Vince McMahon is the man who took the regional pro wrestling of old and turned into a shiny syndicated global phenomenon, but his foray into the world of flexing was far less successful. 35 years since the inaugural World Bodybuilding Federation Championship, we take a look at five facts that range from brilliant to downright embarrassing.
While McMahon has become a controversial figure, currently embroiled in allegations of sexual misconduct in the work place, the ’90s was a decade when the head-honcho of WWE wanted to take the formula that had worked so well in the larger than life world of grappling, and takeover the world of bodybuilding with the same flashy format. But while the initial buzz around McMahon’s World Bodybuilding Federation showed promise, the project imploded after just two shows. Here are some of the most notable aspects of its rise and fall.
Vince McMahon Used the Olympia to Announce his Rival Project
In much the same way as McMahon had put rival pro wrestling promotions in a headlock and dominated the mat market, the WWE owner looked to take on Joe and Ben Wieder’s IFBB and establish his own bodybuilding federation with no concerns about hurting anyone’s feelings.
The first shots were fired in Chicago, during the twenty-sixth Mr. Olympia event, when McMahon, a bodybuilding fan himself, signed 80s icon Tom Platz to a big money contract to consult and scout talent. The duo used the Olympia event as a way to announce their own project and gain free publicity from the countless members of the media that were in attendance, ruffling the Weider’s feathers in the process.
McMahon’s brazen takeover of bodybuilding at the Olympia got totally surreal when a group of beautiful women were brought to the event and then paraded around wearing sashes adorned with the WBF logo. With the formation of a supplement line and a bodybuilding lifestyle magazine to help promote the World Bodybuilding Federation also in the mix, McMahon had made his desire to rule the world of bodybuilding clear.
Vince Mcmahon lured bodybuilders to the WBF with big money deals
While bodybuilder are traditionally paid for winning or placing highly in competitive shows, they can also generate additional funds from magazine spreads and endorsement deals, but McMahon used a different method to fill his upstart federation with the best possible talent. The WBF offered guaranteed, long-term contracts to big name bodybuilders, said to be upwards up $400,000 per year, (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Bodybuilding_Federation) so muscle-bound athletes like Gary Strydom, who had previously won IFBB competitions and competed at Mr. Olympia, soon joined the fold. Other notable bodybuilders also jumped ship, including Mike Christian, Aaron Baker, Berry DeMey, and Jim Quinn. Interestingly, WBF athletes were often signed to better deals that WWE Superstars, gaining superior perks like better class travel and hotel accommodation, leaving the critics to wonder how such an investment could be sustained. Of course, it wasn’t, but the first WBF Championship show took place on June 15, 1991, some 35 years ago this week, and was won by Gary Strydom.
Lou Ferrigno was the WBF’s Most Incredible Signing
Lou Ferrigno was an obvious prize for McMahon to go hunting for as he looked to promote the second show, since the “Pumping Iron” and “Incredible Hulk” star was a huge mainstream attraction, and had been an original “Weider boy” in the 1970s. Astonishingly, Ferrigno got even more green after signing a reported two-year, $900,000 deal with the WBF.
Despite appearing on WBF promotional material ahead of the second WBF championship show, Ferrigno never flexed on stage for the company, however. This is thought to stem from the fact that McMahon, who was already fighting a huge steroid related legal case against WWE, announced that drug testing would also be introduced to the WBF. Ferrigno soon dropped out, taking a ton of momentum away ffom McMahon’s muscle project.
The WBF’s Growth was Halted by Drug Testing
McMahon’s decision to drug test his athletes became a disadvantage when Ferrigno jumped ship and guest posed for the Weider’s instead. This forced the WBF to scramble for a replacement, and this came in the form of WCW pro wrestler, Lex Luger, who had a massive physique, but lacked the mainstream media power that Ferrigno offered. Worse still, Luger suffered a motorcycle accident days out from the show, breaking his arm and fracturing the company’s potential once again.
The WBF Went from ‘Flex’ to ‘Flop’
Just two years on from McMahon’s initial flex in Chicago at the Olympia, there was little goodwill towards the WBF. Due to the drug testing policy, critics had pointed to less than impressive physiques, and despite the show’s cringy attempts to turn the routines into part pose down, part rock concert, the format never really clicked with fans.
The 1992 WBF Championship show attracted just 3,000 buys on pay-per-view, and so the decision to dissolve the group arrived on June 15, 1992, when McMahon called the Wieder brothers personally, and informed them that he was tapping out of the bodybuilding business.
At the 1993 IFBB Night of Champions event, Dorian Yates took to the stage dressed as a preacher surrounded by WBF branded tombstones, while former WBF bodybuilders made their returns to the IFBB by raising themselves from the ground.
It is thought that McMahon lost more than $15 million on his bodybuilding excursion, leaving him to take on other established sports like football instead. But that’s another story entirely.
