Who is ‘The Predator’ Tonio Burton?
TONIO Burton is so successful as a bodybuilder that he is known as “The Predator”.
But fans were disappointed to learn that the rising star won’t be appearing at Mr Olympia 2024.
The hard-working athlete has chosen to take some time off, after working hard on his sport and being a mental health advocate.
Bodybuilding helped Tonio turn his life around and he wants to be able to do the same for other people.
Showing early promise
Tonio was born in Lousiana, but moved to Nevada when he was young.
He went to Hug High school in Reno, Nevada, where he was active in school sports.
Tonio excelled in football and it was here that his love for athletics and, later bodybuilding, began.
The athlete then became involved with a gang and that began a very difficult period of his life.
Support during a hard time
In 2017, Tonio’s brother, uncle, aunt and two good friends all passed away.
Sadly, his brother had died from an incident involving gang violence.
Because of this, Tonio decided to become an advocate for young people’s mental health and even worked in a children’s psychiatric hospital.
Bodybuilding then became something that Tonio could lean on.
He said: “The hype and the excitement that came from it, I was like, ‘Oh, I love this.'”
Pro bodybuilder
Tonio made his pro debut at Indy Pro Bodybuilding Show 2021, which he went on to win.
He also won the champion title at the 2023 New York Pro, a massive achievement in the world of bodybuilding.
The athlete is very dedicated to his sport and spends hours in the gym, every day.
At one point in his career, he was eating six meals a day which were often made up of nine ounces of chicken, two cups of rice and asparagus.
Mr Olympia veteran
Tonio made his Mr Olympia debut in 2021 and finished at 10th place in the 212 division.
However, he has announced that he would be withdrawing from Mr Olympia 2024 after qualifying for his position in California.
The news came as a shock to fans, who were hoping that he’d perform even better than he did at Mr Olympia 2023 where he came in at 8th.
He said that he had taken time off to focus on his health and recover from training.
Heavyweight father
Tonio has said that he has two sons, though he keeps much of their private life out of the public eye.
He has said that they are named Elias and Joshua and that they were 14 and 13 in 2023.
Tonio has also said that one of his sons is a football and basketball player and the other takes more of an interest in boxing.
He added that “it’s like seeing myself grow up again” and that he is a “superhero” to his children.
Tonio is more comfortable sharing personal details about himself than his family.
He confirmed on Instagram that he weighs 253.9 lbs, or 115.17kg.