by Christian Duque
So this text is a rewrite. I had a 3-page magnificence that was able to go about 4 or 5 days in the past and it was based mostly on the truth that I believed that Bob price Phil the 2025 Masters Olympia by means of an interview that he did on Muscle Discord on September 4th, 2024. In that interview Bob completely trashed Phil, accused him of being anti-federation, and tore him down personally. He dropped a few of the greatest names within the trade and he did so in an interview that was by no means flattering to Clahar. That was my article then; nonetheless, a lot extra has occurred that I scrapped the earlier article and am scripting this one as a substitute. Regardless that the Masters O seldom will get a re-assessment, the 2025 could go down in historical past as considerably of a novelty for some, and a theft for others.
Now regardless that Bob has already lengthy clarified the purpose that he’s the truth is not the Athlete’s Rep and that the Athlete’s Rep is basically ceremonial, for that exact interview he wasn’t singing that tune. In truth, considered one of his greatest grievances with Phil was the truth that Phil didn’t use him as an middleman between himself and the federation. In spite of everything, that was the fiction that was bought to us for effectively over 20 years. And that’s that Bob was the voice between the troubled lots and the powers that be in Pittsburgh. It was as if he had a seat on the massive desk and as if the bigwigs consulted with him previous to implementing new guidelines and coverage. I can guarantee you that nobody in Pittsburgh consults with Bob earlier than implementing any modifications. It simply doesn’t occur and the concept that it will, is laughable.
Even nonetheless, Cicherillo went out of his approach to pull the wool over the eyes of the bodybuilding neighborhood. Bob takes credit score for the introduction of recent divisions, he takes credit score for getting the athletes medical health insurance, and he even takes credit score for getting Lee Priest’s professional card reinstated. I imagine if Chick had a approach to do it, he would take credit score for inventing the web, however I believe Al Gore beat him to it. So since Phil didn’t undergo Bob and as a substitute selected to make his case on his personal social media platforms and by happening podcasts, apparently that earned him Cicherillo’s disdain. On account of that, it will appear that 10 months later Phil getting screwed out of the most important title of his profession, would increase just a few pink flags.
Once more I simply wish to make the case that whereas it has occurred earlier than that bodybuilders win the prejudging and lose the competition, none of these cases have ever been ones that don’t increase an eyebrow. Each instance the place this occurs has led to a whole lot of turmoil throughout the followers and a whole lot of division throughout the media. The instance of Bev Francis, was one which created a whole lot of friction within the sport. The choice to let Lee Haney defeat Lee Labrada in 1990 was fairly weird, to say the least. The choice to offer it to Ronnie Coleman in 2001 regardless of the very fact Jay Cutler had defeated him within the prejudging created a whole lot of turmoil. And so does this choice on the Masters Olympia. Whereas it’s true that the Masters Olympia was not a contest that was talked about a lot, this uncommon choice has created a tsunami of curiosity by followers, media personalities, and commentators alike. It simply by no means occurs. And never by this variety of factors, both.
So what may clarify this? What may clarify Phil profitable the prejudging however then allegedly falling aside within the finals. After which taking 2nd place? Somebody who falls aside, will get 2nd place, third place? How does one who has fallen aside also have a case for being within the High 5 of any contest? Once you begin asking your self these questions, most of you’ll begin drawing blanks. THAT is the place we’re at.
Now Phil’s competitors included the man that might go on to win the title, Dorian Haywood, and a few different guys that had been in unimaginable situation. The highest 4 deserved to be within the High 4. I’m not taking something away from them. However I believed it was fairly clear who received the competition. I believed the prejudging was the a part of the present the place the winner was determined. It has typically been mentioned that the finals are for the followers. That’s the place you could have the person posing routines and the extremely entertaining pose down. It is also the place they crown the Greatest Poser, Most Improved, and Most Muscular. Typically, they use the finals to crown a Folks’s Champion.
However by the point the finals come across the judges have already just about determined who received the competition. Now I perceive the nuances of the game and the powers that be desirous to create a affirmation spherical however that’s hogwash. A affirmation spherical? We’re speaking about judges who choose the Olympia, we’re speaking about judges that see 1000’s if not tens of 1000’s of physiques stroll throughout them each 12 months. In the event that they had been check judges or native judges I may perceive a affirmation spherical, however whenever you’re coping with the very best judges on this planet, do we actually must have them affirm their opinion from the prejudging? I imply, I perceive what the coverage says however I additionally perceive the way in which the true world works. When you dominate the prejudging in a bodybuilding present, you win the present. When you’re first name outs, and also you’re useless heart for the whole prejudging, until there’s an act of god, you’re going to win the bodybuilding present. So when followers begin asking questions, when opponents begin asking questions, it isn’t essentially all that unreasonable.
