30-YEAR ANNIVERSARY - World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF) BodyStars

[MCWAY]

I was looking at wrestling videos and stumbled on this. Apparently, some old-school World Wrestling Federation fans have a channel with classic WWF videos from the old TV shows. They also included episode of WBF BodyStars that debuted April 4, 1992, the day before WrestleMania 8.

Boy, did I like this show. Finally, bodybuilding was on TV every week, not every month or two at 2 am on ESPN (i.e American Muscle).

WBF BodyStars was on the USA Network on Saturday mornings. But, the version that aired in England on Sky Sports (WBF BodyStars America) aired on the same UHF channel that had pro wrestling on the weekends.

Here's the link:

And below is a sample. Incidentally, today is the first time I've seen this episode, as I didn't record all of them back in the day, when it was on TV.

This episode features a whole lot of what was supposed to be Lou Ferrigno's replacement, Lex Luger. He was to be the "guest poser" at the 1992 (and final) WBF Championship. He's supposed to be the egotistical heel who doesn't know what he's doing. But, he towers over most of the WBF (and former IFBB pros). See 6:42 vs. Berry DeMey, at the beginning and at 8:06 vs. Eddie Robinson, who's supposedly showing him how to do cable crossovers, and 11:09 "WBF Rules To Lift By, where Luger abandoned a guy he's spotting on the bench press to chase two girls. "Giant Killer" Danny Padilla comes to the rescue.

[Rambone]

God damn, you can tell Vince wanted to be a bodybuilder sooo bad. He lived every schmoes dream for the short time the WBF lasted

[MCWAY]

I'm so used to seeing Pearson posing from his recent videos, that I forgot how much bigger he was back in the day.

Interestingly enough, they never filmed Luger with Strydom, J. Quinn or Christian. They just stuck him next to DeMey and Robinson. Those were the top 5 guys from the 1991 show.

[beakdoctor]

That was so campy. So cringe worthy.

The storylines that went along with the bodybuilders were so bad. Wasnt there was a skit where Gary Strydom was talking to gang members? And Quinn was just plain fucking fat. Just a fat guy in a thong running around a stage and yelling at the audience. Hilarious. How many shows total did they do? 2?

At those guys made some bread though.

[Humble Narcissist]

That was so campy. So cringe worthy.

The storylines that went along with the bodybuilders were so bad. Wasnt there was a skit where Gary Strydom was talking to gang members? And Quinn was just plain fucking fat. Just a fat guy in a thong running around a stage and yelling at the audience. Hilarious. How many shows total did they do? 2?

At those guys made some bread though.

It is now but it was exciting having a new bodybuilding federation at the time. It failed because most wrestling fans also found bodybuilding cringe worthy. Vince thought it would catch on to his wrestling fans because he loved it.

[Rambone]

During that one interview, was really giving Eddie Robinson the “come fuck me” eyes

[LurkerNoMore]

Jim Quinn had that vascular freak factor going on.  He could have made a dent in the sport if he stuck around.

[Humble Narcissist]

Jim Quinn had that vascular freak factor going on.  He could have made a dent in the sport if he stuck around.

His heart would not have stuck around.

[Dave D]

God damn, you can tell Vince wanted to be a bodybuilder sooo bad. He lived every schmoes dream for the short time the WBF lasted

LOL.

I loved the whole outfit, oversized baggy sweat shirt with the neck cut out to reveal the string tank underneath, along with some Zubaz knock offs. I wish we could know what shoes he was wearing. I’m my head they are white grass stained Otomix.

[Rambone]

LOL.

I loved the whole outfit, oversized baggy sweat shirt with the neck cut out to reveal the string tank underneath, along with some Zubaz knock offs. I wish we could know what shoes he was wearing. I’m my head they are white grass stained Otomix.

 

I’m honestly surprised that we went with the sweatshirt because it only showed that little bit of forearms and it made him look small. And we all know how vain Vince is

[funk51]

I was looking at wrestling videos and stumbled on this. Apparently, some old-school World Wrestling Federation fans have a channel with classic WWF videos from the old TV shows. They also included episode of WBF BodyStars that debuted April 4, 1992, the day before WrestleMania 8.

Boy, did I like this show. Finally, bodybuilding was on TV every week, not every month or two at 2 am on ESPN (i.e American Muscle).

WBF BodyStars was on the USA Network on Saturday mornings. But, the version that aired in England on Sky Sports (WBF BodyStars America) aired on the same UHF channel that had pro wrestling on the weekends.

Here's the link:

And below is a sample. Incidentally, today is the first time I've seen this episode, as I didn't record all of them back in the day, when it was on TV.

This episode features a whole lot of what was supposed to be Lou Ferrigno's replacement, Lex Luger. He was to be the "guest poser" at the 1992 (and final) WBF Championship. He's supposed to be the egotistical heel who doesn't know what he's doing. But, he towers over most of the WBF (and former IFBB pros). See 6:42 vs. Berry DeMey, 8:06 vs. Eddie Robinson, who's supposedly showing him how to do cable crossovers, and 11:09 "WBF Rules To Lift By, where Luger abandoned a guy he's spotting on the bench press to chase two girls. "Giant Killer" Danny Padilla comes to the rescue.

    mike quinn the greatest skullet in all of bodybuilding , oh yeah.

