by Christian Duque
It’s been a long time since I have been able to check out a really good interview in the bodybuilding world. This is, largely, because most channels today are obsessed with clicks. They figure that the only way to get viewers and keep those viewers engaged is by being slimy. No topic is off-limits. They’ll talk about personal relationships, finances, and well-kept secrets. They don’t care. In the end, what they’re after is buzz.
It used to be that muscle and posing were all the tools you needed to create real interest among bodybuilding enthusiasts. Then again, we saw what needed to be done to make Pumping Iron a huge success. Had it just been about training, eating, and taking to the stage, we probably wouldn’t be talking about it half a century later. No one will argue that some drama isn’t good. After all, variety is the spice of life, so there’s no harm having some shenanigans thrown in for good measure. But when drama is the be all and end all of media, then we have a problem. And that’s why many fans – myself included – are largely desensitized. We see a post-show interview and we seldom click anymore. It’s like we already know what’s going to be said. The winner will be all smiles because he won; while everyone else will likely be salty about being 2nd, 3rd, etc. And usually that saltiness comes out in the form of negativity.
Many of us bodybuilding fans are quite frankly sick of it. We know what these media outlets are all about and we know what they’re trying to do and luring us into watching. But I am very, very happy to announce that there’s a great interview out there that goes back to the way bodybuilding media used to be. I’m talking about that Nathan DeAsha’s interview at Muscle Discord. You should almost definitely check it out and here’s why.
What makes a bodybuilding decision controversial has everything to do with the judges and usually very little to do with the competitors. Unless you’re dealing with a situation of bad sportsmanship on stage or trash talk at the press conference, usually it has only to do with the judges. The judges are the ones that have the score cards and they are the ones that order the comparisons. They are the ones that do the callouts and they are the ones that do the placings. So for a competitor to hold a placing against his fellow competitor would be rather silly. Although it happens all the time. That being said, a competitor can be upset with the way he was scored and he can constructively criticize a fellow competitor as well as give a fellow competitor kudos where those are deserved. That is at least the way that interviews used to be done in the bodybuilding world before the advent of social media. Before the advent of social media clicks were not what journalists were after.
Folks like Peter McGough and Ruth Silverman were about the integrity of their work. They wrote for magazines and they wrote based on love of the sport. They had been involved with it for decades and quite frankly would not tarnish their names or reputations by putting out sensational articles intended to get people to read. People read their work because it was good. So that being said I cannot recommend Nathan’s interview at Muscle Discord enough because that is the way interviews used to be done and it is a breath of fresh air to see them done like that again.
Nathan was very complimentary to Behrooz who would get the win at the Flex Pro Italy. Just the week prior the Iranian sensation had placed second to William”The Conqueror” Bonac on his successful comeback at the Empro Classic in Spain. Behrooz is a hardworking bodybuilder with many good attributes to his physique but in my opinion cannot hold a candle to Nathan or William. Nathan and William are both Olympia-level guys who have won multiple titles throughout the world. It’s not just about what they’ve done, but it’s the fact they’re seasoned pro’s with a world of stage experience. They know how to pose hard and they can go multiple rounds without tiring out.
We even saw it in Italy when the judges wanted additional mandatory poses between Nathan and Behrooz. Behrooz was exhausted and was losing his peak every pose that went on. On the other hand Nathan was excited to showcase more of the physique that he brought to the judges, the media, and the fans. That is because of the fact that he is so seasoned and because of the fact that he was so ready for action in Italy. I thought it was a little bizarre though that for all of his excitement and for the level of physique that he brought, that he took 2nd. It was uncanny that someone that confident and looking that good, would get relegated to a runner-up spot. Especially given the fact that Behrooz had an overpowering upper body.
