NPC & IFBB PRO LEAGUE 2026 Showdown of Champions Pro
In 2026, the NPC & IFBB Pro League Showdown of Champions, themed around bodybuilding competitions, was held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with professional Bikini athletes and NPC competitors, everything from country youth to veterans, showcasing their physique skills for the 2026 bodybuilding season.
It was held on August 29, 2026, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Warren Place, featuring the IFBB Pro League Women's Bikini Open and five Masters Bikini divisions. Additionally, the Showdown of Champions was a Bikini IFBB Qualification event, making the show significantly strong for bikini athletes in the 2026 Olympia qualification season. The competition was run by Eileen Calabrese and was a combination IFBB Pro League and NPC competition.
WOMEN’S BIKINI – OPEN
The Open Bikini division featured 14 athletes, with Jasmine Gonzalez taking the championship ahead of Canada's Marie-Eve Duchesneau and Winitchanok Shao.
|
# |
NAME |
COUNTRY |
JUDGING |
TOTAL |
PLACE |
|
10 |
Jasmine Gonzalez |
USA |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
9 |
Marie-Eve Duchesneau |
Canada |
6 |
6 |
2 |
|
18 |
Winitchanok Shao |
USA |
9 |
9 |
3 |
|
17 |
Ira Nichols |
USA |
12 |
12 |
4 |
|
1 |
Holly Baxter |
USA |
15 |
15 |
5 |
|
11 |
Lynsie Hice |
USA |
18 |
18 |
6 |
|
8 |
Lauren Alexander |
USA |
21 |
21 |
7 |
|
14 |
Cherrylyn Ibanez |
USA |
25 |
25 |
8 |
|
12 |
Brenda Hix |
USA |
26 |
26 |
9 |
|
16 |
Mitzi Morgan |
USA |
30 |
30 |
10 |
|
15 |
Courtney Janecek |
USA |
33 |
33 |
11 |
|
13 |
Gillian Hughes |
USA |
36 |
36 |
12 |
|
2 |
Ashley Downes |
USA |
39 |
39 |
13 |
|
6 |
Deanna Patterson |
USA |
42 |
42 |
14 |
WOMEN’S BIKINI – MASTERS 35+
Ira Nichols captured the Masters 35+ title, finishing just one point ahead of Holly Baxter.
|
# |
NAME |
COUNTRY |
JUDGING |
TOTAL |
PLACE |
|
17 |
Ira Nichols |
USA |
4 |
4 |
1 |
|
1 |
Holly Baxter |
USA |
5 |
5 |
2 |
|
22 |
Yvonne Marie |
USA |
10 |
10 |
3 |
|
23 |
Angela Ruscilli |
USA |
14 |
14 |
4 |
|
20 |
Andrea Casasanta |
USA |
15 |
15 |
5 |
|
15 |
Courtney Janecek |
USA |
18 |
18 |
6 |
|
19 |
Alex Carrera |
USA |
22 |
22 |
7 |
|
14 |
Cherrylyn Ibanez |
USA |
23 |
23 |
8 |
|
21 |
Nikia Hovey |
USA |
28 |
28 |
9 |
|
13 |
Gillian Hughes |
USA |
29 |
29 |
10 |
|
2 |
Ashley Downes |
USA |
33 |
33 |
11 |
|
6 |
Deanna Patterson |
USA |
36 |
36 |
12 |
WOMEN’S BIKINI – MASTERS 40+
Winitchanok Shao won the Masters 40+ championship with a perfect three-point score.
|
# |
NAME |
COUNTRY |
JUDGING |
TOTAL |
PLACE |
|
18 |
Winitchanok Shao |
USA |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
22 |
Yvonne Marie |
USA |
6 |
6 |
2 |
|
8 |
Lauren Alexander |
USA |
9 |
9 |
3 |
|
23 |
Angela Ruscilli |
USA |
12 |
12 |
4 |
|
12 |
Brenda Hix |
USA |
15 |
15 |
5 |
|
14 |
Cherrylyn Ibanez |
USA |
18 |
18 |
6 |
|
28 |
Judy Tily |
USA |
21 |
21 |
7 |
|
29 |
Julissa Zurba |
USA |
23 |
23 |
8 |
|
16 |
Mitzi Morgan |
USA |
27 |
27 |
9 |
|
13 |
Gillian Hughes |
USA |
30 |
30 |
10 |
|
25 |
Deborah Regan |
USA |
34 |
34 |
11 |
|
21 |
Nikia Hovey |
USA |
36 |
36 |
12 |
|
26 |
Semret Russom |
USA |
38 |
38 |
13 |
|
27 |
Lisa Solomon |
USA |
43 |
43 |
14 |
|
2 |
Ashley Downes |
USA |
44 |
44 |
15 |
|
24 |
Sharilee Hill |
USA |
48 |
48 |
16 |
WOMEN’S BIKINI – MASTERS 45+
Yvonne Marie took the Masters 45+ title, finishing ahead of Brenda Hix and Julissa Zurba.
