-Columbu over Padilla, '81 - a joke. Many of the top BBs such as Padilla, Robinson, Mentzer, Szkalak and Fox left the IFBB around that time, or retired due to the decisions. Callendar and Platz were also more deserving of the title than Columbu.
-Oliva being excluded from the '71 Olympia.
-Columbu and Zane winning so much in the late 70s when Nubret, Oliva and Fox were in great shape and felt they weren't going to be given a fair shake. Robinson deserved at least 1 Olympia over Zane during that time. Columbu was clearly not the "world's best built man in '76", but as Nubret has mentioned here, he was one of Weider's boys.
-Some of Yates' wins over various minorities who took turns over various years in being physically better than Yates, including Dillet and Levrone. A late 90s Wheeler also trounces the keg, but that wasn't politics just bad timing in peaking a couple of years too late.
-Pearl over Oliva, NABBA Universe. Oliva clearly had alot more size AND far more pronounced tapers.
-Nubret I believe he wished to ascend to greater heights within either the IFBB political heirarchy, and/or wanted to be an Olympia promoter. In any case he was denied, and never competed in the Olympia after '75 even though he'd clearly have been the favorite against Zane in the late 70s. Instead he founded the rival WABBA.
-Pumping Iron movie version-unlike the book, the movie focused on IFBB BBs and either completely ignored (Oliva) or gave reduced exposure (Nubret, Robinson) to various BBs, while focusing on lesser IFBB BBs. Thus distorting the true competition Schwarzenegger would've faced in fair shows in terms of superior BBs and superior minds relative to some of the duds featured as Arnold's peers in the movie.
-'72 Olympia - less debatable IMO, because they were still very close, within the margin allowed an existing champ, even though Schwarzenegger wasn't at his best. Note that since Schwarzenegger considered that Oliva was the best guy in '72, Schwarzenegger evidentally used that as motivation to be at his best in the following 2 shows, '73 and '74. Also he never showed up again without a tan as he'd done in '72. Sergio didn't show up in '73-'74, most likely believing after the early 70s shows that he would never win no matter what-hence his challenge to Schwarzenegger in the audience at the Mr. International show prior to the '73 Olympia, when Arnold did not accept the challenge in neutral, non-IFBB territory.
In that one shot he looks good but even there he has vrituallyNO tapers in comparison. Oliva's X and V tapers are far more dramatic, coupled with alot more size.
Big call some of the comments you have made in this post of yours, and while i can see where you are coming from in a couple of your takes on the events mentioned above this is my take.
In 1981 going on the body being judged as a whole my take is Chris dickerson was more Complete as in Presentation, posing, Physquie,etc than Franco, Danny and the rest of the top blokes, while Danny was complete and ripped he looked small and was dawfed next to near everybody...Dickerson included...if your talking about a guy standing by himself on stage...Dannys your winner, Roys calves were no good at that level, Platzs legs were still too big compared to his upper body even at his best in 1981.
Ill always rate Sergio over Bill pearl however, Its clear why Sergio wasn,t allowed to Compete in the 1971 Mr O and not a Consiraciey as people have pointed out.
Sergio was Contracted to enter IFBB Contests at the time...He chose to compete in the NABBA Mr Universe in 1971 showed up in Less than ripped condation (witch was common for Sergio) and got beaten by Bill Pearl...Then thought he'd just pop back into the IFBB and Compete @ the 1971 IFBB Mr O...no Conspiraciey there..what is a little odd is that Weider allowed Sergio to "guess pose" @ the show in Paris while arnold won "uncontested"...odd but hardly a Conspiriciey.
You mention some of Dorian's wins were qestionable over physically better guys like Dillet and Kevin L, as well as Flex in the late 90s....in 1993 Dillet was as impressive as he ever was in terms of shape, size, cuts (with the possible exception of his 1996 shape)...However judging the body as a COMPLETE package in 1993, 94, 96 etc..in terms of Proportion, hardness, dencity,COMPLETENESS.... Paul was never going to beat Dorian with his back issue's, clumsey presentation, posing, etc...because paul had a Better V taper, bigger shoulders and arms, that is not going to beat Dorian who at the time was very complete from head to toe, same thing with Kevin who looked outstanding in 1992, bigger (but somewhat softer) in 1993...Kevin looked outstanding however his back and calves were as a general rule of thumb a little suspect compared to his massive Shoulders, arms... again from head to toe Dorian based on Completness of the Physquie was more Complete than Kevin, and as far as Flex goes...Flex was a better, shaper, cuts etc...BB in the early 1990s....so im a little surprised you mentioned Flexed peaked in the late 1990s
..as most people in BB know Flex's physquie while bigger looking in the late 90s was suspect as hell in those shoulders, arms and other place's...Flex like Sergio many years before him seemed to peak well at lesser shows than the O...but show up at the Most Importent Contest the Olympia...in less than Peaked condation and lose... then everyone jumps up and down that Flex should of "beaten" Dorian
in his 1993 AC shape...He'd be real hard to beat...but he never-ever showed up close to that condation at the O etheir when Dorian was numba 1 or against Ronnie in 1998 or 1999...no conspiraciey's there in my veiw. lots of people always go on about this guy having Bigger, better, arms, shoulders, chest, better V Tapers etc..than Dorian...the reason they ALL lost against Dorian is More than Clear...Dorian was more COMPLETE than all of them..and when his ripped his bicep...having a ripped bicep is not the same as a weak back, weak calves etc, the only guy that had the potental to Beat Dorain i feel at his best back then was Flex in 1993-96...back then Flex was COMPLETE without the OIL rubbish that he clearly was injecting into his shoulders and else where in the Late 90s (1999 to be more presize)
Nubert was not Complete as most in BB know in the mid 70s etc...Frank zane was...Zanes legs while not big were in PROPORTION with his upper body etc, and when it came to complete package as in Posing, presentation, dencity, proportion of both top and bottom....Frank was going to beat Serge...if we were judgeing the WHOLE BODY not who had "better" bodyparts...Robbie seemed to have a hard time nailing his Condation in 1978 he won the Over 200lb divison Mr Olympia...but lost the overall to a better condationed Frank Zane...same thing with Mike Mentzer in 1979 Mike was bigger, more impressive looking etc...but less condationed = Frank zane the winner... so i don,t see any Conspirraciey's in ANY of Frank Zane's wins in 1977,78,79....O.K now thats my 2 cents... ill put on my Bullet proof Vest and Helmet....