By Enrique Alejandro
Is a 32-year-old Haitian American corrections officer from Baltimore, Maryland on the cusp of seizing the title of Mr. Olympia, the most august and respected title in the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) in Tampa today?
Is Jephte Cherephant, who competes under the name BIG BUNDY, which in Haitian means “big man” poised to snag the title once held by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Flex Wheeler?
Last year Big Bundy snagged his pro card at the IFBB Nations, coming out of nowhere to win the Super Heavyweight title and narrowly losing the overall title. Now, if Bundy wins the Tampa Pro scheduled for August 7th, he will get a shot at the Mr. Olympia title.
Jephte Cherephant – 32 years of age. Born in Miami, Florida. One of three boys. He played high school football and basketball. Attended Morgan State College in MD where he played fullback on the college football team. Had a brief stint as a powerlifter before getting bitten by the bodybuilding bug five years ago.
Sadly, Bundy’s mother passed in 2018, his father in 2019, and his older brother in 2020. His competitive highlights in bodybuilding are as follows: 2015 York Cup, 2016 MD State Super Heavyweight Champ, 2016 15th IFBB North American Championships, 2017 IFBB North American 3rd, 2018 IFBB North American 4th, 2020 IFBB North American 2nd, 2020 NPC Men’s Nationals Super Heavyweight winner.
Bundy is a devout Christian with two kids and an unquenchable thirst for bodybuilding. He works as a corrections officer in the Baltimore City Jail.
“Big Bundy is not the toast of the Body-building magazines or fanboys. He’s a ‘walk on”, a “natural”, who with the sponsorship of former amateur bodybuilder and American political icon Roger Stone has attracted the most seasoned and advanced contest preparation. Veteran Bodybuilder Rod Smith and a man known in the bodybuilding world as ‘Guru Ameen, Ameen in Alai both say Bundy will come into tomorrow’s contest ‘shredded. Carb depletion has begun,” Alai told The Free Press.
Trainer and Coach Rod Smith, who is expected to seize his pro card in the upcoming Armed Forces National’s serves as a senior advisor to Bundy.
“In my 25 years in bodybuilding, I have never seen the kind of density of muscle and incredible symmetry like that displayed by Big Bundy.” Guru Ameen thinks Smith’s years of experience in the bodybuilding sport and his keen insight with bringing in a contender that is in peak condition, combined with the regimen designed by Ameen himself will give Big Bundy the winning edge.
The IFBB continues as the governing body for men’s competitive bodybuilding and Big Bundy is most definitely a contender no one sees coming who reportedly outweighs his nearest competitor in the upcoming Tampa face-off by over twenty pounds. “Big Bundy has extraordinary genes, exceptional focus, and amazing discipline,” said Alai, Bundy’s trainer.
“I predict he comes in at 278 pounds at the weigh-in to grab the overall title and that rare shot to become Mr. Olympia.”
To demonstrate how insular the bodybuilding world is, most residents in the Tampa area are completely unaware that the Tampa Pro competition that will play out at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay today, will determine the likely future of the Mr. Olympia crown.
While Big Bundy is not a household name today, the odds of his gracing the cover of virtually every men’s bodybuilding magazine just weeks from now is a likely possibility.
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