It was excitement galore last Sunday 20 August 2023 at the Swiss International hotel, located in the plush Victoria Garden City (VGC) neighbourhood of Lagos, where 10 of Nigeria’s most talented athletes slugged it out for the right to bear the title of ‘Mr Macho’ for the year 2023. This event marked the culmination of a process that commenced online with over 100 entrants, who were each asked to submit a short fitness-inclined pose video clip. A panel of judges was then tasked to prune this number down to 20 athletes, who proceeded to the next phase comprising online prelims. From these 20 athletes, a second shortlist of 10 athletes was arrived at, and these athletes were subsequently handed invites to the final show.
At the finals proper, there were some distinguished performances by the contestants, including Raymond Bawa Jnr. alias ‘Klassic’-who won the award of ‘Fitness inspiration’; Michael Fidelis Ezechimerem alias ‘Flashnation’-who won the award of ‘Classic physique’; Endurance Sunday Obi won the ‘Fitness Icon’ award, while there was a three-way tie between Uchenna Okeke a.k.a. ‘UC Black’, Nicholas Ujah a.k.a. ‘Kingz’ and Tomi Paul for the title of ‘Best poser’, with Paul eventually getting the judges’ nod. Finally, the title of ‘Hercules’ was taken by Kerry Gideon Inyaba, who made it to the ‘Top 2’ stage alongside Endurance Obi. After some deliberation, Kerry was conferred with the overall title of ‘Mr Macho Nigeria’ 2023, thus becoming the 5th person to win this championship since its inception back in the year 2019.
From relatively humbler beginnings, this championship has evolved over the years, having initially started out as ‘Mr Beachbody Nigeria’. However, in the eyes of event director, Mr. Adesewa Olagoke a.k.a. ‘Sewa Macho’, the concept was to be more than a regular male pageant. “The title ‘Mr Macho’ stood out for me, and it just seemed a much more appropriate name for a physical culture-oriented undertaking.” The championship has thrown up some great talents within the short period of its existence, with different winners emerging at the end of each edition. Olagoke emphasises that the 2023 edition has been the best yet, with the addition of various mini-awards in addition to the overall title, as well as the opportunity for international exposure. “We recently secured a franchise agreement for Nigeria with the World Amateur Bodybuilding Association (WABBA) International, and our 2022 winner, as well as Kerry, shall be participating in the 2023 WABBA West African championships slated to hold in Accra, Ghana.” Beyond staging championships however, Olagoke also envisions a sustainable trajectory for athletes. “We are looking at a situation where Nigerian athletes go on to become not just successful competitors, but also fitness influencers and entertainment industry players as well.” Here’s hoping that this becomes in norm in these climes sooner than later!
The NBD
*For more information on the Mr Macho Nigeria brand, check out their Instagram page.
