Just got clarification from the Man himself on the Flex quoting him as saying that 97 was his best year. Copying and pasting an excerpt from an email that NASSER sent me today on the subject:
"There is a slight misinterpretation from FLEX magazine about what I had said regarding my best showing.
I was discussing Jim Manion's opinion when I said that I am being compared with my best which is what Manion - obviously - thinks was the 1997 " O ". Because Manion almost never, except once went to Europe for one of the European Tours. So he has NOT seen ALL my shows and again, I do not think that 1997 was my best. I was better in 1996, also fuller and bigger in the Euro shows. For Manion however 1997 was " nasser's " best because he could witness personally how Yates looked bad next to me."