A CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

BY DICK TYLER

WE were driving along in the tunnel that leads to New York from New Jersey and the Weider home office. Joe Weider and I were talking about the Mr. World contest that was to be the following evening. As usual we both were getting worked up about the contestants.

"It's so great," said Joe, "to see bodybuilders coming from all over the world to enter physique contests. It's one of the greatest international brotherhoods in sports."

"I'll say. Of course, the greatest thing would be to have an event such as this televised so that millions instead of thousands could see it." Joe just smiled.

I had the feeling that he was working on that idea already.

"Look at that building there," said Joe suddenly. "A few months ago there were just a few flea-bitten stores and a bar there, now we have a monument in steel. What a place New York is."

"Speaking of monuments in steel," I said, "how's Chuck Sipes?"

Joe glanced at me. "Haven't you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"Chuck hurt his shoulder in training and won't be able to attempt his 600-lb. Bench Press."

"You mean he won't be at the show?"

"Oh, no," Joe assured me, "he'll be there to perform his strength feats and to enter the Mr. World contest."

It took a moment for that to sink in.

"To what?"

"To perform his strength..."

"No," I interrupted, "I mean that thing about entering the Mr. World contest."

"What about it?"

"You've got to be kidding," I said.

"Why?"

"Well, what can he gain by entering that one when he's already entered the Mr. Olympia before?"

"What difference does that make?" asked Joe.

"Well look at all he has to lose. What if he doesn't win? He'd never be the same in the eyes of the fans."

"I don't know about that," said Joe. "Regardless, Chuck has never won the Mr. World and he's willing to take the chance of losing a lot of prestige to put the title on the belt."

"He's quite a competitor," I said in the understatement of the year.

The following afternoon I got to the theater early so that I could help check in the contestants. Bud Parker had asked me if I could help assist backstage which takes in a little of everything and a lot of time. Actually I didn't have that much to do since Al Townsend and his assistants did so well that they made me look pretty useless. Useless or not I got a chance to see the contestants as they arrived which is something else. I counted over thirty contestants from around the world who would vie for the Mr. World title. This was tough competition and I could only hope that Chuck was in the best shape of his life.

As I was helping with the registration a familiar voice said, "Hello, Mr. Tyler." I looked up to see my old buddy, Joe Nista.

"Joe, what are you doing here?"

"I'm entering the Mr. World."

Now there were two people for me to root for.

The sun slowly set on this warm day in Brooklyn. With the evening, the crowds that had been waiting around the Brooklyn Academy of Music grew into the frantic fans they always do. You could feel the excitement grow as the marquee lights were turned on and the front doors to the aisles were opened to the public.

Backstage was like a mad house. Juggling acts were trying to move their equipment around without bumping into the belly dancer who was getting stares from the bodybuilders who were pumping up their muscles and oiling their lumps for the big moment under the posing light. Unfortunately I hadn't had the chance to see as much of the pre-judging as I had wanted to because I was busy helping with the organization of the events and because of the arm wrestling event I was to manage. This resulted in an almost "new" show for me to see and I think I was getting more excited about it than anyone with the exception of Joe Weider.

The National Anthem's powerful strains thundered the opening of the show of shows. No sooner had everyone settled back than they were greeted by the IFBB President Ben Weider who gave everyone the glad tidings that the governing body of international weightlifting was dropping bodybuilding. This would mean other organization affiliated with them would also drop sanctioning powers. In other words, this would spell the end of the "little black book" tactics of some officials to keep their "amateurs" from entering anything but AAU events. Freedom at last. Ben was followed up by a spectacular juggling act, a muscleman fashion show and a belly dancer. Now came the big moment. The lights dimmed and Bud Parker stepped to the microphone to begin the introduction for the Mr. World contest. I had to leave my post and run out front for this. The trip was worth it as one of the best arrays of muscle ever to grace the Mr. World contest marched before us.

Then it happened. Chuck Sipes was introduced and pandemonium broke out. It was fantastic. Before the thousands of screaming fans was one of the most powerful men in the world. A titan of explosive strength poured into one of the most dramatic physiques on earth. The crowd went nutty. Flash bulbs burst their eerie brightness like lightning on the surface of darkened clouds. Above all this, like some ancient god, stood the mighty Sipes bathed in the light and showered by the roaring accolades of his fans. It was quite an experience and as Chuck told me later, it was the greatest reception in his long career.

