THE STORY OF
THE MR. UNIVERSE CONTEST
By The Editors
A historical report on one of bodybuilding's most important physique events.
DURING THE PAST 9 YEARS, wearing the Mr. Universe Crown has become a bodybuilder's greatest ambition. Contestants from the 4 corners of the world eagerly vie for the honored title. Those who win become the celebrated kings of the game, with fame and fortune being their eventual reward. In this historical sketch, the editors of Muscle Builder Magazine bring the reader the background details and the important highlights of this big bodybuilding event.
The first Mr. Universe Contest was held at Philadelphia in 1947, as a part of the World Weightlifting Championships of that year.
With little advance publicity, the contest was hardly a fair International test. The decision also left much to be asked for, though it did serve as a tribute to courageous Steve Stanko for his fight to regain health and the use of his limbs after a long, serious illness.
However, the idea fired the imagination and appealed particularly to British promoters, who, with the exception of this year, have kept the Mr. Universe event entirely on their shores.
In 1948, it was natural that the Mr. Universe Contest be held as a part of the Olympics in London. John Grimek cornered the coveted crown.
1949 found the Mr. Universe Contest without a home. No interested sponsor could be found and no contest was held that year.
In 1950, the National Amateur Bodybuilder's Association was formed in England and they have promoted the event ever since. It was that year that Steve Reeves emerged from retirement and after a hard training come-back of one short month, nosed out a rapidly improving Reg Park to sit on the victory throne.
Reg refused to accept defeat and in 1951, after following special programs set down for him by Joe Weider, he won the victory hands down, displaying the greatest physique ever built by an Englishman. Appropriately enough, Reg's victory came during the celebration of Festival of Britain year.
1952 found no Americans competing for the title, and to safeguard entrants the NABBA instituted a change, establishing both a professional and amateur class. Mohamad Nasr of Egypt won the amateur event while Juan Ferrero of France captured the professional crown.
Bill Pearl, fresh from his Mr. America triumph, won the amateur title in 1953 while Arnold Dyson of England was given the professional nod.
1954 found America continuing its winning ways with Enrico Tomas the amateur king and Jim Park the professional victor.
Mickey Hargitay was the amateur standout with Leo Robert earning the professional trophy, in 1955.
This year, 1956, found sensational Ray Schaefer wearing the amateur crown, while Jack Delinger copped the professional event.
An attempt to bring back the Mr. Universe Contest to American soil was made this year, as well. An American Mr. Universe Contest was held at Virginia Beach, in celebration of their Golden Jubilee. The highly controversial outcome of this affair as reported in last month's Muscle Builder makes it most practical for us to forget the event entirely.
The fiasco of the American Mr. Universe Contest which found Bob Hoffman scoring little, skinny, bow-legged Chuck Vinci above majestic Ray Schaefer who proved his right to world supremacy by being awarded the title in the 'fait' Mr. Universe held in London, is a stigma Hoffman and the AAU will long have to try to live down.
The changing of judges in a middle of a contest when Ray Schaefer was ahead and the eventual victory of an out-of-shape Klisanin due to this irregular manipulation on the part of Bob Hoffman, could never have taken place in England.
So Britain it seems, has earned the right to continue to hold the Mr. Universe event, based on her record of fair play and fair officiating which unfortunately has not been equalled in the United States in recent years. A lesson could be learned by us from the way NABBA events are run.
All judges are accredited bodybuilders or authorities whose honesty and ability are above reproach. The actual judging is conducted the day before the contest, during which only officials and contestants are present.
The contestants line up in a well lighted room, and are judged as they appear under normal lighting conditions, rather than from the heavy overhead lighting used in our contests in which large portions of the bodybuilder's physique may be concealed in heavy shadow.
The contestants permit the judges to view them in natural front, side and back positions. Any developmental flaws are quickly observed in that manner, and because all contestants are lined up at the same time an impartial comparison of their respective physiques can be made.
The judges take all the time they need until each one is completely satisfied that he has reached a fair initial verdict.
Each contestant is then afforded the opportunity of presenting his posing routine and the judges score him on posing, definition, muscular presentation, etc.
With the balloting completed, the score cards are turned over to a recording secretary who compiles the results.
The winners are therefore picked that day, though who they are remains unknown, except to the recording secretary. That evening, all contestants are invited to a get together dinner where interesting speeches are heard and visitors from all parts of the world report the progress of bodybuilding in their localities. The NABBA also gives a full report on its operations and the progress it has made. It is all very instructive and inspirational.
The following afternoon the Mr. Universe Show is conducted before the audience so that spectators from all parts of the world can see in the flesh the very best in muscular manhood and be inspired to follow their glowing examples. Since the winner in both the professional and amateur classes as well as the positions in the various height divisions have already been determined, the show is merely for the audience and no further judging takes place.
After the display is concluded, the winners are called and the trophies awarded.
In this way, no dictatorships, frauds, personalities or politics are involved. A square deal is given to all. That is why certain bodybuilders who were given poor treatment in the United States, where a dictatorship policy has been permitted to exist by the AAU, saw fit to make the trip to England where they received fair deals.
Mickey Hargitay, as an example, after failing to be awarded his just due in several Mr. America events, made the trip to England and handily beat out Dick Dubois, a former Mr. America choice.
Schaefer, after the Virginia Beach fiasco, moved his muscles to British shores, and won, after Hoffman rigged the American Mr. Universe event to have him beaten by Klisanin here. Klisanin wouldn't have stood the slightest chance against Schaefer had he made the British Mr. Universe trip and we suggest that both he and Hoffman knew that, and that is why Klisanin stayed home.
A salute is therefore in order to the NABBA for its fair play and the good work it has been doing for the bodybuilding cause over the years. The I.F.B.B., our staff and I am sure fair minded bodybuilders and officials throughout the world, join us in wishing them continued success in running the Mr. Universe event for a long time to come. We intend to support them and to send our very best men to England to compete for the top bodybuilding honor in the physique world each year.
On the following pages you will read the stories of a number of Mr. Universe winners, get to know them better and learn how they trained.
And, we can point with pride to the record the Weider System has earned, for 90% of all Mr. Universe winners have been Weider Trained, while 100% of all the winners in some respect at least used our modern methods to help them reach the crest of their careers.
We hope that this special Mr. Universe edition will inspire you--encourage you to train hard to emulate the great champions. Make it your goal to follow them to the Mr. Universe Crown and fame, fortune and glory will be your just reward.
With a salute to the Mr. Universe Champions who have shown us the way and with our sincerest wishes for their continued success, we offer you this opportunity to meet a number of them now. . .
PHOTO CAPTION
- "I have nothing but praise for the fair minded officials and the completely ethical way NABBA Mr. Universe contest was run." says Joe Weider, seen here at the preliminary judging.
- In NABBA Mr. Universe contests, all competitors are examined under normal lighting. Contrast this with our events. Here the Short Man's pro class lines up, Jack Delinger left.
- Something you don't see in AAU events -- smiling competitors. They knew when Jack Delinger was announced as the 1956 Pro Mr. Universe winner, a completely fair decision had been rendered by every NABBA official.
- Above and below, the Amateur Mr. Universe, Ray Schaefer comes in for his share of the applause. Top, they shake his hand, bottom, he poses for the vast audience at London's famous Palladium Theater. Ray's a Weider Pupil.