Not really. Yates was given several Olympia gifts, didn't live up to the purported "greatness" much of the time but won thanx to politics. If you chose blindness to this fine, but it's very true-he didn't deserve many of the "wins" against more deserving peers aside from Coleman dominating him in pics, as proven reguarly. Schwarzenegger said same, that Yates wasn't what BB should be about, a significant criticism, not a minor one-was he also biased? I think not.
I don't honestly see that Yates OR Ronnie ever won to politics. MAYBE once for each man, but that's it.
1992: I guess someone could say Kevin should've won, but have you seen his back that year? He lost a LOT of size from even the Jr. Nationals. He was shredded but Dorian was in even better shape. I don't think this one's debatable. If someone disagrees, please say so and why.
1993: ? Does anyone debate this at all? Flex was in great shape, but how many poses did he win, including the relaxed round? One? Maybe two?
1994: Yates had the color of a glazed doughnut and was definitely off his usual standard. I saw this contest in-person in Atlanta with my dad and brothers. I always thought Shawn Ray was a bit of a J. Alfred Prufrock type, but I wanted him to win this one
But as good as Levrone and Ray were, they still did not win enough mandatories or relaxes poses to take Dorian. But Shawn was VERY good that year ... he was so cut it was scary. The only thing is, his relative lack of width hurt him. And it didn't help that, even when Dorian was not at his best, he was still very-well conditioned. (I've seen the pictures y'all pull out. I told you his coloring was horrid, but I'm also telling you he had very, very low bodyfat. Do not other pictures from the show bear that out?)
In any case, I could see this as Dorian's Waterloo/political win. MAYBE. It's just too bad that doesn't hold up to reason ... Shawn looked sooooo good, but he just didn't have the goods to whip Dorian in most of those key poses.
1995: ? Does anyone really debate this?
1996: I love Shawn Ray's physique. But his best chance was in 1994, when he was much more cut-up. I think Nasser was actually the strongest challenger but, aside from the fact he failed the drug test, he won three poses and lost all the rest, just as he did a year later.
1997: Again, Nasser was easily the strongest opposition. I would give him front relaxed, front double-biceps, most-muscular and
maybe ab-thigh. Nasser had great abs and crazy big legs if not the most separated thighs.
Contrarily, Dorian won side relaxed, side triceps, front lat spread (Nasser was close, though; Dorian was too heavy and his obliques nearly threw off his usual dominance in that pose), side chest and the back poses, not to mention side and back relaxed.
2000: Lots of people say Levrone should have won that year, but Ronnie was more cut, more complete and a lot bigger. Just because Ronnie smoothed out some from 1999 is no reason he shouldn't have won
No contest.
2001: Cutler was harder than Ronnie, but I think Ronnie schooled him on most of the mandatories and relaxed poses.
The judges saw it differently at first, but they did realize Ronnie's superiority by the end. Maybe THIS was a political thing, but I really think the best man won in the end.
2002: Ronnie lost way too much weight, but Kevin's legs were almost totally gone by this point and his back was still no match for Ronnie's. Cormier was too smooth to threaten either, though I do think he should've been second by virtue of the fact he had legs and Kevin didn't. I might've placed Gunter higher but Ronnie was still in OK if not great form. Even with smallish arms for him, he still had the front and rear lat spreads, rear double-biceps, side-chest and most-muscular poses locked.
For that matter, I probably would've awarded Ronnie first in 2006. Jay was better from the back, but Ronnie was better from the front and sides. (What I don't get is when people say Ronnie should've lost to Jay sooner, like in 2004?
)
As far as Arnold's opinion of Yates goes, I don't know what he said so I can't comment
My point was simple: because a majority believes something's rule does not, in fact, mean that it must be. Don't a majority of Americans believe in angels? *laughs
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By the way, Pumpster, I'm not blind to anything. I'm just saying that Dorian and Ronnie were totally amazing to behold in their primes, and I get a little tired of people making fun of either of them. The fact is, they were both truly AMAZING to see firsthand, and both were far better than their detractors give them credit for.
I'm a huge fan of Ronnie AND Dorian!
