press conference and further
joked that he was hawking T-shirts
with that slogan. Lewis laughed,
and so did Ahmad Ashkanani when
Raymond contended he was going
to slay the Dragon (Lewis) and the
Camel (Ashkanani). I thought
Raymond’s third-place finish last
year was too high, but this year’s
was too low. I had him second—as
did the judges on Saturday, but
it wasn’t enough to make up
Friday’s deficit. The Boston Mass
brought back the grainy look he’s
noted for, best evident in a rear
double biceps that seemed carved
from granite.
Ashkanani’s new nickname
was a nod to his Kuwaiti cohorts,
self-titled the Camel Crew,
who were ubiquitous over the
weekend in their black Oxygen
Gym T-shirts. After his eye-
opening second here last year
and his win at March’s Arnold
Classic, the 5’3” Ashkanani’s
expectations were lofty. Once
again, he was a tale of two halves.
From the waist up, his rear lat
spread is among the best in all of
bodybuilding. But his wheels
continue to be overshadowed by
2
74
AHMAD ASHKANANI
FLEX | JANUARY 2018