Record prize money for 2006 Mr. Olympia!

[Danny]

Finaly a move that makes sense . Props to all that made it happen. Dan

[swilkins1984]

I would think this would be the kind of guy that Lee would DEFINITELY NOT want to be associated with again.  Lee being the type who wants power for the athlete is the opposite of Wayne in agenda.

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

I don't know anything about what he did back then.  All I know is that the guy is trying to create a rival BBing federation.  This will cause the IFBB to treat their guys better and put on a better show in order to keep/win fans.

IMO, it sounds like Bob resented Wayne for some time, but couldn't speak because he was his subordinate.  Now, bob is giddy whenever given a chance to insult him or make him look bad.

The guy is trying to create something which will put more dollars in athletes' pockets - why the hate?

Wrong, everyone in the industry knows what Wayne's all about.  He's very convincing as he almost convinced me to invest 10,000 dollars of my money into fitness expo.  However you gotta read the fine print and between the lines with him.

[Dorian 01]

Now, #26 should get nothing though...

That's what I was just thinking about. That Wayne stuff about guys out of the top 10 not showing up in shape, I don't agree with that, but the very last guy is likely to be someone who may show zero effort to come in shape.

[MB]

Props to Robin Chang and crew for once again raising the prize money...were close to meeting my goal of a $5,000 minimun for all athletes competing....a far cry from the amount the old regime had for everyone out of the top 10....ZERO.

Thank you Robin and the IFBB for being receptive to the wishes of the athletes.

Robin getting the prize money raised is a good thing for the athletes.  But, if you're going to criticize the old regime, you have to look at it from the fans' perspective as well.  The last couple Olympias have been low budget and poorly organized; a general downgrade from the previous several years.  It's great to raise the prize money, but that's only one piece of the puzzle.         

[unbatrainer]

Robin is the best

[onlyme]

I agree...and made it abundantly clear to Wayne at the 2002 Press conference that it was a disgrace that athletes competing for the biggest title in our sport, were going home with a warm handshake and a pat on the back....

Amazing what can be done when the people in charge are actually LISTENING...

Chic, Weren't the Weiders ultimately in charge.  It's funny that's it taken 40+ years to get halfway decent prize money.  Yet it is still an embarrasment considering it is the #1 show in bodybuilding.  And the ASC would actually have the most prize money if they were allowed to give away more.  And why the more prize money yet a shittier venue and show.  Wayne put on a class show at a class location which cost more money.  Wayne wanted a good show for the fans (the people who pay the money).  Now they give more money because they have degraded the show so much and have allot more money left from the savings.  That is a fact not even you can dispute.  Wayne put on a show, and now it is a joke.  So the comeptitors make out better yet the fan gets fucked and the people who are buying the tickets.  Good job.  Like I said you are supporting the wrong group of people.

[onlyme]

Wrong, everyone in the industry knows what Wayne's all about.  He's very convincing as he almost convinced me to invest 10,000 dollars of my money into fitness expo.  However you gotta read the fine print and between the lines with him.

God Vince give it up already.  Why do you persit on making it sound like you know something or you are somebody.  You don't the money to invets and you don't even have the slightest hint of what Wane has done or knows.  Give it up already.  Just when it looks like you can't make yourself look any more stupid you pull it off and look more stupid.

[Vince B]

Good point, Only me, because we forget that the IFBB stops anyone from giving more prize money than is offered at the Olympia. That limitation clearly is not in the interest of the competitors but it reveals how the IFBB controls everyone and actually restricts the earning capacity of bodybuilders associated with them. What more evidence do we need? The more I learn the more it reinforces my opinion that bodybuilders as a group are saps. Nothing has changed over the years. Most are so desperate to win or place in an contest they will do whatever is necessary to augment their chances. Those controlling the IFBB are masters of the carrot and sap technique. Remember when the winners got a silver plate and $1000! What cheapskates.

[airrick]

Wrong, everyone in the industry knows what Wayne's all about.  He's very convincing as he almost convinced me to invest 10,000 dollars of my money into fitness expo.  However you gotta read the fine print and between the lines with him.

Vince, i think they're talkin' bout Mr. Olympia and not the one you competed in "Once called the East Coast Classic and one called the Mr. Muscle.  They were not NPC events but some fly by night organizations."

Quit ur jibber jabber Vince!  I feel like you get into a conversation to break ice so people can laugh here and there!

