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Getbig Misc Discussion Boards => Wrestling Board => Topic started by: Playboy on April 12, 2011, 06:45:12 AM
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Throughout that fall and winter, potential WBF candidates were flown first class to TitanSport's Connecticut headquarters and given VIP treatment. Speculation ran wild as to who the WBF would sign.
All was revealed at a glitzy press conference staged at New York's Plaza Hotel on January 30th, 1991, when out strode the following 13 athletes: Aaron Baker, Mike Christian, Vince Comerford, David Dearth, Berry DeMey, Johnnie Morant, Danny Padilla, Tony Pearson, Jim Quinn, Mike Quinn, Eddie Robinson, Gary Strydom, and Troy Zuccolotto.
In recruiting the 13 musclemen, the WBF has flourished megabucks. For instance, it was reported that Gary Strydom had a three-year deal worth $400,000 per year.
McMahon announced that the WBF's first contest would be held in Atlantic City on June 15th, 1991 at the opulent Taj Mahal casino, owned by Donald Trump. The Plaza Hotel lineup was more impressive than anyone had previously thought, and Tom Platz further said that the signing of other 'biggies' would occur before June 15th. It seemed that a potent force was being assembled, and in reaction to the threat, the Weider / IBFF began signing athletes to contracts. In retrospect, that press conference can be viewed as the WBF's finest hour.
Eighteen months later on July 15th, 1992, Vince McMahon was reduced from 'kicking butt' to kissing it when he called Ben and Joe Weider, pronounced them the fathers of bodybuilding, and told them he was closing down his bodybuilding magazine production and the WBF.
Since the January 1991 press conference, the history of the WBF has been nothing but a catalog of disasters, including two lackluster contests that prompted the comment that WBF stood for 'We bore fans'; the Lou Ferrigno now you see him, now you don't farce, and McMahon's involvement in an ongoing drug scandal, during which he had been forced to admit to his own 'experimental' use of anabolic steroids.
The reason for McMahon's astonishing phone call to the brothers Weider, presumably, was that he wished to ensure he would be able to advertise Icopro products (the supplement he had millions invested in) in Muscle & Fitness, and Flex.
Having lost a reported 15 million dollars on his foray into bodybuilding, McMahon bowed out, disgracefully, many of the athletes said, as they were left to fend for themselves. After several variations of an appropriated penalty for re-entering the IFBB area had been mooted, it was announced in February 1993 that the WBF athletes would be allowed to compete at IFBB events: the fine being 10% of each individual's annual WBF salary, deducted from contest winnings and guest appearances. Of the 13 WBF athletes, six competed in May 1993 IFBB contests. None of them gained an Olympia qualifying place. The WBF came into being in 1991 with 13 athletes and, after a two-contest lifespan, expired in 1992 with 13 athletes.
It took a special kind of conceit on McMahon's part to think he could achieve more in two years than what it took Joe and Ben Weider 50 years to build. But if your life's work has been one of being satiated in the pantomime of pro wrestling, it must be difficult at times to know where acting ends and reality begins.
The athletes who signed with the WBF did so for financial gain. There's nothing wrong for that, and the IFBB, understanding that 'business is business', allowed them to return with a much milder penalty than anyone had first imagined. To those who say there should have been no penalty, how would they explain such leniency to those who refused the WBF's bait?
The opening of May's 1993 Night of Champions celebrated the return of the WBF athletes to the IFBB fold. Against a graveyard setting, they were resurrected and reunited with their former colleagues. The tableau concluded with the strains of John Sebastian singing 'Welcome Back'. Perhaps the symbolism of that scenario, made unquestionably complete by the reality of an onstage Icopro banner, and the sentiments within the song bear further scrutiny. The WBFers are now IFBB pros, and no future stigma should be inferred or attached to them for the former allegiance. THE WBF story is over and done with.
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The athletes who signed with the WBF did so for financial gain. There's nothing wrong for that, and the IFBB, understanding that 'business is business', allowed them to return with a much milder penalty than anyone had first imagined
lol bullshit. Who wrote this, Bob Chick?
