Pro League London Shows - Penny Drops for Bob Chic

[Big Beat]

It seems Bob Chic is promoting the London and other UK Pro League Pro shows. He is on the other channel bigging up the Pro League qualifiers.

I was amused when Bob talked about the UK pro show and the English posters who are friendly with Bob told him no UK pro show has ever made money. Kerry Keyes it is said lost 10's of thousands when he promoted UK pro shows. Proper London venues are also horrendously expensive, think Manhattan prices.

Lets be clear here the money is in promoting amateur contests. 100's of bikini boys and girls and tack on an expo.

So uncle Bob I say to you good luck with the 3 UK pro shows. Something tells me all we will actually see is pro qualifiers.

Also Bob's only sales pitch for the new amatuer arm of the Pro League is there will be more pro cards dished out, sounds like it's pro card confetti time. Give it enough time and you will be able to buy a pro card for 50 bucks.

[EvanL]

With these shows now being the only way for anyone not in the US to get an IFBB pro card (not the ifbb elite pro card) I think they will be pretty successful.

[Big Beat]

The pro qualifiers will draw competitors if there are tons of pro cards on offer. Any pro show with IFBB pros will be at best a loss leader.

[hifrommike65]

Why the doom & gloom about the changes happening in the IFBB? It almost sounds like the community wants the changes to fail. Those who do might want to shift their interests to something else, like competitive bicycle racing. That's what one competitor who lost faith in the pro qualification process did in the early 2000s.

I am for more bodybuilding pro cards for men. Wish it were for women as well.

[Big Beat]

More pro cards dilutes the standards.

There have been too many pro cards handed out already, all in the name of commerce.

A pro card has lost its shine because there are too many out there held by people who will never get within an asses roar of making the Olympia stage.

I was impressionable teenager in the 80's and Weider's policy of quality over quantity with pro's ruled the day. The Olympia was always about the best of the best. Win a universe or a world title before you can use the letters P....R....O.....after your name.

I am not trying to be negative but I have watched a favourite sport of mine, boxing, go down the toilet in the last 20 years because of splits and rivalaries between organisations. Grubby men in suits only interested in whats in it for them.

Whatever criticisms people have had of Joe Weider he fundamentally loved bodybuilding and wanted the best for it.......that is a good principle from which to build any long term sustainable business.

Are AMI short term thinkers who see a good profit in the short term or do they have the substance of a Joe Weider? time will tell.

[Big Beat]

Why the doom & gloom about the changes happening in the IFBB? It almost sounds like the community wants the changes to fail. Those who do might want to shift their interests to something else, like competitive bicycle racing. That's what one competitor who lost faith in the pro qualification process did in the early 2000s.

I am for more bodybuilding pro cards for men. Wish it were for women as well.

Kalman "Kal" Szkalak's of the crucifixion pose fame became a cyclist and a pretty decent by most accounts.

[hifrommike65]

The bodybuilder-turned-bicyclist I was referring to is Chris Bennett.

[MusclePoppins]

I honestly don't really give a shit about feuds between men like Bob M and Rafael S. The real problem with bodybuilding is the politics-infused judging. It's getting worse by the contest.

[hifrommike65]

More pro cards dilutes the standards.

There have been too many pro cards handed out already, all in the name of commerce.

A pro card has lost its shine because there are too many out there held by people who will never get within an asses roar of making the Olympia stage.

I was impressionable teenager in the 80's and Weider's policy of quality over quantity with pro's ruled the day. The Olympia was always about the best of the best. Win a universe or a world title before you can use the letters P....R....O.....after your name.

I am not trying to be negative but I have watched a favourite sport of mine, boxing, go down the toilet in the last 20 years because of splits and rivalaries between organisations. Grubby men in suits only interested in whats in it for them.

Whatever criticisms people have had of Joe Weider he fundamentally loved bodybuilding and wanted the best for it.......that is a good principle from which to build any long term sustainable business.

Are AMI short term thinkers who see a good profit in the short term or do they have the substance of a Joe Weider? time will tell.

The rivalries go way back. The IFBB was created in order to draw bodybuilders away from the influence of Bob Hoffman in the 1960s, & the "muscle wars" over the NPC's shift from the AAU to IFBB affiliation in the late 1970s were messy. What was good for bodybuilders had little to do with either situation. Those that benefited were at the top, & in both cases it was the Weiders.

