Over the past few years, Shawn Ray has doled out his fair share of criticism about bodybuilding contests. From questions about judging to the lack of remuneration for a bodybuilder's posing prowess to overall prize money, Ray has been characteristically vocal in his dissatisfaction.

"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is, tough guy?" the establishment answered, metaphorically of course. "Well, maybe I just will," Ray replied, only not so metaphorically.

True to his word, Ray bucked up in 2003 by presenting a $1,000 best-poser award to Flavio Baccianini at the Masters Olympia. For that year's Mr. Olympia, Ray corralled $9,000 in sponsorship money to give to Melvin Anthony, winner of the best-presentation award. The following year, Ray upped the ante to a cool $10K, much to the delight of its winner, Darrem Charles.

Ray has always been a man of action, as evidenced by his self-promoted muscle camps and athlete seminars. When he was hired by Vyotech, not merely as a celebrity spokesperson but to work in an executive position, and then organized a charity golf tournament to benefit the Children's Hospital of Orange County last July, it had become crystal clear that Ray boasted bona fide business acumen to go along with his big mouth.

So when he announced shortly before the 2005 Mr. Olympia that he'd promote his own bodybuilding and fitness show with Vyotech as his title sponsor, the general reaction was one of anticipation more than surprise. After all, from the day he first stepped onto a bodybuilding stage, Ray has never been known to give less than his all to his sport of choice.

SHOWTIME | Sure enough, the inaugural edition of the Vyotech Shawn Ray Colorado Pro/Am Classic is already a standout in the field of pro shows scheduled for 2006. With a total cash prize till of $72,000 (including women's awards), it ranks as the third richest show in the lineup, behind the Mr. Olympia and the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic. Ray has also managed to push the creative envelope by offering a bevy of prizes to audience members, including a Hummer H3, a flat-screen TV, a laptop, a VIP Olympia Weekend package and more.

The expo features mixed martial arts contests, dance exhibitions, a strongman competition and all the bells and whistles one would expect of a fitness-themed convention.