What IF......1991: Lee Haney (Mr. Olympia) vs. Gary Strydom (WBF Champion)

[njflex]

The 1990 Mr. O was nothing compared to what happened to the guys at the 1992 WBF championship. Compared the condition of the competitors from both shows and it's night and day.

true...haney/labrada/still looked very good,gaspari was already slipping by then .92 wfb was bad real bad.

[MCWAY]

Check the videos I put up on the previous post.

[njflex]

Check the videos I put up on the previous post.

i watched them ,fast fowarded through rough parts,embarrasing commentary..i remember them as it was yesterday..i was into it then bbing/competing/muscle sport usa/american muscle /good times really was.

[MCWAY]

i watched them ,fast fowarded through rough parts,embarrasing commentary..i remember them as it was yesterday..i was into it then bbing/competing/muscle sport usa/american muscle /good times really was.

You zipped through Eddie's blasting ninjas into oblivion? Or Dearth's rock-n-roll performance? Or Zuccolotto's lifeguard routine?

[Danimal77]

christian was using his WBF salary for crack.

YUP. I remember when Mike made a "comeback" in the mid 90's. There was an article in Muscle and Fitness and some pics. He looked huge and claimed to be 265 pounds and CLEAN of drugs. Nothing ever came of that.

[Shockwave]

Mike Christian did and Strydom beat him.

Plus, I'd argue that Strydom has Haney on legs.

Back and biceps, Haney hands down.

Triceps go to Strydom.

They're dead even on chest.

Shoulders? I don't know!! Flip a coin.

BB isnt judged body part by body part. .. its judged pose for pose. And Strydom would automatically lose both back poses and the FLS.

Haney beats strydom easily.

[MCWAY]

YUP. I remember when Mike made a "comeback" in the mid 90's. There was an article in Muscle and Fitness and some pics. He looked huge and claimed to be 265 pounds and CLEAN of drugs. Nothing ever came of that.

I remember his article in FLEX (didn't see one in M&F). I'm not sure if he entered a show or planned on it. But, Christian said he did the photo shoot, because he didn't want the last memory of him to be that '92 show. In 1996, he had an interview for MuscleMag International. He claimed he'd never do the Masters Olympia; it simply wasn't worth the time or money (which wouldn't even cover contest prep).

[MCWAY]

BB isnt judged body part by body part. .. its judged pose for pose. And Strydom would automatically lose both back poses and the FLS.

Haney beats strydom easily.

I know it isn't judged bodypart by bodypart.

Christian beats Strydom on back poses and FLS, too. Yet, Strydom topped him in 1991.

There are other bodyparts and poses (i.e. abs and thighs, side triceps, side chest, etc).

[njflex]

I remember his article in FLEX (didn't see one in M&F). I'm not sure if he entered a show or planned on it. But, Christian said he did the photo shoot, because he didn't want the last memory of him to be that '92 show. In 1996, he had an interview for MuscleMag International. He claimed he'd never do the Masters Olympia; it simply wasn't worth the time or money (which wouldn't even cover contest prep).

christian looked huge,biggest ever ,then did shoot and that was it,,he has a quick cameo in money pit ,scene where quinn is on side car 'huge'mike walks by small 'off cycle small.movie was 88 so shot 87 probably.

[Shockwave]

I know it isn't judged bodypart by bodypart.

Christian beats Strydom on back poses and FLS, too. Yet, Strydom topped him in 1991.

There are other bodyparts and poses (i.e. abs and thighs, side triceps, side chest, etc).

Right... but Christian is no Haney. And IMO Strydom doesn't really have anything that much better than Haney in most of those other poses. Haney had a killer FDB, good/great side chest... He just is too good for the extremely incomplete Strydom.

[MCWAY]

Right... but Christian is no Haney. And IMO Strydom doesn't really have anything that much better than Haney in most of those other poses. Haney had a killer FDB, good/great side chest... He just is too good for the extremely incomplete Strydom.

Haney's awesome, no question about it. But his torso is a bit too overdeveloped for his limbs. Strydom seems to have the opposite problem. Great arms and legs (though biceps aren't peaked).

I agree with your statement about Christian (from the waist down, at least). Christian's upper body was one of the few of that era that could match or beat that of Lee Haney. That's why I called Dorian Yates (of the early 90s) Mike Christian with legs.

