Just as I predicted, Quinton Eriya won the 2026 Toronto Supershow. Despite some strong predictions from Nick’s Strength and Power about Wellington Baptiste, as well as predictions from other notable pundits, it was Quinton who emerged victorious. That said, Beastwood was very much in everyone’s Top 3-5. All the usual suspects were up there, including Eric Wood, who has really strengthened his position. Wood took 2nd to Tonio Burton at the Legion Sports Fest in Reno, holding off Patrick Moore at third. That says a lot. For starters, Eric competed against Tonio, who is very much considered a future Top 6 Olympian, but he also held off Patrick Moore, who has won pro shows and competed at the Olympia twice. Then Eric pulled off another runner-up spot in Toronto, battling it out with Quinton and holding Blessing Awodibu at third. In similar fashion to the Legion Sports Fest where Tonio dominated, so too did Quinton dominate the competition in Toronto. The term dominate is a powerful word to just throw around, but it’s very fitting here. For as good as Eric looked, as well as some of the others in the Top 5 looked, Quinton was in a league all his own. Very much like Tonio in Reno, once Quinton was put in the middle, he never left that spot. And while many judges have tried to argue that being put dead center doesn’t always mean you’ll win, that’s been the case in over 9 out of 10 scenarios in the sport that I’ve personally covered. Getting a first callout and holding onto that center spot is proof positive of where that individual is going to place.
What Beastwood brought to the stage in Toronto was incredibly special. At 6’1, Eriya towers over most bodybuilders, but with this win, he will be on stage in Las Vegas, NV, at the 2026 Mr. Olympia. And his height and weight are now topics of public interest for one extremely specific reason.
We may all be witnessing a change of the guard when it comes to the Olympia. I was convinced that Samson’s victory would bring this about. Unfortunately, as we all know, he lost just a couple of months later in Columbus and from there went onto to lose the title and place 2nd to Martin in Prague. That said, Dauda has not missed a beat. Even though his partnership with Hosstile ended, he just persevered. Samson is 100% in the mix for the 2026 Olympia. We also must not forget Andrew Jacked. Andrew placed ahead of Samson at last year’s O, taking his spot in the Top 3, and then won the Arnold Classic. Samson is 5’11. Andrew is 6’2!! And then course there’s Michael Krizo, who won the 2026 Pittsburgh Pro, and stands at 6’1. Between Samson, Andrew, Krizo, and now Quinton at 6’1, that’s a lot of tall guys who dwarf the shorter guys like Derek, Hadi, and even Martin. I mean even Tonio, really, and he’s not necessarily. I wouldn’t consider 5’8 to be short, but next to guys ranging from 5’11 – 6’2, those few inches do factor in.
I mean look at what 4x Mr O Jay Cutler says would be the ideal Top 2 – Samson and Andrew. If that is the Top 2, then it begs to reason that 3rd, 4th, maybe even 5th might also be taller guys. Why would they reward two tall guys with the top placings and then have a couple of ankle biters taking the next, best spots? It makes no sense. If it is a tall man’s Olympia, Quinton will be in the mix.
Something else needs to be said about Toronto. This was not Quinton’s moment by luck or happenstance. He had a terrific 2025, taking something like four runner-ups. And unlike some competitors who would immediately complain, point to bias, or suggest politics were the reason they came up short, Quinton just came back better and better. There was nothing about luck this past Sunday in Toronto that got put Eriya in the winner’s circle.
Moreover, Toronto is Canada’s largest city, with over three million residents, and Eriya’s hometown. This was also Quinton’s first show of 2026. That’s got to make you wonder how much he wanted this. He could have competed at any number of contests – easier, lower hanging-fruit contests. He chose Toronto. And he won big!
The fact is Quinton brought it all. That’s why luck has no place insofar as his win goes. I simply won’t hear of it! And it’s nice that there’s a general consensus across the industry. Everyone is heaping on praise for Eric Wood – who rightly deserves it – but the win was Quinton’s.Beastwood brought the X-Frame – and – brought the V-Taper. He totally nailed his condition, but he also brought in a tremendous amount of muscle. There were no gut issues (e.g. distention), his waist was tiny, and he towered over everyone. In a very tangible way, as soon as I saw the photos, I knew that if Eriya tightened up just a tad, he could be in the conversation in Las Vegas.
Isn’t that wild? Just a few days ago Quinton never won a pro show and never competed in an Olympia. He’s not only on his way to his first one, but if the tall guys dwarf the ankle biters, I have a very strong feeling that Quinton and Krizo will be in the mix. In fact, I’d put Quinton ahead of Krizo, purely based on the fact that Beastwood has far better aesthetics. That’s very notable when you look at him. And even with that, Quinton poses hard. I mean, Eriya even had striated glutes. STRIATED GLUTES, folks!! An aesthetic giant that came in with excellent condition and actually PEAKED at the contest!!
LUCK HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
It was a little annoying that the Toronto Supershow had strict rules on media outlets using their livestream. I’m not sure what their logic was? Maybe they had an in-house company? I have no clue, but I’ve never used a contest’s livestream in anything I do. I get there’s fair use, but when it comes to content for YouTube, it’s either content that I got on my own or that I created. In any event, some channels like NSAP were able to rely on fan-submitted fan-filmed content. And of course there’s photos everywhere. I may not have been there, but from everything I’ve seen, this was the best Quinton Eriya yet. This was all merit, folks!
Do you agree? I always like to leave the last word to you, the loyal readers of IronMag. Do you think Quinton will make a big splash at the 2026 Olympia? I don’t see how he couldn’t. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading my article. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. It’s bound to generate lively conversation.
Author Bio:
Christian I. Duque is the owner of StrengthAddicts.com, a physique and strength website founded in 2008. He has worked for a number of bodybuilding websites, including RX Muscle and Muscular Development. Christian has written nearly 1,000 published articles for IronMag Blog, as well as articles for StrengthAddicts, RX Muscle, and others. By day, he is also a licensed attorney practicing in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal defense.