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what was the name of the wbf magazine,can you still find back issues.
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what was the name of the wbf magazine,can you still find back issues.
I think The Bodybuilding Lifestyle or something like that.
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one of the funniest stories i remember from this fiasco was when at the press conference tom platz the talent coordinator was asked if the bodybuilders would also be wrestling he said no way in a condescending manner prompting daggers flying from vinnie macs eyes.
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The athletes who signed with the WBF did so for financial gain. There's nothing wrong for that, and the IFBB, understanding that 'business is business', allowed them to return with a much milder penalty than anyone had first imagined
lol bullshit. Who wrote this, Bob Chick?
lol....
On the other hand, look at the salaries that Vince was giving these guys. Strydom was making 400,000 dollars a year as the highest paid. Others were ranging anywhere from 200,000 - 300,000 dollars per year. What was Joe paying IFBB guys?
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lol....
On the other hand, look at the salaries that Vince was giving these guys. Strydom was making 400,000 dollars a year as the highest paid. Others were ranging anywhere from 200,000 - 300,000 dollars per year. What was Joe paying IFBB guys?
Oh, I'm not disagreeing with that, but to say that these guys were welcomed back with open arms just isn't true. They were all black balled and most of them never recovered. The IFBB is just as full of politics and pettiness as the WWE is.Vince paying those guys what he did was ludicrous and whoever wrote that sounds like a Weider ball washer.
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I think The Bodybuilding Lifestyle or something like that.
Originally, it was called "Bodybuilding Lifestyles".
(http://www.bodybuilding-pics.com/138/images/Mike_Christian_photo2.jpg)
This was the last one before they change it to:
(http://musclememory.com/magCovers/bl/bl0110.jpg)
Eventually, it got changed to WBF magazine. I bought nearly everyone of them in high school and college. But, when I moved in 1994, they got lost.
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I thought the WBF was cool. Since I was into bodybuilding in the early 90s and had been a big WWF wrestling fan, the prospect of Vince McMahon having a wrestling and bodybuilding federation was AWESOME to me.
And, for once, it was nice seeing bodybuilders on TV on a regular basis (not once every 2 months at 3 a.m. on ESPN). I saw the results of the first WBF championship the week after it happened on WWF Superstars. And I ordered the 2nd (and final) WBF championship on pay-per-view; that cost me $15.
Here are some snippets from the 1st championship:
"Major Guns" Eddie Robinson (well, before he got that particular nickname)
"The Zuke" Troy Zuccolotto
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"The Flexing Dutchman" Berry DeMey
"The Future" Jim Quinn
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"The Rock & Roll Wild Child" David Dearth
Gary Strydom (the eventual 1991 WBF Champion)
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Oh, I'm not disagreeing with that, but to say that these guys were welcomed back with open arms just isn't true. They were all black balled and most of them never recovered. The IFBB is just as full of politics and pettiness as the WWE is.Vince paying those guys what he did was ludicrous and whoever wrote that sounds like a Weider ball washer.
Well, certain guys were. Lou Ferrigno was one. Gary Strydom was another.
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Are there any clips left on youtube of the infamous 1992 contest that was drug tested (for real / no coverup) as Vince was under scrutiney at the time? That was the show where Mike Quinn came out and looked FAT and like he swallowed half the Atlantic ocean and with NO definition. Crazy shit.
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can you buy tapes or download the old wbf tv shows anywhere?
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Are there any clips left on youtube of the infamous 1992 contest that was drug tested (for real / no coverup) as Vince was under scrutiney at the time? That was the show where Mike Quinn came out and looked FAT and like he swallowed half the Atlantic ocean and with NO definition. Crazy shit.
Check them out (they cut the "pre-films" in some of them)
"Major Guns" Eddie Robinson
"The Jetman" Tony Pearson
"The Future" Jim Quinn
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classic ;D
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I remember Troy Z giving an interview a few years later and he said that the only reason he signed with the WBF was for the money because he was just too lazy to keep working out and hated training and dieting all together. He said he had planned to just quit all along before he got the contract to the WBF presented to him so he took it just for the $$$ that he was guaranteed.