[njflex]

Haney's awesome, no question about it. But his torso is a bit too overdeveloped for his limbs. Strydom seems to have the opposite problem. Great arms and legs (though biceps aren't peaked).

I agree with your statement about Christian (from the waist down, at least). Christian's upper body was one of the few of that era that could match or beat that of Lee Haney. That's why I called Dorian Yates (of the early 90s) Mike Christian with legs.

christian is the original leverone ,trained into show and grew into top form.

[Ropo]

So going to another federation, becoming the first guy to make $100K for winning a pro bodybuilding show, signing arguably the most lucrative contracts in history (which forced Weider to pony up more cash to keep his bodybuilders), and making a small fortune is your idea of "stupid"?

Strydom entered the Olympia once and placed top 5. But, he looked nowhere near as good as he did in 1991. It's simply a matchup I would have liked to have seen. I know how shows are judged; but Haney and Strydom never went head up, with each looking as they did that year.

Let see...he chance from the IFBB to WBF and instantly were greatest champion of that bunch of clowns, because they didn't have any real bodybuilders there. Why? Because it is small federation for hasbeen's and losers. He chance there because he know that he could not win IFBB shows because he wasn't good enough. He know that, and you still believe that he could beat Haney? One of you guys are wrong, and it isn't him. And by the way, Gary is notable as being the only person to win a Championship title under Vince McMahon's now defunct World Bodybuilding Federation. That federation was only for the show and taking money from the spectators, it fade away in two years. If you still can't understand why he could not win Haney, please compare back shots of these two. Try to find the ultimately best latspread from Strydom, and you see there is none. You can't win shows without one.

[MCWAY]

Let see...he chance from the IFBB to WBF and instantly were greatest champion of that bunch of clowns, because they didn't have any real bodybuilders there. Why? Because it is small federation for hasbeen's and losers. He chance there because he know that he could not win IFBB shows because he wasn't good enough. He know that, and you still believe that he could beat Haney? One of you guys are wrong, and it isn't him. And by the way, Gary is notable as being the only person to win a Championship title under Vince McMahon's now defunct World Bodybuilding Federation. That federation was only for the show and taking money from the spectators, it fade away in two years. If you still can't understand why he could not win Haney, please compare back shots of these two. Try to find the ultimately best latspread from Strydom, and you see there is none. You can't win shows without one.

No real bodybuilders? Let's see:

Mike Christian, 4th place 1990 Mr. Olympia; 6th Place, 1989 Mr. Olympia; 3rd place, 1986 Mr. Olympia; 4th place, 1987 Mr. Olympia.
Berry DeMey, 3rd Place, 1988 Mr. Olympia (returning from a pec tear in 1989)
Mike Quinn, 6th place, 1988 Mr. Olympia; 7th place, 1989 Mr. Olympia)
Tony Pearson, AAU Mr. America; IFBB Grand Prix Denver champion; IFBB Mixed Pairs champion (5x).
Eddie Robinson, 1990 Gold's Classic Champion; 10th place, 1990 Mr. Olympia

A real bunch of 'clowns' there. And, McMahon came within a whisker of signing Rich Gaspari (who only placed second to Haney three times).

As for Strydom, you're right. He couldn't win IFBB shows.....except for:

1987 Night of Champions
1989 Grand Prix, France
1989 Grand Prix, Melbourne
1989 Grand Prix, Sweden

The lowest Strydom ever placed at any IFBB show, prior to jumping to the WBF was 5th; and that was at Mr. Olympia (where he overdieted and dropped too much mass).

And what is it with the broken record here about Strydom's back? I know Haney's back was superior; I said nothing to the contrary. But, I guess you missed the list of guys that Strydom BEAT, who had better backs than he did (i.e. Mike Christian, Tony Pearson, Mike Quinn).

Weider wouldn't have locked up his bodybuilders with contracts or threatened to ban any defectors for life, never mind all the guys who repeatedly bounced from the IFBB to NABBA and back (i.e. Samir Bannout, Ed Kawak, etc), if he didn't believe the WBF to be a legitimate threat.

Edit - Samir Bannout, 1983 Mr. Olympia competed at the 1991 Olympia. And this was AFTER competed at the NABBA World Championships, less than a year earlier, winning an IFBB pro show in 1990, and being disqualified in the '90 Arnold Classic.

