Author Topic: "Great White Hope" or what could have been  (Read 2995 times)

Never1AShow

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"Great White Hope" or what could have been
« on: May 22, 2016, 06:05:12 AM »
Who was the greatest "what could have been" in bodybuilding history?

Looking at the Francois or another thread with Kal Skalak got me thinking.

Needn't be white, that's just a term or art.


Tha Grim Lifter

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2016, 06:17:14 AM »
Kal had a falling out with the Weider's after Arnold used him to try and start a bodybuilders union

Never1AShow

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2016, 06:25:57 AM »
Kal had a falling out with the Weider's after Arnold used him to try and start a bodybuilders union

Kal
Francois
Jeff King
Dennis Newman
Bertil Fox
Levrone, I guess if he hadn't been a drunk?

Royalty

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2016, 07:56:51 AM »
Aaron Baker was mistreated too

oldschoolfan

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #4 on: May 22, 2016, 08:20:45 AM »
mike mentzer-people forget he was a favorite of joes, started out hot, an dhad a great build


aron baker- fucked over big time.

casey viator- took 10 years off from the pros to work for arthur jones, still was successfull when he came back who knows what could have been for him in those 10 years.

gary strydom-what if he had competed more after the wbf folded he looked awesome during that time

ProudVirgin69

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2016, 09:17:00 AM »
Phil Hernon

polychronopolous

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #6 on: May 22, 2016, 09:19:21 AM »

casey viator- took 10 years off from the pros to work for arthur jones, still was successfull when he came back who knows what could have been for him in those 10 years.



This. So much potential at such an early age.

calfzilla

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #7 on: May 22, 2016, 09:27:13 AM »
Fux

Never1AShow

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2016, 09:33:02 AM »
Phil Hernon

What was the story there?  Just never dialed in?

Of course I think 1st place has to go to Rory Leidlemeyer or Matt Mendenhall.

kepler2008

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2016, 11:05:31 AM »
Matt Mendenhall

Jeffrey King

Anja Langer

Nether Animal

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #10 on: May 22, 2016, 11:07:33 AM »
What was the story there?  Just never dialed in?

Arrested  I believe

oldschoolfan

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #11 on: May 22, 2016, 11:08:34 AM »
What was the story there?  Just never dialed in?

Of course I think 1st place has to go to Rory Leidlemeyer or Matt Mendenhall.


hey never if my memory serves me correct and it has been awhile, after phil  won the nationals , i think he only competed a few times  as a pro but never placed that high and left body building as a competitor.

i  thought for sure he would make a decent pro. of course this was the 90's so many quality guys that didnt make any money  because of the level of competition at that time.

Never1AShow

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #12 on: May 22, 2016, 05:09:59 PM »
Phil Williams also.  I remember seeing the video of his winning the nationals and thought his back was incredible.  Not much as a pro?

ProudVirgin69

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #13 on: May 22, 2016, 06:32:06 PM »
What was the story there?  Just never dialed in?

Of course I think 1st place has to go to Rory Leidlemeyer or Matt Mendenhall.

He got busted for selling steroids, did some time in jail/prison.  Opted to give up the competitive lifestyle afterwards


HTexan

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #14 on: May 22, 2016, 08:45:26 PM »
Arnold Schwarzenegger
A

basil

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #15 on: May 23, 2016, 02:01:49 AM »
Dark Lord Spaniard. 

falco

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #16 on: May 23, 2016, 06:18:03 AM »
Mike Francios.

oldschoolfan

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #17 on: May 23, 2016, 06:26:11 AM »
here is phils competition history


only two pro shows  and bust


Philip Hernon Jr

Born March 31, 1966

1987

Collegiate Nationals - NPC, Light-HeavyWeight, 2nd

1991

USA Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 9th

1994

USA Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 3rd

1995

USA Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st
USA Championships - NPC, Overall Winner

1996

Night of Champions - IFBB, 15th
San Jose Pro Invitational - IFBB, 8th

njflex

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #18 on: May 23, 2016, 06:33:11 AM »
here is phils competition history


only two pro shows  and bust


Philip Hernon Jr

Born March 31, 1966

1987

Collegiate Nationals - NPC, Light-HeavyWeight, 2nd

1991

USA Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 9th

1994

USA Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 3rd

1995

USA Championships - NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st
USA Championships - NPC, Overall Winner

1996

Night of Champions - IFBB, 15th
San Jose Pro Invitational - IFBB, 8th

amazing him,titus,newnan,francois from same 3 yr amateur run all of them had no or short pro careers or worse prison 2x..

Al Doggity

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #19 on: May 23, 2016, 09:03:58 AM »
Needn't be white, that's just a term or art.

I just want to point out that "Great White Hope"  actually isn't a term of art. It specifically means the desperate hope  to find a white guy to replace a black champ. Back when the term originated, states were passing laws that you couldn't show boxing films with black winners because they feared it could have started a race war.

Never1AShow

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Re: "Great White Hope" or what could have been
« Reply #20 on: May 24, 2016, 08:01:55 AM »
I just want to point out that "Great White Hope"  actually isn't a term of art. It specifically means the desperate hope  to find a white guy to replace a black champ. Back when the term originated, states were passing laws that you couldn't show boxing films with black winners because they feared it could have started a race war.

I'm saying I intended it in the term of art sense.  It conveys a "what could have been" vibe better than any other phrase I could think of.  What would you use that also has enough emotional pull to get someone to read the topic?