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classic ;D
OMG....who is that on the far left? The Berzerker?
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OMG....who is that on the far left? The Berzerker?
HUSS!!! HUSS!!! HUSS!!!
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I remember Troy Z giving an interview a few years later and he said that the only reason he signed with the WBF was for the money because he was just too lazy to keep working out and hated training and dieting all together. He said he had planned to just quit all along before he got the contract to the WBF presented to him so he took it just for the $$$ that he was guaranteed.
I don't recall his saying that in an interview he did with MD a year or two ago. Plus, the Zuke went back to the IFBB and got a Weider contract in 1994 (he was the star of a promo videotape that came with a 12-lb bag of Super Mega Mass 2000 back in the mid 90s).
He and Eddie Robinson didn't come back for a while, because they were still under contract to Titan Sports (which later became World Wrestling Federation Entertainment and is now known simply as World Wrestling Entertainment). Eddie was still endorsing ICOPRO supplements, with being drug-tested as part of the deal. That may be one of the few times it was more economically feasible for a bodybuilder to be drug-free.
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lol Vince loves Gary
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I kind of wish Vince would have made a better run. He probably would have screwed it up, but I am not sure it could be in much worse shape.
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lol Vince loves Gary
That's the clip from BodyStars (I have that on videotape) which aired a week before the WBF championship. It was years before I saw the one I posted earlier with the actual commentary with Tom Platz and some other guy (with the first name of Greg), instead of Vince McMahon's voice-over and that pitiful piped-in applause.
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That's the clip from BodyStars (I have that on videotape) which aired a week before the WBF championship. It was years before I saw the one I posted earlier with the actual commentary with Tom Platz and some other guy (with the first name of Greg), instead of Vince McMahon's voice-over and that pitiful piped-in applause.
I'm pretty sure Vince had at least 2 orgasms during that video.
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I'm pretty sure Vince had at least 2 orgasms during that video.
Have you also heard "things?"
:)
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I found a VHS copy of the 1991 WBF championship for just under $8. I've always wanted to see the entire show, not just the clips that I recorded off BodyStars or the footage I've found on YouTube.
I've often wondered what the 1992 show would have been like, prior to the hammer going down (and if Ferrigno has stayed to challenge Strydom).
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The drug testing ruined the WBF totally.
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The drug testing ruined the WBF totally.
McMahon had no choice. There was NO WAY the wrestlers were going to endure it, while the bodybuilders got off scott-free. Plus, he hired Dr. Mauro Dipasquale, who tested them for everything but the kitchen sink.
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Vince was years ahead of his time with this concept. Supposedly Strydom was the top paid with Jim Quinn making in the range of $150K per yr. It was a no brainer as these guys made more money in one yr then they would in 5 in the IFBB. If this was around today, I think t would have been successful. With Vince's money and Wayne Demilla's mind...it would have done well.
When they all returned, they were supposeldy welcomed with open arms when in fact they weren't. I think Aaron Baker was the only one that continued to truly compete and always placed out of the money when IMO, he was one of the better BB'ers out there and could stand toe to toe with Flex,Cormier and a few others.....
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Vince was years ahead of his time with this concept. Supposedly Strydom was the top paid with Jim Quinn making in the range of $150K per yr. It was a no brainer as these guys made more money in one yr then they would in 5 in the IFBB. If this was around today, I think t would have been successful. With Vince's money and Wayne Demilla's mind...it would have done well.
When they all returned, they were supposeldy welcomed with open arms when in fact they weren't. I think Aaron Baker was the only one that continued to truly compete and always placed out of the money when IMO, he was one of the better BB'ers out there and could stand toe to toe with Flex,Cormier and a few others.....
Don't forget about David Dearth. He did alright himself. And Mike Quinn, he redeemed himself by placing 5th at the 1994 NOC, which qualified him for the Olympia.
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I just got the 1991 WBF Championship that I ordered off Amazon.com.
But, for the big haired ladies (the BodyRockers), you'd hardly know that this video is nearly 20 years old. The production looks better than Olympia shows TODAY.
