a pile of shit, many people are concerned that a guy like William will not get the score that he deserves at the Mr Olympia. That being said so much noise is being made over New York Pro and the backlash is so pronounced that I have a feeling that we may see more accountable judging come this November in Las Vegas, Nevada. That being said that’s a far cry from allowing someone like William who is a media dark horse to walk away with the biggest title in the sport is something entirely different. Is it possible? I guess we will have to wait and see. But can he have the best physique on stage? You can count on it!
The real question is going to come with regards to what William is able to bring when he hits the Olympia stage. I have no doubt in my mind that he will qualify nor do I have any doubt in my mind that he will be in the first callouts in Las Vegas. Even though he is largely ignored by the media and even though he has never been prominently displayed in any promotional materials, he remains one of the greatest bodybuilders of his era. As long as he comes at 100% he will most likely be in the Top 6. Another question is how the judges compare the athletes in that call out.
What’s interesting is that William, like Derek and Hadi, have roots in the 212. The difference between all three of them, though, is that William has the densest physique of them all and the best structure. Usually with competitors it’s one or the other. Either they have tons of mass and muscle or they’ve got a great frame and great degree of symmetry.
William doesn’t have any lagging body parts nor does he have an issue with regards to flow and aesthetic value. This is why he was always so dangerous. The only thing that he lacked slightly was height, but when he is up against two shorter top two competitors like Derek and Hadi – height is no longer that much of an issue. I would say that in all reality William would end up dwarfing both of those guys and do so in a pretty straightforward kind of way.
Once again the question comes back to judging. Are the judges going to score William the way that he deserves or are they going to try to make allowances to keep Derek and Hadi on top of the sport? Again one look at the New York Pro and it’s almost as if Nick had to win that show no matter what. No matter who showed up. No matter how good Martin was. It was almost as if it was going to happen no matter what. Very similar to Big Ramy’s win in 2021 when Brandon Curry hit the stage with a far improved physique, 20 pounds more muscle, and being far more conditioned than the defending champion. All of the big pundits had Brandon winning, yet who won? Big Ramy won that’s who! Big Ramy looked like a pile of shit and won…
I think a lot needs to be said about the fact that William is also posting video updates and not merely pictures with a bunch of filters and goon lighting. This seems to be the new norm when it comes to competitors showing the fans what they are doing in preparation for competitions.
I think showing a video with normal lighting is very important because it shows us what the judges are going to see. I also like that he is transitioning from mandatory pose to mandatory pose and he’s doing it right in front of the camera. There are no cuts and splices. You got to respect that level of transparency as a fan. It should also be respected by members of the media who are probably tired of having to report on competitors that use all sorts of trickery in order to hide reality and present an alternate narrative in order to get articles written about them and to be featured on video shows. But it should also be respected by fellow competitors.
William is not hiding from the competition, rather, he is showing them exactly what he is bringing and that should most definitely sound the alarms. The competition should be very concerned because this guy is not coming back for fun. He has never been about that and he never will be. When William Bonac signs up to do a competition, he’s coming to win. There is no other reason to compete other than to be the best. And that my friends should make everybody in this year’s Olympia lineup shake in their boots.
I will continue to cover William and I will continue to praise his hard work throughout this prep because I think it’s important that a competitor on this level get the media attention he deserves. I cannot control the big websites and the trending YouTube channels but I can certainly write articles that will make the rounds. We know from our analytics that IM articles make the rounds and we also know that the big names read them as well.
It’s going to be a very, very big year for THE CONQUEROR!