Ronny Rockel Knockin’ on the Door of Greatness
By Joe Pietaro

It may seem kind of strange to predict big things out of a bodybuilder who has exactly one win since earning his pro card eight years ago, but Ronny Rockel may just be the one to change that. The 37-year-old German has made strides in the past year and was impressive in 2009 with top 10 finishes at both the Arnold Classic and Mr. Olympia. Then he placed sixth this month in Ohio and it was widely stated that he could have finsihed higher than that.

At 5′6″ and 226 pounds, Rockel came into the Arnold looking to be in excellent condition and stood well against some steep competition. When you have a line-up that included the defending champion Kai Greene, Phil Heath, Branch Warren, Dexter Jackson and Toney Freeman, breaking into that circle of consistent top six men was an accomplishment in itself.

The last time that Rockel stood in the winner’s circle came at the 2006 Australian Grand Prix. For him to do that again, he may have to compete in some of the smaller shows such as the Europa, New York Pro and Atlantic City Pro. But there will come a time when Rockel’s proportioned physique will be recognized in the more prestigious shows and not just in the top 10 or six.