I just finished watching Berry DeMey's performance, followed by Aaron Baker. Right now, Troy Zuccolotto's "pre-film" is on. And Troy's about to appear with his beach bunnies.
It just goes to show how far the WBF fell off in 1992. The "BodyRockers" in 1991 were women; in 1992, they were a bunch of little kids.
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Mike Christian is up.
All I can say is that if you don't believe the 1992 Championship was drug-tested to the nth-degree, take a GOOD LOOK at Mike Christian from 1991; then look at him in 1992.
Keep in mind that the the testing started three months before the 2nd show.
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Mike Quinn took the drug testing the hardest, you want to talk about not coming in shape.....they would have been better saying he had food poisoning or the flu...
Regarding the Amazon purchase...was it DVD or VHS as I would love to get a copy of DVD
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Mike Quinn took the drug testing the hardest, you want to talk about not coming in shape.....they would have been better saying he had food poisoning or the flu...
Actually, "The Phoenix" Vince Comeford didn't show for the 1992 Championship due to pneumonia (and hasn't been seen since the '91 show).
Regarding the Amazon purchase...was it DVD or VHS as I would love to get a copy of DVD
As of last week there are only 4 copies left on Amazon.com. All of them are videotapes (this was back in 1991)
The cheapest one left is $9.98 + $2.98 (S & H). I got the previous cheapest one for $4.98.
Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/6302178304/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&qid=1303645763&sr=8-1&condition=all (http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/6302178304/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&qid=1303645763&sr=8-1&condition=all)
I finally got to see one of my all-time favorites, Eddie Robinson (Major Guns), do his entire routine from the 1991 show, not just the snippet that aired on BodyStars. That's Eddie at his best. I actually picked either him or Strydom to win it all, back in 1991; but I was disappointed when Eddie got 5th.
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The "Giant Killer" Danny Padilla's routine is to say the least, interesting. I saw some old footage of him. It appears he didn't do all that samba stuff, until he joined the WBF.
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It was interesting as nobody really had a "track record" aside from Padilla and Strydom as everyone else was a gamble....
Again I think if it was today, it would have been successful...
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It was interesting as nobody really had a "track record" aside from Padilla and Strydom as everyone else was a gamble....
Again I think if it was today, it would have been successful...
Not quite!!
Mike Christian: He placed 4th at the 1990 Mr. Olympia before jumping ship; won the Pro World Championships (the forerunner to the Arnold Classic).
Mike Quinn: Two top-10 Olympia placings
Eddie Robinson: Placed 10th at the 1990 Olympia; won his first pro show (1990 Gold's Classic).
Tony Pearson: Winner of several pro shows (most notably, mixed pairs championships).
The three rookies at that show were Jim Quinn (1990 North American Champion), Aaron Baker (1990 USA Champion), and Troy Zuccolotto (1989 NPC Nationals Champion; 1989 IFBB World Amateur Champion [Mr. Universe]).
On another note, I think Johnnie Morant wants to have a little chat with Toney Freeman about stealing his "Executioner" gimmick.
;D
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Mike Quinn took the drug testing the hardest, you want to talk about not coming in shape.....they would have been better saying he had food poisoning or the flu...
The commentators at the second show threw Mike Christian under the bus. Tom Platz even suggested "I think he's had a hard time with the transition to steroid-free.
As for Quinn, Vince McMahon's comments were a bit kinder, "But, I think it's safe to say, Tom, in terms of physique, that Mighy Mike Quinn has been better in the past. Same with Christian, "Unbelievable effort on the part of Mike Christian, who has not been enjoying the greatest of health, as of late. But, I tell you!! What an effort!!"
Christian looked as if he was impaled, prior to his posing performance.
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did any of the competitors fail the drug test?
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did any of the competitors fail the drug test?
The testing was done throughout the months, leading to the championship, not just on the day of the show. Mike Christian complained that he had some stuff, lingering in his system when his test results were positive even when he ceased with the intake. Nonetheless, he said it cost him a month's check ($25,000).