2022 is shaping up to be a strong year for the sport of bodybuilding. The IFBB recently posted on their Instagram about Mr. Universe India which will kick-off the first of six events that will take place around the world in 2022. Last year the IFBB Mr. Universe returned to center stage, where the fanfare proved to be special. After a 44-year hiatus, the IFBB brought back the famous event, which turned out to be a great decision.
WHAT IS THE IFBB?
Initially, the International Federation of Bodybuilders, or IFBB, is an organization that was founded in Montréal, Canada, by Ben and Joe Weider brothers back in 1946. It is now headquartered in Madrid, Spain. The IFBB currently holds 2,500 competitions worldwide with over 190 affiliated federations. The most notable IFBB competitions include Mr. Olympia, Arnold Classic, Mr. Universe, and IFBB World Championships.
WHAT IS MR. UNIVERSE?
The IFBB brought back Mr. Universe with tremendous success. The National Amateur Body Builders Association or NABBA also has held the Mr. Universe bodybuilding competition from 1948 to 2019, with the 2020 event canceled due to Covid-19. However, the event hosted by NABBA isn't affiliated with the IFBB Mr. Universe, which can cause some confusion.
For the sake of this post, we'll focus on the IFBB's Mr. Universe. The first IFBB, Mr. Universe, was held in 1959 that took place in Montreal, Canada, where Eddie Sylvestre from Mexico took first place. The IFBB organized this yearly competition until 1976, when Robby Robinson won the last title. The IFBB then changed the event's name to IFBB World Amateur Championships to avoid confusion with the NABBA Mr. Universe contest.
Notable winners of the IFBB Mr. Universe include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu, and Lou Ferrigno. This event has continued to be the premier amateur bodybuilding competition worldwide. However, there was a brief stint from 1975-1981 where there was a pro version o the IFBB Mr. Universe.
Last year in 2021, we saw the IFBB bring back the Mr. Universe in Spain with the IFBB Elite Pro competition with the amateur edition taking place in Paraguay. The winner of the 2021 Pro event in Spain was Michal Krizanek.
The IFBB Mr. universe has changed a lot since its early days when there was one male division. Now, there are multiple divisions in both men and women's including Fitness, Wellness Bikini and Men's Physique.
2022 IFBB Mr. Universe Events
This year we will see Mr. Universe take place on four continents across six countries. These competitions will be an excellent chance for both pro and amateur athletes to show the world what they have.
- April 15-17th, 2022: IFBB Mister Universe India (Pune, India)
- July 1-3rd, 2022: IFBB Mister Universe Amateur (Beirut, Lebanon)
- July 21-24th 2022: IFBB Mister Universe Africa (El Cairo, Egypt)
- August 19 – 20: IFBB Mister Universe Brazil (Sao Paolo, Brazil)
- October 14-16th, 2022: IFBB Mister Universe Marbella (Marbella, Spain)
- May 20-22nd, 2022: IFBB Mister Universe Europe (Prague, Czech Republic)
CLOSING THOUGHTS
It’s tough to stay up on the myriad of bodybuilding competitions that happen these days but if we will definitely keep our attention on events like Mr. Universe. It’s great to see the sport of bodybuilding expanding its reach to countries across the world where new talents are waiting for their chance to be discovered.
Kiel DiGiovanni
Author