I agree that Dorian had good balance and proportion at his best in 93. However, he progressively became more and more unbalanced afterwards. His midsection kept growing every year while his arms seemed to actually shrink.
I don't have a problem with using the IFBB criteria, but you interpret it too literally. You assume that separations, striations, vascularity, aesthetics, and taper don't matter b/c they aren't specifically mentioned. Furthermore, my analogy is a good one b/c it proves my point. Let's say that Greg Kovacs matched Dorian's conditioning. Despite wider lats and greater muscular bulk, he still wouldn't beat Dorian in the lat spread due to poor aesthetics and taper. It logically follows that if good taper beats horrible taper, then great taper is even better than good taper.
I agree that Dorian had good balance and proportion at his best in 93. However, he progressively became more and more unbalanced afterwards. His midsection kept growing every year while his arms seemed to actually shrink.
1995 despite the shorter bicep his balance & proportion were just as good in 1995 as 1993 , you're right about his arms very noticeable in 1996 which is like Ronnie in 2002
I don't have a problem with using the IFBB criteria, but you interpret it too literally. You assume that separations, striations, vascularity, aesthetics, and taper don't matter b/c they aren't specifically mentioned. Furthermore, my analogy is a good one b/c it proves my point. Let's say that Greg Kovacs matched Dorian's conditioning. Despite wider lats and greater muscular bulk, he still wouldn't beat Dorian in the lat spread due to poor aesthetics and taper. It logically follows that if good taper beats horrible taper, then great taper is even better than good taper.
And all the things you mentioned to matter to an extent just not as much as you think , separations most certainly matter , striations , Dorian has enough you're knitpicking with these , vascularity that doesn't matter in all seriousness and excess vascularity is frown upon , and aesthetics haven't mattered since Yates won , they don't apply to him
And your analogy isn't good good , and here is why , Shawn Ray , who never had the best taper or width yet consistantly beat men with much wider backs than him , same with Flex Wheeler again not know as the widest pro yet rountinly beat many who were
would Ronnie's better taper and perhaps equal or even slightly better width be able to overcome his disadvantage in density , balance & proportion , size and conditioning? I think not