I'm glad you included Samir here.
I understand the difficulty in assessing physiques and controlling for height disparities...it is difficult. Also, era-adjusting is difficult.
I don't think there should ever be a list of greatest backs that excludes Samir.
I think Samir beats Dorian on every basis, except overall mass, and density - that grainy conditioning that Dorian had.
This thread also reminds me of the 1983 Mr. Olympia. I don't think any [or at least - many] had Bertil Fox beating Samir Bannout...but I think it was a robbery that Bertil was out of the top 3.
I think Bertil should have been 3rd for sure.
Here was the top 5:
1st - Samir Bannout [deserving winner]
2nd - Mohamed Makkawy
3rd - Lee Haney
4th - Frank Zane
5th - Bertil Fox
Is it wrong for me to think Bertil should have been 2nd?
Back to Samir - I think we also need to consider that Samir was 189-lb in that photo. I don't think Samir competed over 210 [correct me if I'm wrong].
Dorian was closer to 259-lb there. So I think considering the 70-lb weight advantage, Samir is more than holding his own.
It makes me wonder how Samir would look, had he competed in the "chemical area", starting about ten years after his prime.
Tom Platz said that Samir was the most gifted bodybuilder going in to the 1988 Mr. Olympia. That's a big compliment, given the lineup, which includes Lee Haney, Rich Gaspari, and many other greats.
I'm probably biased here though - Samir once complimented my physique. To get a compliment like that from a former Mr. Olympia, and easily one of the most aesthetic Mr. Olympia winners ever. That was one of the greatest compliments I've ever received in my life. I was literally taken aback by his compliment, just given his status in bodybuilding history. Maybe he just wanted me to buy his supplements.
I saw Samir just prior to that Masters contest they had [I think in 2011]. Samir said that he made some mistakes dialing in - and I can tell you from how he looked about a month or so before the contest, that he was not just making excuses. He looked great.
I know Samir trained hard as a bodybuilder, but I sometimes wonder how great it must be to have genetics like that. I guarantee a person with Samir's genetics can train once a week, and look better than 90% of men who are fully dedicated to training and nutrition.
