The question is: why would rebranding Physique into Classic (a mere semantic difference) and having the competitors pose as the pros do change the fundamental nature of the relationship between the two? Why would this staunch the flow of fans from pro to physique (classic) and make current physique fans suddenly less averse to the bloated, monstrous gut-possessing pros? I fail to see the substantive difference between the current arrangement and the one you've proposed.
By making physique contests different, no flexing or posing, board shorts, the powers that be are making Physique contests a different sport. Physique is more popular because it is more aesthetically pleasing. Fans can relate to the people on stage. "I can look like that some day." But by making it a different sport, they're making flexing and posing more fringe. As they are different sports, it is easy to have a contest that is only physique, and contestants that are only physique athletes. Fewer bodybuilding contests and more physique contests because that's where the money from the gate is.
If instead, you created a spectrum of pro bodybuilding classes, classic bodybuilding, under 212, open, then it is the same sport. Everyone flexes and poses, everyone works all body parts. Athletes can move around from one category to another as they see fit. Bodybuilding becomes more popular because fans once again can relate to at least some of the people on stage.
Figure, Women's Physique and Bikini, being different sports, has already cut into women's pro bodybuilding. Fewer and fewer women's pro bodybuilding contests each year. Pretty soon it will be just Ms International and Ms Olympia. (And what kind of sport
requires world class athletes to compete in high heel shoes).
Now if the judges hadn't been rewarding mass above all else, we wouldn't be in this problem.