All editions of Mister Global thus far includes a deep immersion into Thai culture, and this edition is no exception. This year, the finals would be held in Maha Sarakham, located on the northeastern region renowned for its agriculture. Because of the region's renown as a food basket, several of the activities the contestants partook in are agricultural or food oriented. And with the renowned flavors of the cuisine of this country, it turns out to be a challenge for the contestants to remain in peak form for the preliminary swimsuit competition, as I'll note for some of the contestants as we proceed with the review. Just like in Mister International (New Era), they took some cues from the recently concluded Miss Universe pageant and made the contestants wear their original sashes in the first week of competition. It was only one week before the finals that they gave them their official sashes.
There were initially 39 who confirmed participation, but three eventually backed out or were no-shows. Let's discuss their possible prospects if they made it here:
ITALY - Fabio Camattari. After finishing 12th at this year's Mister Supranational, I was excited that he has the potential to improve on his standing in this pageant. I was disheartened to learn he backed out after he was removed from the roster. Wonder for what reason? It's such a miss he can't reunite with his colleague from ECUADOR for this occasion. I would've loved to see reunion photos of these two guys in Thailand, don't you?
MALI - Harouna Sissoko. After missing out on Mister International (New Era), this guy initially confirmed to participate in this pageant but then backed out again as he was removed from the roster. He reminds me a bit of two-time Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner Mahershala Ali (Moonlight, Green Book), so he could parlay that charisma to make inroads for the black and African contingent. Wonder what happened that he had to back out this time? Will he ever show up in any future Pradit Pradinunt pageant?
ZIMBABWE - Crispen Farai Ncube. He seems a solid African, but it would've likely been an uphill battle for him to make inroads with this batch. Wonder why he no-showed?
So, we have a final roster of 36 contestants competing in this edition, exactly the same number as Mister International (New Era). It's lower than last year's record turnout, of course, and the 2018 and 2019 editions, but can it make up in quality?
BRAZIL - Luiz Gustavo Mustafe Peres. He is fully bearded and not as handsome or charismatic as his predecessors. I also do not find his physique as well-defined as other contenders out there. But I have a feeling that we should not count him out of the running, especially with his background as a banker a possible indication on his intelligence and interview skills, and that some of his more touted colleagues enjoyed the Thai cuisine a little bit too much that they now match his physique. Also, he exudes the vibe of last year's representative from Colombia, Oscar Guerrero, and that guy ended up as 1st runner-up (I only considered him a "Bubbling Under" choice that time).
CAMBODIA - Chomroeun Sovannareach. In a less competitive year, he would've been considered a middle-of-the-road contender as he has a buffed physique. But he has the plainest facial features in this batch, and he proved to be raw and lacking charisma onstage. So he's the clear cellar-dweller in this batch.
CANADA - Yi Fang Gao. He's part of what I call the Cute Boyish Asian (CBA) contingent. He's obviously of Chinese heritage based from his name, and he's probably the closest thing we have for a representative from China in any male pageant this year. He garnered a lot of buzz prior to his arrival, but I feel his charisma dimmed somewhat when he set foot in Thailand. I also found him a bit low wattage during the preliminnary competition. But still, there are some fans still bullish on his prospects, and can point to his "Most Charming Smile" special award to point out he's very much in the game. Plus, it's likely he'll make serious inroads in interview.
CHILE - Alvaro Flores Carvajal. He looks like the one who could be considered the favorite to win it all. He seems to be the one receiving the heaviest buzz, and gotten a whole bunch of special awards and citations throughout the various sub-competitions being staged throughout the tour of northeastern Thailand. He's boyishly handsome (he's one of the youngest at 22 years old) though his features are not really the type I go for. But still, I understand his appeal and he has undeniable stage chops (honed from his background as an actor) that served him very well here. Would he secure his win, or is there someone who could usurp the title from him?
CUBA - Andy González. He's a great looking buffed guy with one slight drawback--he's one of the shortest guys in this batch. Still, he has undeniable charisma, and if the Dominican Republic's Manu Franco can get away with it to win Mister International 2022, this guy would still have mojo to make the Top 15--yes, even if he bulked up a bit as he enjoyed the Thai cuisine a bit too much.
CZECH REPUBLIC - František Knobloch. He's probably the tallest contestant in this batch, and I was expecting a lot more charisma from him especially from the way he looked in his national pageant. But he turned out to be a fizzle as he set foot in Thailand, as most pictures make him look awkward and gangly. Still his height, handsomeness, and lean but rippled physique could not be denied, but would that be enough for him to make it through?
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Ruddy Alexander Taveras Vasquez. This dusky contender may not be conventionally handsome and may not be the most articulate, but he has a buffed bod, a likable personality and solid stage chops. So there is that outside possibility that he can make the cut, but there are a whole lot of more favored contenders out there.
ECUADOR - Bruno Roggiero. Barbieri. All the elements that made him a Top 10 finisher at this year's Mister Supranational are in place here. He can be relied upon for his buffed bod, sex appeal, cosmopolitan background (with that Brazilian and Italian mix in his heritage), and strong stage presence. He seems likely to duplicate or maybe even make it all the way to the Final Five.
EL SALVAODR - Eric Rene Moreno Solis. Some might quibble about his eyebags, but he is actually very appealing and has sex appeal--he sported a national costume that featured a loincloth and little coverage on his behind, creating a thong effect at the back. Even if he enjoyed the Thai cuisine, he still could generate steam in his costume. I've noticed his mannerisms and speech patterns and he seems to be the front-runner for the Sy Lee Fabulousness award. Interesting to note that one of Sy Lee's batchmates at Manhunt International is competing here...Yes, you can look swarthy and "butch" and still be a Sy Lee contender.
FRANCE - Jessy Jaremczyk. Just like his Mister International (New Era) counterpart, he's a handsome guy, though not the sort of handsomeness that I respond to. His stage chops are more on the reticent side, and he also has limited facility in English, but still do not count him out as he counceivably could still be favored enough to go far in this competition.
HONG KONG - Oliver Cheung. Here is a CBA with a beefily rippled, buffed bod. He exudes a lot of charisma that he seems poised to be a Top 15 shoo-in with a serious play for the Top 10 and maybe even Final Five. I suppose because most Asians have rice in their diet, they no longer get affected that much with its consumption affecting their physiques, as he remained enviably buffed and rippled in the preliminary competition that some are considering him the best performer in swimsuit.
INDIA - Jason Dylan Bretfelean. He struck a very elegant presence in his national costume, which almost fully covered him from head to toe. But he also has undeniably a buffed body (maybe not as beefy as pre-arrival photos may suggest, but still enviably buffed) and is likely to be strong in interview, so he seems to be making a serious play for the Top 10 with a possible play for the Final Five and possibly even beyond. Based on info on Wikipedia, it seems he's the youngest contestant in this batch at age 19--I realize Indian guys tend to be easily hirsute even at an early age, that many teenage youths could easily grow facial hair and pass for what we typically think of men in their 20s, at the very least.
COMING UP: INDONESIA to PHILIPPINES
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