During an interview with the “Steve Austin Show”, International Federation Of Bodybuilding (“IFBB”) bodybuilder “Big” Will Harris revealed how Vince McMahon’s World Bodybuilding Federation impacted the sport during its brief run, and more. You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On if he would have left IFBB for WBF: “It was the f–king best thing that ever happened to the sport [of professional bodybuilding], absolutely. I actually wish it had kept on going if [IFBB co-founder Joe] Weider hadn’t pulled some s–t, but it was one of the best things that ever happened because it was the first time, first of all, IFBB, it forced them to open their f–king pocketbook and pay their athletes Vince made them athletes, not just models and a second thought. Vince put them on stage. He gave them salaries, which was unheard of! He gave them contracts for magazines, which was never done, which was unheard of unless you [were] Lou [Ferrigno], you never saw any of that. You [were] getting paid pennies, so for him, I wish he had brought it back because I would have definitely jumped. If McMahon was to start one now, I’d be a senior to go jump on his s–t! Absolutely!”
On his problems with IFBB: “They’ve watered down bodybuilding so damn much. I mean, hell, one of the worst things they ever brought to this damn sport is what I call, ‘mankini’, okay? That’s the guys in board shorts. I mean, what the… really, what the f–k? Okay, you’re rewarding these guys and the fact that you give them Olympia titles, okay, you’re rewarding these guys for half a damn body. They don’t work hard and what you have told the sport is that we’re settling. ‘Yes, you can settle and get a trophy.’ Just like that whole damn thing, that whole thing they got now with that in education, everybody wins. Bulls–t! There’s a winner. There’s a loser. Every time you lose, it gives you that much more hunger and vigilance of wanting to fight to win. It doesn’t exist anymore and a lot of times that’s existing in bodybuilding. They’re coming up with all these stupid ass categories where these guys are half-assing it and still getting awarded for it. It shows on the Instagram and all that bulls–t too, but it’s garbage. It’s f–king garbage! There’s not one Physique guy that I liked. Ever!”
On not training IFBB Physique category competitors: “I mean, if we walked on stage with only half a body even back then, you wouldn’t even place! You wouldn’t even place, so it’s not me being bitter. It’s me being realistic. I mean, let’s take it out of gender at all. Let’s take it to a social network. Women like looking at us just as much as we like looking at women. I figure if you could walk around with a long sleeve shirt on, nice pair of legs, ass, and calves, like we like to see on our women, you’ve got that much more attractive – you’ve got pride in what you do. These guys that do this Physique s–t, there’s no pride in it. It’s all vanity. I mean, hell, they’re more diva than the women walking around. I can’t stand them motherf–kers! I won’t even train Physique guys! Really, because I can’t hold my tongue about how I feel about them.” Harris added, “I say, ‘you’re either going to train legs and we’re going to do Classic [division] or we’re not doing it – you’ve got to find some other coach.’”