[Croatch]

I didn't make Wayne look bad...he did.

That doesn't appear hard to do.  Guy comes off like a Class A asshole in every clip I've seen.  Talks down to the competitors, etc.  Has a tough guy persona.  What a jagoff.  Probably the only guy I'd knock in bodybuilding...haha.  Most of the people who run those shows are shady guys.  What a shock, in a sport where you need to consume massive amounts of drugs, just to stay competitive, and they do nothing to clean up the sport.  It's all about putting a dollar in their pocket at the cost of people who compete.  Must suck to need a constant massive amount of drugs, just to participate in something you enjoy or your profession.

[DonDan]

Bob if I were you, I'd be careful what I take credit for. The great prize money raise is artificial.
The overall prize pool was supposed to be raised by $66,000 from $480,000 to $546,000. If you really look at it, the total prize money paid is about the same as last year with only an increase of $6,000. When you consider $60K of the increase already went to the athletes, $50K from the challenge round, $10K from the Wildcard, all they are doing is just redistributing the prize pool I guess it's a good thing, but it's just a bit of a white lie to say there was an increase of that magnatude.

On another note, Do you really think that all the "terrible" thinks that were going on when Wayne was in the IFBB were his fault? I don't think so. He was an employee. I believe he was just following orders from the Weiders. Wayne in my opinion made the IFBB. He was responsible for any success they enjoyed. Once they fired him/let him go/ whatever, it all went downhill. There is an old saying, Be carefull, the ass you kick today might be the one you have to kiss tomorrow.

[The Master]

This is great news for everyone who is competing in the 2006 Mr. Olympia -

The total prize money for the Mr. Olympia contest has increased from $480,000 to $546,000 this year. The money from the Challenge Round — which will not be included this year — and last year’s Wildcard Showdown, $60,000 in total, will be distributed among all the athletes.

First place: $155,000.
Second: $90,000.
Third: 60,000.
Fourth: $48,000.
Fifth: $38,000.
Sixth: $30,000.
Seventh: $18,000.
Eighth: $17,000.
Ninth: $16,000.
Tenth: $14,000.

Eleventh and lower: $4,000 each.

(The combined total prize money for the Mr., Ms., Figure and Fitness Olympia competitions is $725,000.)




So just for coming to the Mr. Olympia, you get plane, room, food and $4,000!!!!  All you athletes best be in shape if you are gonna go on that stage!!!

This is good news, meaning that most of the competitors get's part of or all of their prep. expenses covered.

[Undermind]

And the ASC would actually have the most prize money if they were allowed to give away more.  And why the more prize money yet a shittier venue and show. 

If this was true, why hasn't the Arnold raised their prize money in over 10 years?  For example, you get $6000 for 6th at the Arnold, and $30,000 for 6th at the O.  Five times as much!  The O pays out twice as much as the Arnold now.  The Arnold could raise their prize total by a lot and still not pay as much as the O.  I hope they finally give the athletes a raise one of these years, especially those from 2nd place on down.  Some of us on the sponsorship side have been encouraging them to do so every year.

As for Wayne, he had a notoriously crooked deal with the Mandalay Bay that made sure he and the hotel got paid but nobody else did and the athletes never got a raise.  There was no way the O could stay there once everyone saw how cooked the books were.  As for the Orleans, the hotel sucks (just don't stay there!), but the arena is better than Mandalay Bay.  It's bigger and much newer with better seating.

You can believe that the "Weiders" always controlled Wayne but this is B.S.  For years it was the other way around.  The Weiders have been out of it for over 10 years.  It finally caught up to Wayne when he left the IFBB to launch PDI 2 years ago in what he thought was a clever deal of stealing the "IFBB Pro Division" from senile Ben by putting it in his name!  People keep forgetting this and saying he was fired or let go or something, but he broke from the IFBB and launched PDI (announced at the athletes meeting at the Orlando Pro in May of 2004 and on this board and others) in order to get even more money and power.  He thought everyone would follow his revolution.  Lee Priest was all he got.  You can't be an a-hole to the athletes for years and then expect them to join your revolution.  Yesterday's problem is not tomorrow's solution.

Props to AMI for the massive raise last year and another raise this year, and I especially like the way they distribute the money to the non-winners.  You now get as much for last place in the O as you get for 2nd place in almost every other pro show!