[funk51]

 

[MCWAY]

That was so campy. So cringe worthy.

The storylines that went along with the bodybuilders were so bad. Wasnt there was a skit where Gary Strydom was talking to gang members? And Quinn was just plain fucking fat. Just a fat guy in a thong running around a stage and yelling at the audience. Hilarious. How many shows total did they do? 2?

That was the 1992 drug-tested show. They looked much better in 1991.

At those guys made some bread though.

Indeed. Zuccolotto claimed that his final year, even after the WBF folded, he got 350,000. He invested that in car washes and later his wellness clinics.

[MCWAY]

    mike quinn the greatest skullet in all of bodybuilding , oh yeah.

That pic was from 1994 Night of Champions, I believe. M. Quinn made his comeback, placed 5th, and took the final Olympia qualifying spot.  He made the cover of IronMan magazine shortly thereafter. He even declared that, with Flex Wheeler out due to his car accident, "Mighty Mike is in the mix" for placing top 6.

I believe M. Quinn got "16th" that year. Ronnie Coleman got the last actual numerical placing of 15th.

This is M. Quinn in 1991 at 19:28. For some reason, the snippets of the WBF championship shown on BodyStars has no commentary or a voiceover with Tom Platz and/or Vince McMahon. McMahon isn't on commentary during the actual show.

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It is now but it was exciting having a new bodybuilding federation at the time. It failed because most wrestling fans also found bodybuilding cringe worthy. Vince thought it would catch on to his wrestling fans because he loved it.

That was one of the reasons he brought Lex Luger into the fold, to have him try the crossover appeal he was supposed to get from Lou Ferrigno. Again, I wish they would have filmed him with Strydom, J. Quinn, or Christian. He towers over and dwarfs everyone else, even Berry DeMey.

[funk51]

 

    bagwell is really out of it.

[MCWAY]

 

    bagwell is really out of it.

The feds were the downfall of the WBF, not the IFBB. If Luger was tested as much as he claimed and still had that size you see in BodyStars, that's quite impressive. Bret Hart even stated that Luger was slimmer during his WBF tenure than he had been in WCW.

There was no gradual slope. McMahon went from letting them take whatever they wanted to testing them for everything but the kitchen sink. Some guys got popped and lost a month's check (i.e. $25,000 for Mike Christian).

Again, with BodyStars, you got to (at least for a few months in 1992) see bodybuilding weekly, instead of hoping you had a case of insomnia, start channel surfing, and zip by ESPN which happened to be airing American Muscle.

Then, it's a scramble for a blank video tape to record it and to jot down when the next episode was scheduled to air. There was another show, MuscleSport USA, that came on another cable sports channel (the name escapes me at the moment), hosted by Tom Terwillinger and the late Steve Stone.

[Gregzs]

Then, it's a scramble for a blank video tape to record it and to jot down when the next episode was scheduled to air. There was another show, MuscleSport USA, that came on another cable sports channel (the name escapes me at the moment), hosted by Tom Terwilliger and the late Steve Stone.

In the NY area it was the Madison Square Garden network.

[oldschoolfan]

It is rumored McMahon  signed ferrigno to a 500000 per year deal but after drug testing got put in ferrigno opted out I also believe ferrigno was in a car accident around this time or had some injuries where he could not train his upper body I could be wrong though

[AbrahamG]

That was the 1992 drug-tested show. They looked much better in 1991.

Indeed. Zuccolotto claimed that his final year, even after the WBF folded, he got 350,000. He invested that in car washes and later his wellness clinics.

It's common knowledge that the car wash was a front business for his extensive schmoe work. 

[beakdoctor]

It's common knowledge that the car wash was a front business for his extensive schmoe work.

Arr you talking first hand knowledge?

[AbrahamG]

Arr you talking first hand knowledge?

No sir. 

[Royalty]

That was the 1992 drug-tested show. They looked much better in 1991.

Indeed. Zuccolotto claimed that his final year, even after the WBF folded, he got 350,000. He invested that in car washes and later his wellness clinics.

Must be nice to get paid 1/3 of a million to look like crap

[njflex]

Eddie Robinson was 2 weeks out in the last interview looked guest posing shape.he looked great in 91 ,that diet and testing killed most of them.

[MCWAY]

Must be nice to get paid 1/3 of a million to look like crap

Bret Hart and other wrestlers and officials claimed the WBF guys got paid out their contracts after the federation folded.

It's common knowledge that the car wash was a front business for his extensive schmoe work. 

Why would he schmoe making a fairly high six-figure salary AND he had a Weider deal when he went back to the IFBB?

In the NY area it was the Madison Square Garden network.

Thank you. I have footage from the 1998 Nationals from that show.

[MCWAY]

Eddie Robinson was 2 weeks out in the last interview looked guest posing shape.he looked great in 91 ,that diet and testing killed most of them.

Was he two weeks out or was that show taped earlier than that and aired two weeks before the 1992 WBF Championship?

If Luger got tested as often as he claimed and STILL looked the way he did on BodyStars, he could have won that show. But, having a non-professional bodybuilder beat a bunch of guys who (not that long ago) were top-10 Olympia placers would have made some waves.