|
# |
NAME |
COUNTRY |
JUDGING |
TOTAL |
PLACE |
|
22 |
Yvonne Marie |
USA |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
12 |
Brenda Hix |
USA |
6 |
6 |
2 |
|
29 |
Julissa Zurba |
USA |
9 |
9 |
3 |
|
16 |
Mitzi Morgan |
USA |
12 |
12 |
4 |
|
3 |
Shay Gillespie |
USA |
15 |
15 |
5 |
|
25 |
Deborah Regan |
USA |
18 |
18 |
6 |
|
26 |
Semret Russom |
USA |
21 |
21 |
7 |
|
27 |
Lisa Solomon |
USA |
23 |
23 |
8 |
|
24 |
Sharilee Hill |
USA |
27 |
27 |
9 |
WOMEN’S BIKINI – MASTERS 50+
Yvonne Marie completed another successful performance by winning the Masters 50+ championship.
|
# |
NAME |
COUNTRY |
JUDGING |
TOTAL |
PLACE |
|
22 |
Yvonne Marie |
USA |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
12 |
Brenda Hix |
USA |
6 |
6 |
2 |
|
29 |
Julissa Zurba |
USA |
9 |
9 |
3 |
|
25 |
Deborah Regan |
USA |
12 |
12 |
4 |
|
30 |
Rosalind Gutierrez |
USA |
15 |
15 |
5 |
|
4 |
Debora Lossing |
USA |
18 |
18 |
6 |
|
24 |
Sharilee Hill |
USA |
21 |
21 |
7 |
WOMEN’S BIKINI – MASTERS 60+
Rosalind Gutierrez captured the Masters 60+ championship, finishing ahead of Joanna Bolt and Debora Lossing.
|
# |
NAME |
COUNTRY |
JUDGING |
TOTAL |
PLACE |
|
30 |
Rosalind Gutierrez |
USA |
3 |
3 |
1 |
|
31 |
Joanna Bolt |
USA |
6 |
6 |
2 |
|
4 |
Debora Lossing |
USA |
9 |
9 |
3 |
Event Highlights
The most impressive overall rider of the day in Open was Jasmine Gonzalez, who ended up winning with three points for the Showdown of Champions Pro Bikini. It was a strong showing for Canada with Marie-Eve Duchesneau and Winitchanok Shao finishing on the Open podium.
There was also a multi-event problem, with a few athletes competing in various events during the hectic Tulsa weekend. For instance, earlier that same day, Holly Baxter played in the Oklahoma Natural Championships and tied it, then returned to the stage at the untried Showdown of Champions Pro, where she secured the 5th spot.
Another tall story was the Masters categories, which featured players in five different age divisions ranging from 35+ to 60+. This enabled the experienced Bikini black belt professionals to represent each age class on the same day, but on a separate IFBB Pro League weekend.
NPC & IFBB Pro League Competition
Showdown of the Champions was more than just an IFBB Pro League event. NPC competition was another part of the weekend, which put together a unique event for both professionals and amateurs.
The official event schedule was as follows: on Wednesday, August 28th, NPC competitor check-in times and IFBB Pro athlete activities were scheduled for 9.30 a.m., and the finals would take place at 4.00 p.m. on Thursday, August 29th. It allowed amateur athletes to compete in an established pro contest, while also providing fans with the experience of competing at various bodybuilding levels, all on a single weekend.
Final Thoughts
Last year's 2026 NPC & IFBB Pro League Showdown of Champions in Tulsa, Oklahoma featured a full weekend of bikini competition in Open, Masters 35+, 40+, 45+, 50+ and 60+ Divisions. Congratulations to the winners: Jasmine Gonzalez and Ira Nichols for Open Bikini and Masters 35+; Winitchanok Shao for Masters 40+; Yvonne Marie for Masters 45+ and 50+; and Rosalind Gutierrez for Masters 60+.
By organizing the next Showdown of Champions, the 2026 event once again showcased the depth and continuity of professional Bikini competitions, not only with the participation of athletes of varying ages, but also for these competitors to have a significant chance to compete on the IFBB Pro League stage in the final days of the 2026 season.