Rory and Bob

[Nether Animal]

Two of the greatest physiques ever... should Rory have beaten Bob?

[Coach is Back!]

Two of the greatest physiques ever... should Rory have beaten Bob?

Both awesome physiques. Rory use to do Bobs prep when he was coming up. Bob had little trouble nailing his conditioning but if Rory could have he would have been unstoppable. Rory was one of the first bodybuilders to break the 300lb offseason mark. Bob would stay relatively close to his competition weight. It would have been interesting to see what Rory could have done if he could have nailed his conditioning.

[240 is Back]

Rory looked a little rusty there.

[Never1AShow]

Rory looked a little rusty there.

This is what is so crazy about bodybuilding.  Look at those pictures, the difference is pretty much just water and maybe just a little bit of fat.  Either could have looked significantly better or worse give or take 12 hours. 

A significant change in bodybuilding history could have occured had Rory won that instead of Paris.  Rory would have been competing with Haney.  Same goes for Mendenhall.

[Coach is Back!]

This is what is so crazy about bodybuilding.  Look at those pictures, the difference is pretty much just water and maybe just a little bit of fat.  Either could have looked significantly better or worse give or take 12 hours. 

A significant change in bodybuilding history could have occured had Rory won that instead of Paris.  Rory would have been competing with Haney.  Same goes for Mendenhall.

That's a great observation. I never thought of it like that.

[tommywishbone]

Legendary photograph. Rory is a taller, better looking, white Sergio Oliva.  Unsurpassed.  Paris is much smaller but he's better.  That makes no sense, but it makes perfect sense.

[Never1AShow]

Legendary photograph. Rory is a taller, better looking, white Sergio Oliva.  Unsurpassed.  Paris is much smaller but he's better.  That makes no sense, but it makes perfect sense.

I agree, even considering this is just a still photo.  But it wouldn't have been outrageous to see it go the other way.  I also think that maybe the judges were not just looking at Rory on that day but also looking at what he could have been with just a bit more leanness.  I think competitors sometimes get marked down deliberately or not if the conditioning looks like it could use a little more work even if objectively they are pretty close to the guy that places ahead of them.

[Never1AShow]

BTW, Gaspari 5th, Mendenhall 4th and Mike Christian 3rd.  What a lineup.

[Walter Sobchak]

BTW, Gaspari 5th, Mendenhall 4th and Mike Christian 3rd.  What a lineup.

And a two decades later, bodybuilding as we knew it was dead

[tommywishbone]

I agree, even considering this is just a still photo.  But it wouldn't have been outrageous to see it go the other way.  I also think that maybe the judges were not just looking at Rory on that day but also looking at what he could have been with just a bit more leanness.  I think competitors sometimes get marked down deliberately or not if the conditioning looks like it could use a little more work even if objectively they are pretty close to the guy that places ahead of them.

Valid points.

Watched Rory prep for that show when he was 12-13 weeks out.  Crazy. His traps, delts, arms and pec thickness was only matched by 275 pound world class power lifters. His legs were almost as bad.  Just crazy.

[Simple Simon]

Legendary photograph. Rory is a taller, better looking, white Sergio Oliva.  Unsurpassed.  Paris is much smaller but he's better.  That makes no sense, but it makes perfect sense.

Has there ever been before or since two better proportioned and symetrical bodybuilders onstage at the same time.

[wes]

I miss real bodybuilding.   

[ritch]

Those guys on stage look incredible.
It sure has gone down the shitter... The MPD guys are getting bigger but try watching that??? You can't.

[illuminati]

BTW, Gaspari 5th, Mendenhall 4th and Mike Christian 3rd.  What a lineup.

Wow yes What a lineup.
Rory for the Win That Day.
Sadly it was not meant to be.

[Coffeed]

If bodybuilders looked like this today, I really believe it would be far more accepted.

Drugged up genetic freaks, but in modern "bodybuilding" they would be unknowns.

[crownshep]

Thats the screencap i took from the dvd of the 83 nationals, i first posted it on ironage about 10 years ago,and still to this day is an absolute classic shot.I`ve a question for coach (joe),how come after Rory won the light heavies in 81,he didn`t do the nationals in 82,in my opinion he would have easily beat Haney in the heavies in 82,at that point Haney had very poor arms.Whay did he take that year off and wait till 83 to compete again.

[Simple Simon]

Thats the screencap i took from the dvd of the 83 nationals, i first posted it on ironage about 10 years ago,and still to this day is an absolute classic shot.I`ve a question for coach (joe),how come after Rory won the light heavies in 81,he didn`t do the nationals in 82,in my opinion he would have easily beat Haney in the heavies in 82,at that point Haney had very poor arms.Whay did he take that year off and wait till 83 to compete again.

how did these guys ever manage to make the weight and still look so huge, under 200lb at 6ft+ amazing

[crownshep]

I think in 81 he over dieted and ended up in that class,he would have beat Dreher had he entered the heavyweight class.This is how he looked at under 90kg.

[BDsauce]

Rory is harder but Bob is tighter....

[SilverSpoon]

What is interesting to me about Rory in the comparison pic to Paris is just how lean Rory's face is.

I know he has that facial structure, but his face is already dried out. 

I am under 40, but still remember looking at my older brother's magazines and realizing the differences in each competitor's physique.

Now, they sadly all look very similar. 

It is almost as if judging is done by who is not the worst.

[Coach is Back!]

Thats the screencap i took from the dvd of the 83 nationals, i first posted it on ironage about 10 years ago,and still to this day is an absolute classic shot.I`ve a question for coach (joe),how come after Rory won the light heavies in 81,he didn`t do the nationals in 82,in my opinion he would have easily beat Haney in the heavies in 82,at that point Haney had very poor arms.Whay did he take that year off and wait till 83 to compete again.

He never won the Nationals. That year the lt.Heavies and overall were won by Tim Belknap. Rory should have gone in the heavies. If I remember right, he was under the guidance of Jeff Feliciano who had him on a severe diet, amphetamines to make his weight, Also, if I recall he was told to not even train the last two weeks. He would come into this just dragging ass and couldn't even think.

[Ronnie Rep]

The IFBB would have been a hell of a lot better with Rory and Mendenhall on stage. I went to the 85 Nationals in Miami hoping to see those 2 fight it out in the heavies. That never materialized.

[SilverSpoon]

Think of what could have been:  Rory, Mendenhall and Jeff King.

I am being dead serious here, and am saying this with all due respect to Lee Haney (who I believe is Totalee awesome), I don't know if Haney would have won a single Sandow had this trio been able to compete on the same stage.

I think Jeff King would have been very difficult to beat, as he appeared from photos (totally different from seeing it live) to be able to dial it all in.  Rory and Mendenhall were troubled in this department.

[Ronnie Rep]

Think of what could have been:  Rory, Mendenhall and Jeff King.

I am being dead serious here, and am saying this with all due respect to Lee Haney (who I believe is Totalee awesome), I don't know if Haney would have won a single Sandow had this trio been able to compete on the same stage.

I think Jeff King would have been very difficult to beat, as he appeared from photos (totally different from seeing it live) to be able to dial it all in.  Rory and Mendenhall were troubled in this department.

Yup, add Jeff King.

[Royalty]

Rory is harder but Bob is tighter....

That sounded very gay


Bob has better shoulder width