Ms. Olympia replacement contest (FACEBOOK RUMOR) updated 3rd of March 2015

[the_arbitrage]

Let's all hope that something resembling the Ms. O goes ahead this year and on an ongoing basis, though from all account above there appears to be a good number of hurdles, notably the IFBB themselves, and a lack of sponsorship/prize-money.  I just pray that all the pro FBBs can agree (a few of their egos appear to be preventing this at present) on a way forward, so they can present a united front during any 'negotiations' over what to do now and going forward.

I still found it strange that the IFBB and their 'judges' thought that having Iris retire and (hopefully) Alina takes her Ms. O crown (should've been in 2014 IMHO) is a bad thing, given how much more 'viewer friendly' Alina is...

I believe Ifbb doesn't want fbb anymore so awarding Iris again over Alina would fit that agenda for various reasons.

this^...is spot-on...big time.

[phy911]

[Whos ABs are those?

Helle Trevino (formerly Nielsen)

[FemFlexUSA]

I think if one looks a bit deeper below the surface the politics are still in full-effect with everything here. It's not a really question of whether a WBB div will be included at WoS since it already has been for yrs, it just hasn't been removed yet. Simply adding a little more prize $ won't magically transform anything or create any major impacts in the bigger picture. And this is FAR from any kind of "Olympia replacement"...more like, moving from the World Series down to the minor leagues. As I mentioned before extreme fbbing is still currently structured to consume itself and this is yet another step towards phasing it out of the mainstream market and relegating it to the Xfbb niche.     

If the best bodybuilders in the world are competing on the same stage for a solid purse, I don't see how that rates a "minor league" label.  The same fans who want to see women's bodybuilding and who would've traveled to the Ms. Olympia would likely be the same people who'll travel to a different city to watch a women's world championship. And more importantly, even if they don't travel, they're still the ones who'll care and will appreciate the fact that the world's top bodybuilders are being given a venue in which to display their talents. 

I get being upset about there being no Ms. Olympia on the schedule yet, but I'm having a difficult time understanding why anyone thinks there is any downside to a WoS Championship.  They work with a professional organizer and have a proven track record.  Those who've been to the flagship event in Tampa can attest to the quality of the product.  I'm optimistic. 

[the_arbitrage]

I think if one looks a bit deeper below the surface the politics are still in full-effect with everything here. It's not a really question of whether a WBB div will be included at WoS since it already has been for yrs, it just hasn't been removed yet. Simply adding a little more prize $ won't magically transform anything or create any major impacts in the bigger picture. And this is FAR from any kind of "Olympia replacement"...more like, moving from the World Series down to the minor leagues. As I mentioned before extreme fbbing is still currently structured to consume itself and this is yet another step towards phasing it out of the mainstream market and relegating it to the Xfbb niche.     

If the best bodybuilders in the world are competing on the same stage for a solid purse, I don't see how that rates a "minor league" label.  The same fans who want to see women's bodybuilding and who would've traveled to the Ms. Olympia would likely be the same people who'll travel to a different city to watch a women's world championship. And more importantly, even if they don't travel, they're still the ones who'll care and will appreciate the fact that the world's top bodybuilders are being given a venue in which to display their talents. 

I get being upset about there being no Ms. Olympia on the schedule yet, but I'm having a difficult time understanding why anyone thinks there is any downside to a WoS Championship.  They work with a professional organizer and have a proven track record.  Those who've been to the flagship event in Tampa can attest to the quality of the product.  I'm optimistic.

No question about any of the above, but again none of that furthers "the cause" of the WBB division in terms of improving the image of Xfbbing and its fans 'outside' of the extreme niche and/or increasing exposure and growth. True having at least some continued coverage isn't necessarily a bad thing in itself but again going from Olympia caliber status to WoS is another huge step down overall and in the bigger picture, just sayin..

[M7]

I'm not sure it's a step down if the competitors get paid more money.

[the_arbitrage]

I'm not sure it's a step down if the competitors get paid more money.

In reality they aren't even getting that either. Again when looking at the overall bigger picture we also have to consider that WBB has already lost multiple other events which account for additional annual income opportunities, including the 2 premier pro bodybuilding shows/expos...first the Ms. International, and now the Ms. Olympia which has the hallmark for women's bodybuilding for over 3 decades. Boosting 1 show up by adding a bit more prize $ won't compensate for all the multiple other losses. It's just a smokescreen for what's actually happening and WBB deserves more respect and growth opportunities IMO...however, if some are still happy and satisfied with this movement/status, fair enough.   

[phy911]

UPDATE

[rigoberto]

FANTASTIC NEWS. Bodybuilders women deserve this and much more. Thanks to Wings of Strength. All my support.               

[UK_Fan]

UPDATE

Nice to see some positive news - many thanks TSF!  Let's hope all the big names (including Alina - I hope she sufficiently recovers from her accidents to get ready in time) all attend.

