Are There Too Many Pro Shows?

[Prince]

In just the last couple of months I took notice of four IFBB Pro League contests with lineups that all but made me cringe. I’m talking about the Cali Pro, the (Reno) Legion Sports, the Toronto Super Show and the Empro Classic. These shows lacked any real competitive value in their lineups and were won by guys who have never seen the Olympia Top 6. Not only that, but most of the winners have never been in the Olympia Top 10. As a member of the media, I want to sound off because the sheer number of these contests will serve to dilute the Olympia title. We’ll delve into that topic on a variety of fronts, including the doing away with the points systems and to a lesser extent the restraint of the federation to make more conscientious use of the special invite.

I’ll also address the issue of too many shows from a fan perspective because at the end of the day I believe we’re all fans. And as a fan, I wouldn’t want to spend my hard-earned money to buy a ticket or pay for a livestream to a contest primarily consisting of scrubs and no-names. That waters down the competitive stage for the premier physique-based federation in the world. The latter touches upon another article that I’ve got in the works that addresses concerns from legends like Lee Priest and others who believe that there are far too many pro cards being given out. More is not always better. More shows may mean more stages for fans to see, but who is on those stages? Some of these guys couldn’t win a regional NPC show in the States, yet they can earn a place at the Mr Olympia? Anyways, let’s dive into the action.

Are There Too Many Pro Shows? – IronMag Labs Bodybuilding Supplements

 

[Mark David]

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In just the last couple of months I took notice of four IFBB Pro League contests with lineups that all but made me cringe. I’m talking about the Cali Pro, the (Reno) Legion Sports, the Toronto Super Show and the Empro Classic. These shows lacked any real competitive value in their lineups and were won by guys who have never seen the Olympia Top 6. Not only that, but most of the winners have never been in the Olympia Top 10. As a member of the media, I want to sound off because the sheer number of these contests will serve to dilute the Olympia title. We’ll delve into that topic on a variety of fronts, including the doing away with the points systems and to a lesser extent the restraint of the federation to make more conscientious use of the special invite.

I’ll also address the issue of too many shows from a fan perspective because at the end of the day I believe we’re all fans. And as a fan, I wouldn’t want to spend my hard-earned money to buy a ticket or pay for a livestream to a contest primarily consisting of scrubs and no-names. That waters down the competitive stage for the premier physique-based federation in the world. The latter touches upon another article that I’ve got in the works that addresses concerns from legends like Lee Priest and others who believe that there are far too many pro cards being given out. More is not always better. More shows may mean more stages for fans to see, but who is on those stages? Some of these guys couldn’t win a regional NPC show in the States, yet they can earn a place at the Mr Olympia? Anyways, let’s dive into the action.

Are There Too Many Pro Shows? – IronMag Labs Bodybuilding Supplements

Priest is right about the "pro cards". Wonder how many of those are handed out each year?

 

[Smont]

Priest is right about the "pro cards". Wonder how many of those are handed out each year?

I don't know if I'm remembering all the details, but I actually looked this up a few years back and they estimated that the ifbb gives out a little over 100 pro cards each year for mens bodybuilding alone. That doesn't include classic or physique or any female classes. In the 80's there were only like 4 shows a year that you could earn a pro card.