AN OPEN CHALLENGE TO JOE WEIDER FROM DAN LURIE

Dear Joe:-

I, Dan Lurie, do challenge you, Joe Weider, to an open physique contest, at the 1967 MR. AMERICAS PHYSIQUE PAGENT to be held at the Roosevelt Auditorium, 100 East 17th St., New York, N.Y., on Saturday, January 21st, 1967, at 8:30 P.M.

We both started bodybuilding about the same time, both are about the same age, both have been too busy to train as musch as we should, and both owe it to our followers to let them SEE what we REALLY look like.

You have been bragging about your super system of bodybuiling for many years. You claim that you have "built more champions than any other instructor in the world." You state, "I challenge anyone to prove that my course of instructinos is not superior to any other, is not the most up-to-date and scientific, or that it has not produced more physically perfect CHAMPIONS than all other courses COMBINED." You say in your ads, "I GUARANTEE to build you MORE MUSCLE than anyone else, FASTER than anyone else . . . ." You state that you used your own methods on yourself to build yourself up from a "skinny weakling" to a big, powerful he-man. That "within a shor time" you became "the winner of the title of PERFECT MAN" and "Not satisfied in only looking the part of a champion . . . went on to SMASH strength records, raising 600 pounds off the ground and lifting 230 pounds overhead with one hand," etc., etc.

All of these and many more unbelievable claims are made by you in writing in your own publications for all the world to read. Of course, anyone can make fatastic claims BUT it is another thing to back them up with factual evidence. In your self-glorifying statements you don't give any real proof of your vlaims, you don't tell when, or where or in what official contest you won your "titles" or "smashed strength records." On the other hand all of my titles and strenght records were made in official A.A.U. contests in front of official judges and thousands of spectators, and are written into the official A.A.U. record books.

Yes! You have been bragging about your so-called super system for many years. NOW I challenge you to let the whole world SEE what this great system has done for YOU.

As you know, any good artist can PAINT big muscles, sharp cuts and a wasp-like waist on the msot pathetic physique. In paintings and cleverly retouched photos ANYONE can look like a Mr. America. Therefore, I Dan Lurie, CHALLENGE you, Joe Weider, to compare bodies, not retouched photos or paintings, in public, on Saturday, Jan. 21st, 1967, at the Open Mr. Americas Pageant at the Roosevelt Auditorium in New York City.

Furthermore, I challenge you to post $1000.00 with a third, independent parity, which I will match, which will go to the winner of our contest, or to the remaining contestant, should one of us chicken out.

How about it Joe? You have been tossing around some mighty fancy superlatives for many years. Here is your chance to back them up . . . in person . . . in public.

Sincerely yours
Dan Lurie