202, 212 Bodybuilding Set Aside Akin to Female Bodybuilding?

[Musclepapa John]

With the release of Jose Raymond by his magazine sponsor after his most successful pro season to date one has to wonder what Bob Chic sees as the future of the divisions as a "putting butts in seats" & selling ads for mags etc division. Of course, Chic whose idea it was for creating the division works for the same title that Raymond was released from and bodybuilding historians on their staff are tight lipped about the move, but just what does it say when Flex Lewis is the veritable face of the division and all others including Raymond marketably appear to fall short?
In as much as female bodybuilding's prestige long ago lost its luster for not being a draw for the bodybuilding niche's mainstream doesn't the 212 division suffer the same measured in terms of participants and entrants and calculated comparisons of butts in seats, supplement contracts, advertising deals, etc.? As a business value by numerous industry measures support for the 212 would appear to be a set aside as spoken of with affirmative action based on height and weight rather than skin color (or gender as with FBB) without a strong future.

[Professor X]

I think it's a waste to start with. It would make more sense to hype a 190-200lbs class rather than one that goes up as high as 212. That just means shorter bodybuilders can win now...that's all.

[Musclepapa John]

I think it's a waste to start with. It would make more sense to hype a 190-200lbs class rather than one that goes up as high as 212. That just means shorter bodybuilders can win now...that's all.

Maybe height categories would help?
Again though how marketable is the division considering Lewis, Raymond, English and only a few other names come to mind and most have little to no sponsorships or as one might more generally say "marketability?"