How can someone win a physique-based subjective contest when they have a lopsided look? It makes no sense, but Nathan kept his cool and was congratulatory to the guy who won. And that’s because Behrooz didn’t rob Nathan. He didn’t steal DeAsha’s title. Maybe the judges did, but the competitor isn’t to blame. And DeAsha gave Talbani several poses – some because he was better and others because of The Prophecy’s injuries. The bottom line, however, is that after all the poses and opinions were cast, Nathan thought he should have won. Muscle Discord’s interviewer thought Nathan should have won, too. And I thought Nathan should have won as well.
In an interesting detail that was shared by Nathan during the interview it left me quite frankly floored. He said that right after the competition he received a call from William himself who could not believe he didn’t win. And that is extremely noteworthy because William had beat Behrooz the week prior in Spain and told Nathan that if Nathan had brought that physique to the Empro Classic, he would have beat him as well. That is a monumental comment from the two-time Arnold Classic Champion to the British bodybuilder. What he basically said was Nathan was so good that he could not have beaten him a week prior at the show where he qualified for the Olympia. And to tell him that after a competition where the guy who he beat in Spain beat him in Italy is extremely attention-grabbing. And I think it’s remarkable that Nathan did not share it until this interview at Muscle Discord. This just goes to show you the level of good sportsmanship that The Prophecy exhibits but at the same time it also shows you that he is not a guy who’s going to take it lying down either. He waited until the appropriate time, but then he shared what needed to be shared. I think that William’s sentiments are echoed by myself and countless others in the bodybuilding world. This, like New York, is another one of those super suspicious judging decisions that will not sit well with the fans for a good long while.
Now some fans of the sport will say that it’s these close calls that make the sport interesting. I would agree to a certain extent but I would also dissent to another. Close calls are cool when it is truly in fact a dead heat. When both guys are pretty much tying then the judges find something to break the tie. Yes, that does make for an interesting competition. But this was not that. I don’t think Italy was as close as many people want to give up just like I don’t think New York was that close either. I don’t think Spain was that close either. I think there are certainly close calls but none of these really fall into this category.
I think the idea of a close call gives good cover for judging panels to rob deserving champions and give wins to those that perhaps are more politically connected. And again maybe I’m talking out of my ass here but I truly think that I’m on to something. I think that one point decisions or other close call scenarios give judges the ability to go in a different direction. When in reality Nathan should have won in Italy, Martin should have won in New York, and nobody is saying anything about William winning in Spain. It just is what it is. Sadly though, I’m seeing a lot more of these questionable decisions throughout the sport of bodybuilding.
The question now will become whether or not Nathan will try to qualify again. It’s not like he has much incentive to do so. I mean if he got screwed in Italy what’s to say he won’t get screwed elsewhere? And again Behrooz is not someone that I would consider politically connected but maybe it was important for him to be on that Olympia stage more so than for Nathan. I really don’t know but if I was in Nathan’s shoes I may or may not try again. Again it’s not like he beat a big name either. I don’t want to be rude here but he basically lost to a no-name. And if he doesn’t have the political juice to beat a no-name, how’s he going to do it against a guy with a massive sponsorship or working with a big name coach or something like that? Again these are all things that must be going through his mind. Bodybuilding is an incredibly selfish sport, not to mention a very expensive one. If I was Nathan, I don’t know what I would do, what would you do?
I’m not going to give away the goods on the interview but I am going to tell you that you most definitely should head on over to Muscle Discord and listen to it for yourself. Whether you want to watch it while you do cardio or after work with a beer, I guarantee you you’re going to enjoy it, and I also promise you that it does not have all the trappings of modern day interviews that are about nothing more than clickbait and buzz. This is an old school interview with an old school kind of bodybuilder and it’s a must watch or a must-listen for you.
I wish more interviews were done this way but we all know that this interview goes against the norm. Everybody wants hits and they will do whatever it takes to get them. What’s funny though is that old school bodybuilding could be the bread and butter of so many channels. Kudos to Muscle Discord on the way they get down and kudos to Nathan for opening up at the appropriate time. He let Behrooz enjoy his win and he was a class act the whole way through.