The World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF) was a bodybuilding organization founded in 1991 by Vince McMahon.
The 1992 WBF Championship was co-hosted by Platz, McMahon, and Heenan, with WWF ring announcer "Mean" Gene Okerlund joining them as the emcee. Luger was injured in a motorcycle accident prior to the event, resulting in him being interviewed from a hospital bed during the PPV rather than making an on-stage appearance. The event would see Gary Strydom win his second consecutive WBF Championship. Most of the competitors were relatively out-of-shape due to their drug-free regimens, a fact which was frequently acknowledged by McMahon in his commentary; the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that "while the idea of promoting a show where the majority of participants had recently failed a steroid test as drug-free on the surface was both ludicrous and fraudulent, the funny thing is, when show time came, it appeared that in the preparatory period for the show among the crew, there was less steroid use than at any contest of that level in recent years."
The 1992 WBF Championship was co-hosted by Platz, McMahon, and Heenan, with WWF ring announcer "Mean" Gene Okerlund joining them as the emcee. Luger was injured in a motorcycle accident prior to the event, resulting in him being interviewed from a hospital bed during the PPV rather than making an on-stage appearance. The event would see Gary Strydom win his second consecutive WBF Championship. Most of the competitors were relatively out-of-shape due to their drug-free regimens, a fact which was frequently acknowledged by McMahon in his commentary;
The 1992 WBF Championship was co-hosted by Platz, McMahon, and Heenan, with WWF ring announcer "Mean" Gene Okerlund joining them as the emcee. Luger was injured in a motorcycle accident prior to the event, resulting in him being interviewed from a hospital bed during the PPV rather than making an on-stage appearance. The event would see Gary Strydom win his second consecutive WBF Championship.
The 1992 WBF Championship was co-hosted by Platz, McMahon, and Heenan, with WWF ring announcer "Mean" Gene Okerlund joining them as the emcee. Luger was injured in a motorcycle accident prior to the event, resulting in him being interviewed from a hospital bed during the PPV rather than making an on-stage appearance.
The 1992 WBF Championship was co-hosted by Platz, McMahon, and Heenan, with WWF ring announcer "Mean" Gene Okerlund joining them as the emcee.
Promotion of the 1992 WBF Championship on WBF BodyStars subsequently and repeatedly emphasized the "drug-free" nature of the event. This was despite the fact that many of the participants would fail drug tests in the weeks leading up to the event, resulting in fines and six-week suspensions that reduced morale. In their book Sex, Lies, and Headlocks, Shaun Assael and Mike Mooneyham wrote that in between BodyStars' monthly tapings, the competitors "stayed home, taking copious amounts of drugs to stay in shape while Vince was running around telling America his company was drug-free." Some of the competitors relied on Di Pasquale's ketogenic "Anabolic Diet" as an alternative to steroids.
Promotion of the 1992 WBF Championship on WBF BodyStars subsequently and repeatedly emphasized the "drug-free" nature of the event. This was despite the fact that many of the participants would fail drug tests in the weeks leading up to the event, resulting in fines and six-week suspensions that reduced morale. In their book Sex, Lies, and Headlocks, Shaun Assael and Mike Mooneyham wrote that in between BodyStars' monthly tapings, the competitors "stayed home, taking copious amounts of drugs to stay in shape while Vince was running around telling America his company was drug-free."
Promotion of the 1992 WBF Championship on WBF BodyStars subsequently and repeatedly emphasized the "drug-free" nature of the event. This was despite the fact that many of the participants would fail drug tests in the weeks leading up to the event, resulting in fines and six-week suspensions that reduced morale.
Promotion of the 1992 WBF Championship on WBF BodyStars subsequently and repeatedly emphasized the "drug-free" nature of the event.
In March 1992, McMahon announced that the WBF would begin conducting drug testing; Titan Sports hired Mauro Di Pasquale to oversee the drug testing programs for both the WWF and WBF. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter wrote that in a company meeting discussing the changes, "most of the guys freaked out about being told to give up all their drugs just three months before a contest, despite many willingly spouting the drug-free company line." Ferrigno quit the WBF shortly afterward, without ever competing in its events; although he legitimately cited an upcoming carpal tunnel surgery as reasoning, it was observed that "the idea of competing without drugs, as he was so proudly talking of on Carson months earlier, apparently wasn't even considered as an option". Ferrigno would later compete at Mr. Olympia 1992.
In March 1992, McMahon announced that the WBF would begin conducting drug testing; Titan Sports hired Mauro Di Pasquale to oversee the drug testing programs for both the WWF and WBF. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter wrote that in a company meeting discussing the changes, "most of the guys freaked out about being told to give up all their drugs just three months before a contest, despite many willingly spouting the drug-free company line." Ferrigno quit the WBF shortly afterward, without ever competing in its events; although he legitimately cited an upcoming carpal tunnel surgery as reasoning, it was observed that "the idea of competing without drugs, as he was so proudly talking of on Carson months earlier, apparently wasn't even considered as an option".
In March 1992, McMahon announced that the WBF would begin conducting drug testing; Titan Sports hired Mauro Di Pasquale to oversee the drug testing programs for both the WWF and WBF. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter wrote that in a company meeting discussing the changes, "most of the guys freaked out about being told to give up all their drugs just three months before a contest, despite many willingly spouting the drug-free company line." Ferrigno quit the WBF shortly afterward, without ever competing in its events;
In March 1992, McMahon announced that the WBF would begin conducting drug testing; Titan Sports hired Mauro Di Pasquale to oversee the drug testing programs for both the WWF and WBF. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter wrote that in a company meeting discussing the changes, "most of the guys freaked out about being told to give up all their drugs just three months before a contest, despite many willingly spouting the drug-free company line."
In March 1992, McMahon announced that the WBF would begin conducting drug testing; Titan Sports hired Mauro Di Pasquale to oversee the drug testing programs for both the WWF and WBF.
In March 1992, McMahon announced that the WBF would begin conducting drug testing;
Wrestler Lex Luger departed the WWF's main rival, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), to co-host WBF BodyStars—a weekly WBF television series that aired on USA Network. Luger was interviewed during WrestleMania VIII to promote the WBF, and was scheduled to make a guest appearance posing at the 1992 WBF Championship on June 13 in Long Beach. Promotional material for the event initially billed Ferrigno as a top contender for Strydom's WBF Championship title.
Wrestler Lex Luger departed the WWF's main rival, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), to co-host WBF BodyStars—a weekly WBF television series that aired on USA Network. Luger was interviewed during WrestleMania VIII to promote the WBF, and was scheduled to make a guest appearance posing at the 1992 WBF Championship on June 13 in Long Beach.
Wrestler Lex Luger departed the WWF's main rival, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), to co-host WBF BodyStars—a weekly WBF television series that aired on USA Network.
In a bid to boost mainstream interest in its competitions, the WBF announced in August 1992 that it would sign bodybuilder and The Incredible Hulk star Lou Ferrigno. The contract was reported to be valued at $900,000 per-year. In an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Ferrigno stated that he was attracted to the WBF for his return to competitive bodybuilding because it had the "strictest drug testing in all of professional sports." Despite claiming prior to its 1991 championship that steroid testing would be used, the WBF did not actually perform any tests during the competition.
In a bid to boost mainstream interest in its competitions, the WBF announced in August 1992 that it would sign bodybuilder and The Incredible Hulk star Lou Ferrigno. The contract was reported to be valued at $900,000 per-year. In an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Ferrigno stated that he was attracted to the WBF for his return to competitive bodybuilding because it had the "strictest drug testing in all of professional sports."