This all started in Muscular Development-Fitness-Health about 10 years ago. John Romano, in his "Rage Page" claimed that Dente got screwed (Romano used a much stronger words). Problem is that Romano, by his own admission in that article, did NOT attend the North American. He based his take on photos taken from the show. Dente was working for Twinlab at that time, and given MDFH's beef with the IFBB and the Weider Publications, this stuff made for great gossip and rumor-mongering.
Romano crossed the line, however, when he stated that John Simmons, the heavyweight and overall champion, sought out Dente and actually told him that Dente should have won the show.
MuscleMag International was IMMEDIATELY blitzed by letters from fans, who were at the North American. They stated that Romano was lying through his teeth. Simmons did NOT apologize to Dente or even hint that Dente should have won the show. From the fans' perspective based on the letters, Simmons was the winner hands down, with virtually no one disputing the decision (no boos, no cat-calls, nothing).
John Simmons was much more polite, in his letter; but, he stated unequivocally that he DID NOT APOLOGIZE to Dente or anyone else for his win. In fact, Simmons chronicled his long road to the pros, to make the point that, if anyone were at a disadvantage, it was he.
Compared to some of his competition, Simmons was a relative unknown. Some of the heavyweights at the North American were just coming off some high placings at the USA. Furthermore, at least three of the top five heavyweights had major supplement companies backing them (Gerard Dente, with Twinlab; Frank Sepe and Edgar Fletcher with MET-Rx); Simmons had no such major backing, though he was working with Scott Abel and a fledging supplement company.
To top it all off, those men were seasoned heavyweight competitors; whereas, Simmons was making his debut as a heavyweight, after years of competing as a light-heavyweight, where he won his class at the NAC twice (1991, 1992) and the USA (1993) but couldn't quite nab that overall title.
Abel convinced Simmons that the reason he hadn't turned pro was that he had developed too much size and quality and was shaving off precious muscle, coming into shows smooth and flat, killing himself to make light-heavyweight. Simmons reluctantly took Abel's advice and worked with the famous Canadian trainer. The rest is history.
As MDFH was morphing into All-Natural Muscular Development and loathing all things related to a certain bodybuilding organization (after all, that particular pro qualifier is the IFBB North American Championships), it's no surprise as to how such a rumor can get started.
FYI - the year Stan McCrary won the North American was 1995; Dave Fisher took it all in 1993, when another "bridesmaid", Rory Leidmeyer was virtually given the titles by certain magazines. As it turns out, Leidmeyer never showed up at the NAC. He tried the Nationals, instead, and got clobbered.
well you know your history better than I do, I've kinda moved away from alot of things BB related over the last few years, all my mags are in storage along with most of my vids. I go off of memory and I remember pretty much everything you said just not as vividly as you described. I remember Simmons winning a few national level shows as a LHW, he's from Detroit I believe and since I live in a subburb or Detroit I always cheered for him when he came up.
Edgar had all the tools to turn pro, I still don't believe he got a fair shake when Duffy won the nationals, I've got that on tape at my house somewhere and I'm gonna look for it tonight..I'm pretty sure the HW went Duffy, Matlock and then Edgar and there is no way Edgar was 3rd at that show.
Anyway as I understand it Edgar would not qualify for PDI pro status because he has not won a national level show, Vinnie won the USA MW class and Jack London won the NABBA North American..Edgar would have to do a qualifier.