The actual fact is Phil didn’t dominate Dorian and Dorian didn’t dominate Phil. Neither man was leagues forward of the opposite; nonetheless, they each deserved to be within the prime two for my part. The third and fourth place finishers may have received the entire present if it was a present based mostly solely on situation. I’m not the one one which has mentioned this and I’m not the final that’s going to say it, both. These guys had been dialed in and so they did their homework. They had been TOTALLY dialed in, however bodybuilding is not only about situation. It’s about muscularity, symmetry, and posing. All in all, I actually do imagine that Dorian and Phil had been To 2 – all day. I’m not going to say that Phil was robbed due to the truth that Dorian didn’t look nearly as good. However I’ll say that Phil was robbed as a result of he received the prejudging and he misplaced the finals in a really odd type of means.
Now sometimes if we had been coping with a deadheat and the judges wanted some additional rounds of posing or to see the mandatories once more, we may increase a pink flag on the reality they picked the fallacious man for no matter purpose. However that’s not what occurred right here.
These guys weren’t in a stalemate – no less than the scorecards didn’t mirror that. Phil clearly received – practically by double digits – within the prejudging. And anyone that noticed Phil on the finals may inform that he was in nice form and was not a lot completely different than he was within the prejudging. So given the truth that Dorian needed to make up for a deficit within the prejudging after which abruptly wins the finals, that’s mathematically very tough to attain. And that’s the place folks, like myself and others, begin to search for different clues, different prospects that might have resulted in mentioned consequence. We don’t know something concrete. What we all know is a few historical past, some conjecture, and we throw in a few of our instinct into the combo. It’s in no way an hermetic case. However a whole lot of occasions there’s one thing to it.
When you could have coated the game of bodybuilding for over 20 years, you begin to develop a fairly good sense of who carried out it and what occurred. And thoughts you, 20 years is a drop within the bucket. Me protecting the game for 20 years is nothing to brag about. There are folks on this sport like Ron Harris, for instance, or the late nice Peter McGough, or the late nice Joe Weider, who spent their whole lives writing about bodybuilding, protecting bodybuilding reveals, doing interviews and actually studying concerning the intricacies of the game. 20 years is nothing. I don’t ever brag about doing this for 20 years as a result of 20 years is nothing, however I can inform you that in 20 years I’ve developed sufficient insights to form some fairly rattling near-decent views. what Bob did to Phil on that September 4th, 2024 interview at Muscle Discord paints a sure image some could not wish to have a look at. That mentioned, if a tree falls within the woods, it makes a noise, even when nobody’s round to listen to it.
What Bob did to Phil is inexcusable. What’s additionally inexcusable is the video that Bob did with “Sugar” Shawn Ray lashing out at Ron Harris. Bob accused Ron of agreeing with the whole lot Matt Tsinkorang and Phil Clahar needed to say on the 2025 Masters Olympia on Muscle Discord. That by no means occurred. Ron listened attentively, didn’t interrupt, and provided restricted dialogue. In hindsight, I can see the place possibly he was uncomfortable being there, but when that was the case, he shouldn’t have carried out the podcast. Both means, what Bob and Shawn did was mischaracterize Ron and all however lie about what he mentioned. Then Cicherillo accused Ron of “not having any nuts.” Finally, Bob and Shawn’s video brought about Ron to tug away from Muscle Discord. Whereas I agree that Ron ought to deal with doing his personal content material and needs to be extra assertive on the subject of sharing his opinion, I felt that his “No Extra Mr. Good Man” video pandered to Bob’s intimidation ways and can greater than possible embolden Bob to do that method when coping with different critics – perceived or precise. Will he go after Muscle Discord, subsequent? Perhaps StrengthAddicts? Perhaps IronMag?
You NEVER give into bullies. That solely makes issues worse.
In any occasion, I don’t know why Phil took second on the Masters Olympia. I believe that Dorian will probably be an excellent champion. Nonetheless, nobody has been in a position to clarify to me how the discrepancy in factors was made up. Phil seemed phenomenal for the prejudging and he seemed phenomenal for the finals. But he bought second. Solely time will inform, however I’ve a sense we’ll by no means know. The identical means we by no means knew about 1980, ‘81, ‘90, 2001.
Do you agree with the placings and the scoring on the 2025 Masters Olympia? Do you assume Bob is completed bullying those that disagree with him? As at all times, I stay up for studying your suggestions within the feedback. Please be sure you copy and paste a hyperlink to this text on all of your social media feeds. It’s certain to generate some energetic dialog.