After it was all over you'll never guess who won. Sipes had gambled and picked up almost all the chips. Not only did he win the title but was chosen Most Muscular, and got Best Arms, Best Chest, and Best Abdominals as well. Best Legs went to Nobuo Takemoto of Japan with Roy Callender winning Best Back. The short class was won by Joe Nista, the medium by Sipes, and the tall by Conrad LaFramboise.

Backstage Chuck told me that he was retiring.

"But no bodybuilder has ever won the 'Big Four' (Mr. America, Mr. World, Mr. Universe, and Mr. Olympia) in bodybuilding history. All you have to do is win the Mr. Olympia and you've done it."

Chuck thought for a moment. "You've just witnessed the shortest retirement in history!"

PHOTO CAPTIONS

- AN IMPRESSIVE OPENING - contestants stand at attention for the National Anthem. Flag bearers are, left to right: Nobuo Takemoto (Japan), holding the UN flag; Zabo Koszewski (California), holding the American flag; and Christopher Forde (Trinidad), holding the UN flag.

- SPECIAL TRIBUTE was paid to those contestants who traveled the greatest distances to participate in the MR. WORLD contest. Left to right: Odd Erling Haugen (Finland); Gainsford O'Brien (Venezuela); Jose Donato Munoz (Spain); Nobuo Takemoto (Japan); Takeshi Kimura (Japan); Bikash Datta (India); and Jay Gonzalez (Philippines).

- MUTUAL ADMIRATION is evident in the happy faces of top winners Chuck Sipes (left), MR. WORLD, and Frank Zane, MR. AMERICA. Sipes also won Most Muscular, Best Arms, Best Chest, and Best Abdominals. For Zane it was Best Legs. A Week later he won the MR. UNIVERSE contest.

- WINNERS - TALL & SHORT CLASS Conrad LaFramboise (left), from Canada, won the Tall Class; Joe Nista, from California, was the Short Class winner. These men and Roy Callender, who placed 2nd to Sipes in the Medium Class, came closest to winning the overall title.

- MEDIUM HEIGHT & OVERALL The smiling victor -- Chuck Sipes, our new MR. WORLD. Later in the evening Chuck performed impressing strongman stunts. He had hoped to make a 600-pound Bench Press, but a bad shoulder prevented him from attempting it.

- 2nd PLACE WINNERS Left to right: Roy Callendar (Medium Class), from England; Tony Carroll (Tall Class), from Bahamas; and Elliot Gilchrist (Short Class), from Grenada. Tony, who stands 6' 3½" tall, designs tailor-made shirts for bodybuilders. He presented a fashion show earlier in the evening.

- 3rd PLACE WINNERS Left to right: Jose Donato Munoz (Short Class), from Spain; Christopher Forde (Tall Class), from Trinidad; and Steve Burnett (Medium Class), from Trinidad. Both Donato and Forde went down to Miami a week later to participate in the MR. UNIVERSE event. Forde placed 8th and won Best Back.

- BEST LEGS Frank Zane (left), in the MR. AMERICA contest, and Nobuo Takemoto, from Japan, in the MR. WORLD competition. Takemoto is wearing the special IFBB medallion received by contestants who traveled from great distances.

- BEST BACK Roy Callendar (left), in the MR. WORLD contest, and Rock Stonewall, in the MR. AMERICA event. This was Callender's first major IFBB competition, and he scored well and made a great impression; we hope it is the first of many to come.

- BEN WEIDER President of the IFBB, Ben Weider, announces the recipients of the special tribute awards -- bronze medallions cast especially for the IFBB in Switzerland. They bear the IFBB insignia, the figure of a bodybuilder, in relief.

- BEST ARMS John Decola (left), in the MR. AMERICA contest, and Chuck Sipes, in the MR. WORLD. Decola, as reported in the last month's article on the big show, came close to winning the AMERICA title. This was his first IFBB competition.

- BEST ABDOMINALS Chuck Sipes (left), in the MR. WORLD event, and Zabo Koszewski, in the MR. America contest. It was no surprise to see Zabo win this subdivision; he never loses -- but Chuck's fantastic midsection is "new," tremendously improved.

- BEST CHEST Mike Katz (left), in the MR. America contest, and Chuck Sipes, in the MR. WORLD event. Katz, as reported in last month's article on the MR. AMERICA competition, won this subdivision last year; the chest is his outstanding bodypart.