[Ropo]

No real bodybuilders? Let's see:

Mike Christian, 4th place 1990 Mr. Olympia; 6th Place, 1989 Mr. Olympia; 3rd place, 1986 Mr. Olympia; 4th place, 1987 Mr. Olympia.
Berry DeMey, 3rd Place, 1988 Mr. Olympia (returning from a pec tear in 1989)
Mike Quinn, 5th place, 1988 Mr. Olympia; 7th place, 1989 Mr. Olympia)
Tony Pearson, AAU Mr. America; IFBB Grand Prix Denver champion; IFBB Mixed Pairs champion (5x).
Eddie Robinson, 1990 Gold's Classic Champion; 10th place, 1990 Mr. Olympia

A real bunch of 'clowns' there. And, McMahon came within a whisker of signing Rich Gaspari (who only placed second to Haney three times).

As for Strydom, you're right. He couldn't win IFBB shows.....except for:

1987 Night of Champions
1989 Grand Prix, France
1989 Grand Prix, Melbourne
1989 Grand Prix, Sweden

The lowest Strydom ever placed at any IFBB show, prior to jumping to the WBF was 5th; and that was at Mr. Olympia (where he overdieted and dropped too much mass).

And what is it with the broken record here about Strydom's back? I know Haney's back was superior; I said nothing to the contrary. But, I guess you missed the list of guys that Strydom BEAT, who had better backs than he did (i.e. Mike Christian, Tony Pearson, Mike Quinn).

Weider wouldn't have locked up his bodybuilders with contracts or threatened to ban any defectors for life, never mind all the guys who repeatedly bounced from the IFBB to NABBA and back (i.e. Samir Bannout, Ed Kawak, etc), if he didn't believe the WBF to be a legitimate threat.

Edit - Samir Bannout, 1983 Mr. Olympia competed at the 1991 Olympia. And this was AFTER competed at the NABBA World Championships, less than a year earlier, winning an IFBB pro show in 1990, and being disqualified in the '90 Arnold Classic.

What did you not understand in the  word hasbeens? All of those, Cristian etc. were going downhill real fast, and this federation of clowns was their last try to leave with some money. This federation, which last two years before it fade away.. I understand that you are real fan of Strydom and he is one of the most impressive bb:ers what I have ever met face to face, but only way he could beat Haney would be in the situation where Haney sleeps and Strydom has a baseball bat. He would have been able to win on stage, if he would have even average back, but he didn't. It is very clear that he love to train his pecks and thighs, and ignore his back. Do you understand? You can't talk that wide back to him, we have the photographic evidence that he hasn't one. Just be a nice boy and tear down those sperm stained old posters of him, he is never coming back  

[MCWAY]

What did you not understand in the  word hasbeens? All of those, Cristian etc. were going downhill real fast, and this federation of clowns was their last try to leave with some money. This federation, which last two years before it fade away.. I understand that you are real fan of Strydom and he is one of the most impressive bb:ers what I have ever met face to face, but only way he could beat Haney would be in the situation where Haney sleeps and Strydom has a baseball bat. He would have been able to win on stage, if he would have even average back, but he didn't. It is very clear that he love to train his pecks and thighs, and ignore his back. Do you understand? You can't talk that wide back to him, we have the photographic evidence that he hasn't one. Just be a nice boy and tear down those sperm stained old posters of him, he is never coming back  

Yep, nothing says downhill fast like placing top 5 or top 10 multiple times.  

Weider's reaction to them leaving would indicate that he hardly thought those guys were has-beens. As stated earlier, several bodybuilders (including former Mr. O, Samir Bannout) had jumped to NABBA, with no threats of being banned for life; and they were allowed to return. So why did he panic, when the WBF hit the scene?

And, I am a fan of both Strydom and Haney (actually, Eddie Robinson was a big favorite of mine. He's from Florida, too; I picked him or Strydom to win the WBF title), which is why I wish they would have done battle in 1991.

The rest of your statements are utter foolishness. Strydom didn't ignore his back anymore than Haney ignored his arms. Each guy has his strengths and weaknesses. If having a back were all it took to be Mr. Olympia, Pearson and Christian would have a Sandow or two each.

And the sperm stuff? It sound as if you're projecting. Is there something you wish to share with the class?