[HUGEPECS]

This is great news for everyone who is competing in the 2006 Mr. Olympia -

The total prize money for the Mr. Olympia contest has increased from $480,000 to $546,000 this year. The money from the Challenge Round — which will not be included this year — and last year’s Wildcard Showdown, $60,000 in total, will be distributed among all the athletes.

First place: $155,000.
Second: $90,000.
Third: 60,000.
Fourth: $48,000.
Fifth: $38,000.
Sixth: $30,000.
Seventh: $18,000.
Eighth: $17,000.
Ninth: $16,000.
Tenth: $14,000.

Eleventh and lower: $4,000 each.

(The combined total prize money for the Mr., Ms., Figure and Fitness Olympia competitions is $725,000.)




So just for coming to the Mr. Olympia, you get plane, room, food and $4,000!!!!  All you athletes best be in shape if you are gonna go on that stage!!!

THAT'S VERY GOOD NEWS. I'M SO SO HAPPY FOR THESE OTHER OLYMPIA CONTENDERS WHO USED TO WALKED OUT EMPTY HANDED. $4,000 IS WAYYY BETTER THAN NOTHING. I'D SAY IT'S ABOUT TIME.

[HUGEPECS]

I agree...and made it abundantly clear to Wayne at the 2002 Press conference that it was a disgrace that athletes competing for the biggest title in our sport, were going home with a warm handshake and a pat on the back....

Amazing what can be done when the people in charge are actually LISTENING...

I wonder what took those in charge so long to finally realize that these guys spent more than they receive. So much can go into preparing for a show like the Olympia. In the past I've always felt sorry for those other guys leaving the stage with a 17th place empty handed. that's a double blow to the heart. I'm so happy now. $4000 sounds sweet

[Adam Empire]

Wayne was in favor of giving the guys out of the top ten $0, 240...he believed that

"if they were given $1000, that there would be no incentive for them to show up in shape..."

and you wonder why there are athletes that don't exactly share your sentiments towards Wayne?

It is great that everybody gets paid - about time.  I personally think that the $ should continue to stagger down towards the bottom.  Should #11 and last place really get the same $?  Why not 7,000 for 11th and 2,000 for last?  Keep everybody working towards a better placing and money - not just the top ten...

[240 is Back]

At the Arnold, anybody can win.

At the O, you can automatically toss out $245K of the prize money cause you already know Ronnie and Jay will be taking 1-2.  Almost like it's part of their salary.

The remaining $400K is the *true* prize money, compared with a Ronnie/Jay-free ASC payday of $400k minus the womens cut.

[ribonucleic]

At the Arnold, anybody can win.

Except Cormier... ha ha.

[the shadow]

actually the winner of the arnold gets more than the winner of the olympia
olympia winner gets 155,000$ and
arnold classic winner gets 100,000$,a hummer and a t3 watch
the total of the arnold classic winner if u include the price of the hummer and the watch it totals upto 170,000$ plus..i think so the olympia winner gets less and a bit of increase to winner would b appreciated more

[240 is Back]

actually the winner of the arnold gets more than the winner of the olympia
olympia winner gets 155,000$ and
arnold classic winner gets 100,000$,a hummer and a t3 watch
the total of the arnold classic winner if u include the price of the hummer and the watch it totals upto 170,000$ plus..i think so the olympia winner gets less and a bit of increase to winner would b appreciated more

the t3 watch is worth $40k?

[gatrainer]

the t3 watch is worth $40k?

Lou Ferrigno signed it

[240 is Back]

Lou Ferrigno signed it

Gotcha.


$60k then.

[candidate2025]

Sounds like creeping socialism to me, Bob. 

If I had $546,000 to spread around, I'd spread it like this...

1   150,000
2   100,000
3   80,000
4   60,000
5   50,000
6   40,000
7   30,000
8   20,000
9   10,000
10   6,000

If you can't make the top 10, you'd have done us all a favor by staying home. On your way out the door, the stagehand can give you a protein powder sample left over from the Arnold and mimeographed directions on how to get to the bus station.

haha yess!! this is excactly what i was going to say...except much more for first place.

[JeanPaul]

Mad props to everyone who helped raise the prize money.
Chic it seems aside from your hate towards PDI and Wayne you do more than Shawn Ray ever dreamed about, so I guess mad props to you too. Now help Lee compete at the Olympia and you will make history.