 

[sluggo]

You lost me at Melody Spetko.  Not the FBB who should be representing the community to the rest of the public IMHO

[phy911]

You lost me at Melody Spetko.  Not the FBB who should be representing the community to the rest of the public IMHO

Edited for Sluggo

[Female Bodybuilding]

Melody Spetko

2009

Canadian Championships - CBBF, Masters, 1st
Canadian Championships - CBBF, HeavyWeight, 4th
North American Championships - IFBB, Masters HeavyWeight, 2nd

2010

Canadian Championships - CBBF, HeavyWeight, 1st

2011

Tampa Pro Championships - IFBB, 13th
Toronto Pro - IFBB, Bodybuilding, 6th

2012

Chicago Pro Championships - IFBB, Bodybuilding, 8th
Tampa Pro Championships - IFBB, Bodybuilding, 4th

2013

Tampa Pro Championships - IFBB, Bodybuilding, 6th
Toronto Pro - IFBB, Bodybuilding, 4th

2014

Omaha Pro - IFBB, Bodybuilding, 9th
Toronto Pro - IFBB, Bodybuilding, 7th

[FemFlexUSA]

I'm not sure it's a step down if the competitors get paid more money.

In reality they aren't even getting that either. Again when looking at the overall bigger picture we also have to consider that WBB has already lost multiple other events which account for additional annual income opportunities, including the 2 premier pro bodybuilding shows/expos...first the Ms. International, and now the Ms. Olympia which has the hallmark for women's bodybuilding for over 3 decades. Boosting 1 show up by adding a bit more prize $ won't compensate for all the multiple other losses. It's just a smokescreen for what's actually happening and WBB deserves more respect and growth opportunities IMO...however, if some are still happy and satisfied with this movement/status, fair enough.

If I'm reading your sentiment correctly, I don't think I can fully agree with what you're saying.  While it's a "shame" (on the organization/sport) that the Ms. Olympia might not be contested on the main stage with all the other Olympia events this year, I think you're not giving enough credence to the fact that a private company is almost single-handedly providing a complete circuit of events for women bodybuilders who wish to continue competing alongside their peers in the IFBB (that label means a lot to them).  As has been noted, these aren't some second-rate sideshows that we're talking about.  These are pro level events on pro-quality stages, not some high school gym in rural Virginia (no disrespect to past events intended). 

If female competitors choose to drop down from bodybuilding to other divisions for personal reasons (health, time, etc), that's fine. But if they're dropping down because of "rumors of FBBs not being wanted in the IFBB", "the writing is on the wall", "I need to become what THEY want", etc., well, that's pretty much a chickenshit response, especially considering how much MONEY and TIME the Wings of Strength organization has given in order to make sure that the pro women would continue to have a home within the IFBB. People are adults and can do whatever the fuck they want to do, and that includes my right not to co-sign on in support of those dropping out of bodybuilding just because physique has an Olympia competition this year and women's bodybuilding doesn't. 

In closing, this is a very big deal.  Thank you, Wings of Strength, for making it happen.

[UK_Fan]

I'm not sure it's a step down if the competitors get paid more money.

In reality they aren't even getting that either. Again when looking at the overall bigger picture we also have to consider that WBB has already lost multiple other events which account for additional annual income opportunities, including the 2 premier pro bodybuilding shows/expos...first the Ms. International, and now the Ms. Olympia which has the hallmark for women's bodybuilding for over 3 decades. Boosting 1 show up by adding a bit more prize $ won't compensate for all the multiple other losses. It's just a smokescreen for what's actually happening and WBB deserves more respect and growth opportunities IMO...however, if some are still happy and satisfied with this movement/status, fair enough.

If I'm reading your sentiment correctly, I don't think I can fully agree with what you're saying.  While it's a "shame" (on the organization/sport) that the Ms. Olympia might not be contested on the main stage with all the other Olympia events this year, I think you're not giving enough credence to the fact that a private company is almost single-handedly providing a complete circuit of events for women bodybuilders who wish to continue competing alongside their peers in the IFBB (that label means a lot to them).  As has been noted, these aren't some second-rate sideshows that we're talking about.  These are pro level events on pro-quality stages, not some high school gym in rural Virginia (no disrespect to past events intended). 

If female competitors choose to drop down from bodybuilding to other divisions for personal reasons (health, time, etc), that's fine. But if they're dropping down because of "rumors of FBBs not being wanted in the IFBB", "the writing is on the wall", "I need to become what THEY want", etc., well, that's pretty much a chickenshit response, especially considering how much MONEY and TIME the Wings of Strength organization has given in order to make sure that the pro women would continue to have a home within the IFBB. People are adults and can do whatever the fuck they want to do, and that includes my right not to co-sign on in support of those dropping out of bodybuilding just because physique has an Olympia competition this year and women's bodybuilding doesn't. 

In closing, this is a very big deal.  Thank you, Wings of Strength, for making it happen.

I agree - its not as though the Ms. I and Ms. O have had huge prize funds available in previous years (they were at their [not very high] peak in the early 1990s, and I think they reduced the prizes around 2000 and have never risen again), so any professionally run show with some prizes is far better than none at all.  I just hope that the IFBB don't 'scare' sufficient numbers of pro FBBs into thinking the new end-of-season Championship show is not worth it - they deserve better.

As you say, WoS should be commended for taking on a large financial burden which isn't necessarily guaranteed to pay off for them.  I hope they can - best of luck!

 

[FemFlexUSA]

You lost me at Melody Spetko.  Not the FBB who should be representing the community to the rest of the public IMHO

I'm not sure why you feel that way, but Melody's company has also been active in providing IFBB event sponsorship the past couple of years and she has competed on the IFBB stage herself during that time, essentially doing double duty in putting her money where her mouth is to support the sport she loves.  I'm a fan, but I respect that your mileage may vary.