The Fight for IFBB Pro Cards | Do More Pros Mean Better Pros?
The Fight for IFBB Pro Cards
Do More Pros Mean Better Pros?
At the 2015 NPC Nationals slated for November 20th and 21st in Miami the top two in each of the seven men’s bodybuilding classes will win pro cards. And in fact via the NPC Nationals, USA, North American and Team Universe contests a total of 25 pro cards for men’s bodybuilding will be handed out this year. In my opinion that’s too many. The three main reasons for that view are as follows.
1) It leads to a host of amateurs being propelled into the pro ranks before they are ready. Once there, their results are often mediocre and they may become disillusioned and leave the sport before they develop their optimum physique.
2) It weakens the ranks of the amateur ranks for the next few years. Of the 14 new pros that will emerge from this year’s Nationals it’s a safe bet to speculate that (as in previous years) the majority will not be ready for the pros and would be better served by staying in the amateurs to work toward improvement.
3) In essence too many amateurs becoming pros too soon dilutes the quality of both the amateur and professional divisions.
Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s when pro cards were harder to come by many future big names had multiple appearances at the Nationals and USA Championships as they sought their pro card. Here’s a not inclusive list of the number of appearances at that level some big names made: Bob Cicherillo (14), Bob Paris (3), Mike Christian (4), Flex Wheeler (4), Paul DeMayo (4), Chris Cormier (3), John Sherman (5), Mike Francois (3), Don Long (3), Toney Freeman (5) and Tom Prince (5). These regular appearances at the USA and National Championships gave them name recognition and the media and bodybuilding public got to know them and identified them as front-runners in the countdown to the contests.
QUALITY NOT QUANTITY
Having guys of that caliber regularly competing for pro cards and improving year by year increased the quality of the amateur ranks. Given that hothouse of competition those guys didn’t turn pro until they were good enough to be pros. The same should apply today, but with so many pro cards being given out the strength in depth of the amateur ranks is weakened as many top amateurs head into the pros before their time. Better for them and the quality of the amateur division that they battle on and make improvements until they are ready for the big step upward. Sadly a pro card doesn’t always equate to pro caliber. It sometimes seems today that the only thing harder than winning a pro card is not winning one.
HOUSE OF CARDS: BY THE NUMBERS
As previously stated this year 25 IFBB pro cards will be awarded to male bodybuilders at NPC events. This is comprised of 14 at the Nationals (top two in each of the seven classes), seven at the USA and (one card per class winner), three at the North Americans and one for the overall Team Universe winner. In the ‘80s and ‘90s only the class winners at the Nationals won a pro card (for the most part there were only five classes: the superheavyweight division wasn’t launched until 1998 and the welterweight class first appeared in 2005) and the sole card given out at the USA and North Americans was to the overall champ. From 1998 a second pro card was given out at the USA before eventually all class winners received one. Thus in the bulk of that ‘80s and ‘90s period only seven pro cards a year were awarded as against the 25 on offer this year. (I’m not going to get into pro cards given at Masters competitions which ..... well, don't get me started.)
A comparison between the two periods (1985-1999 and 2000-2014) and how NPC champs fared as pros makes for interesting analysis. In that first period when only seven pro cards were awarded annually the following 15 emerged from the NPC to achieve a top six spot at the Olympia: Lee Labrada, Mike Quinn, Gary Strydom, Shawn Ray, Vince Taylor, Porter Cottrell, Flex Wheeler, Kevin Levrone, Ronnie Coleman, Chris Cormier, Jay Cutler, Dennis James, Orville Burke, Dexter Jackson and Melvin Anthony.
For the latter period (2000-2014) with 25 pro cards now on offer the following NPC six alumni gained a top six Olympia spot: Phil Heath, Kai Greene, Shawn Rhoden, Toney Freeman, Branch Warren and Victor Martinez. So during 1985-1999 when only seven pro cards were up for grabs, 15 guys attained top six Olympia placings and three (Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler and Dexter Jackson) were crowned Mr. Olympia. While from 2000-2014 with over three times as many pro card opportunities only six guys (which equates to 40% of the number of 1985-1999 graduates) have managed a top six berth at the Olympia with Phil Heath being the sole Mr. Olympia winner of that group. That could be interpreted as the more pro cards that are available the overall quality in depth decreases, prompting the thought does more pros equate to better pros? Answers on a postcard please.
Postscript
212 BREAKDOWN
In the period 2000-2014 seven NPCers achieved a top six place at the lighter Olympia class (the 212 pound division previously 202, established in 2008). They are Jose Raymond, Al Auguste, Aaron Clark, David Henry, Tricky Jackson, Guy Cisternino and Mark Dugdale. Two NPC champs from the period 1985-1999 gained a top six spot at the lighter division, namely Kevin English and Jason Arntz. It’s not an equal contrast because of course the lighter class wasn’t introduced until 2008.