[Big Beat]

The rivalries go way back. The IFBB was created in order to draw bodybuilders away from the influence of Bob Hoffman in the 1960s, & the "muscle wars" over the NPC's shift from the AAU to IFBB affiliation in the late 1970s were messy. What was good for bodybuilders had little to do with either situation. Those that benefited were at the top, & in both cases it was the Weiders.

So the Weider's taking over bodybuilding and spreading it to 178 countries around the world, rich and poor, was a bad thing. Lets see if AMI leave the same legacy.

Remember the Olympia gave previous top bodybuilders a platform to keep competing. Prior to that AAU and NABBA bodybuilders retired after winning the Mr America and Mr Universe. Anything that consolidates a sport under one leading organisation is a good thing, pulling things apart and having different power bases is a bad thing. The Weiders consolidated bodybuilding and set the standards and obviously had a good business model.

Were the Weider's angels, no they were not, did their methods work for the good of bodybuilding, yes they did. Let see how the new changes work out for world bodybuilding. Many of the IFBB affiliated countries still have not been directly spoken to about what is going on.

[Big Beat]

I honestly don't really give a shit about feuds between men like Bob M and Rafael S. The real problem with bodybuilding is the politics-infused judging. It's getting worse by the contest.

What like Ramy and Ashkanai both getting seconds when they should have been in third?

[hifrommike65]

I never said the Weiders weren't good for bodybuilding. They were foundational to the bodybuilding empire as it exists today. Other hats I would throw into that ring were worn by Eugen Sandow, Bernarr Macfadden, Charles Atlas, Bob Hoffman & Arnold Schwarzenegger. Others might suggest different names, since there were other movers & shakers. None of them were saints, but (as I just posted in the inspirational quotes thread), we should be judged by the best things we have done, & the Weiders did plenty.

[hifrommike65]

It seems Bob Chic is promoting the London and other UK Pro League Pro shows. He is on the other channel bigging up the Pro League qualifiers.

I was amused when Bob talked about the UK pro show and the English posters who are friendly with Bob told him no UK pro show has ever made money. Kerry Keyes it is said lost 10's of thousands when he promoted UK pro shows. Proper London venues are also horrendously expensive, think Manhattan prices.

Lets be clear here the money is in promoting amateur contests. 100's of bikini boys and girls and tack on an expo.

So uncle Bob I say to you good luck with the 3 UK pro shows. Something tells me all we will actually see is pro qualifiers.

Also Bob's only sales pitch for the new amatuer arm of the Pro League is there will be more pro cards dished out, sounds like it's pro card confetti time. Give it enough time and you will be able to buy a pro card for 50 bucks.

What is the problem with making money on bodybuilding shows? If they are not financially viable, they do not continue.

[Sandpig]

The money for these pro shows will be paid for by the amateur entry fees etc.

Now from what you guys are saying, a stand alone pro show in the UK won't work.

[chick]

It seems Bob Chic is promoting the London and other UK Pro League Pro shows. He is on the other channel bigging up the Pro League qualifiers.

I was amused when Bob talked about the UK pro show and the English posters who are friendly with Bob told him no UK pro show has ever made money. Kerry Keyes it is said lost 10's of thousands when he promoted UK pro shows. Proper London venues are also horrendously expensive, think Manhattan prices.

Lets be clear here the money is in promoting amateur contests. 100's of bikini boys and girls and tack on an expo.

So uncle Bob I say to you good luck with the 3 UK pro shows. Something tells me all we will actually see is pro qualifiers.

Also Bob's only sales pitch for the new amatuer arm of the Pro League is there will be more pro cards dished out, sounds like it's pro card confetti time. Give it enough time and you will be able to buy a pro card for 50 bucks.

Thanks for bring ing up the topic...not quite sure if you're rooting for me or against me...lol

What you'll see , is IFBB Pro League qualifying shows. Along with them will be IFBB ProLeague PRO shows (2) at each event. You'll also see Novice shows which will cater to the locals and surrounding competitors.

As for "more" pro cards. Yes, more than what they were previously entitled to...but relegated to Division winners ONLY. The biggest bonus? Competitors who actually EARN their pro cards will actually RECEIVE them! No bullshit, no politics, no sending in a request only to be denied, SAND...no fleecing of thousands of dollars to get it. COST? $200/ Annually , Just like all other Pro league Pro's.