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It\u2019s crazy how one little detail can spell disaster. One choice, one life event can totally rewrite the story. For the last couple of weeks, I\u2019ve been corresponding with British fans in China. There\u2019s a good number of them still living in Hong Kong. The former British colony changed hands in 1997 when it returned to the People\u2019s Republic of China. Nonetheless, Hong Kong and Macao (a former Portuguese colony also in China) continue to be semi-autonomous cities within the PRC. European athletes, not just British and Portuguese, get a lot of love there. But there\u2019s a lot of Englishmen throughout China. And in addition to Brits, there\u2019s also plenty of Chinese fans who like international competitors. Many top IFBB Pro\u2019s command large fanbases in the 3rd largest country of the world. And one such guy is James Hollingshead. From what I understand, his posters hang in gyms and health food stores. The fact he\u2019s competing at the prestigious Huanji China Pro shows the deep commitment the IFBB Pro League has to the Chinese fans. Not only will this be a world class production, but it featured James, fresh off his controversial 2nd place at the wildly popular 2026 Portugal Pro.<\/p>\n
In that contest, James was fighting hard against Jordan Hutchinson. The fans rarely sat down. Everyone was on their feet, admiring the muscle, the lines, and the posing prowess of two hardworking Top 25 bodybuilders in the world. Now\u00a0\u00a0the Chinese fans will get to experience a similar all-out-battle. That\u2019s because the Huanji China Pro is one of the last places to get an Olympia qualification. Nonetheless, most people just assumed it was James\u2019 show to lose. There was one risk, though.<\/p>\n
That risk was Behrouz Tabani. There was some talk that the Persian sensation would try for the Portugal Pro, but when that ship sailed, everyone was looking at the Huanji show. Portugal is a NATO member nation and with the United States actively at war with Iran, it was unlikely that such a strong ally of the United States would be easy to get into for an Iranian national. Who knows if the war had anything to do with it or not, but Tabani didn\u2019t compete there. So naturally, everyone on the message boards, the Facebook Groups, and Instagram started to speculate as to whether Behrouz would be able to compete in China.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, Iran and China have very strong relations. Surely that would make a difference, right? Well, however strong those ties may be, Behrouz was rejected on the first try. And what\u2019s more, the rejection came swiftly. People were floored at how quickly the denial came. So much so that I think people in James\u2019 camp took a massive sigh of relief. Obviously it wasn\u2019t an official position, but it doesn\u2019t take a rocket scientist to know that without the Persian champion that James could coast into the Huanji at maybe 80-85% and win convincingly. It would also be a good idea to give Hollingshead a breather for the 2026 Olympia. Unfortunately, that\u2019s not going to happen now. It\u2019s not like we\u2019re talking about some random guy, either. There\u2019s PLENTY of IFBB Pro\u2019s on the circuit.\u00a0Tabani is a powerhouse!!<\/p>\n
The addition of Behrouz Tabani means that James\u2019 corner has to hit the ground running, now. Instead of being able to coast in, now James is up against a guy with tremendous genetics, who can suffer, and who has something to prove. Imagine living in a country isolated from the rest of the world, not being able to compete freely, and running out of opportunities to compete at the Super Bowl of Bodybuilding. International athletes are very hungry for recognition, especially those who have the most difficulty in traveling. Plus, Behrouz is competing in the shadow of Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan.<\/p>\n
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