The problem is the lighter girls try to focus on weight and try to be as big as a heavyweight and that is absolutely what they should not do. They need to focus on being great lightweights. Just like with Joanna - what will make her great is conditioning and now if there is only one class - if she is in shape - she will still do damage. You mention Sue Price, Sue Gafner who were great athletes and did extremely well in one weight class even though they were smaller - but they were SHREDDED and complete - and you are talking about women who were competing when the sport was probably at it's all time high and possibly the most competitive it had ever been.

And, if you want to nit pick - right now pro women's body building is the ONLY sport in the IFBB with more than one class. In the amateur ranks, figure has 5 classes and when they go to the pros, it's all one class - the best of the best and that's the way it should be.

Look at the men - yeah, Ronnie is dominant and the Mr. Olympia, but one of the smaller guys in the sport right now - Dexter Jackson - wreaking havoc in the ranks. As well - there was only one class when Labrada was making headlines everywhere -and his name is still one that everyone remembers today. The one class is the way to go and I still believe in terms of recognition and prestige - this is the way to go and if a great lightweight is dominant, she will stand out and be right up there.

I can completely understand where many of you are coming from in saying that a great "big" athlete beats a great "smaller" athlete, but right now with the two classes, the Ms. Olympia gets ZERO recognition. They don't look at it as a "true" Ms. Olympia and even though you have two class winners, the overall winner still gets most of the recognition - and I don't know of any of the class winners that didn't win the overall who received much in the way of recognition, respect, endorsements, etc., what did it do - zip - just personal satisfaction. When it was one class - all against all and the best of the best - there was respect, recognition and a hell of a lot more endorsements. Granted, times have definitely changed with the addition of fitness and figure, but I still feel the one class is the better way to go for the girls across the board.

I do agree that it should be implemented during the beginning of the year rather than in the middle of the season, but they could very easily implement the one class. As far as the 20% downgrade - it really makes no difference because this would fall across the board - not have the lightweights get smaller and let the heavies stay big - that makes no sense.

I'm a firm believer that a great athlete is a great athlete whether she is a lightweight or heavyweight. Right now obviously the dominant figure in the sport is Lenda - and why is this? Because she is just great! PERIOD! If she is 100% it doesn't matter if there is one, two or three classes, she is just going to win, bottom line. But, she won't be in the sport forever either. Joanna is a perfect example of someone that if she busts her ass, brings her legs up and gets shredded, I personally think she has a better overall package than Iris Kyle. I don't care how big Iris is - if you put Jo and Iris together and Jo is 100% and they are side by side - Jo wins. Now, obviously she has some real work to do and she knows this - but the point I am trying to get across is that the biggest person doesn't always win.

Example - I think Jay Cutler is the second best body builder in the world and the heir apparent to the Olympia Crown when Ronnie retires - and yet Dexter Jackson has beaten him - you can't argue with that.

I'll tell you what the two classes did to women's body building - it made it easier - for both the lightweights and the heavyweights - obviously the lights are competing against lights and vice versa and I don't think it made the girls really push themselves like they used to. It took money out of their pockets, though because the purse had to be split. You ended up with less qualifiers - because before in one class it was usually the top 3 in a smaller show and top 5 in the big shows - now it's either the class winner or maybe first or second - so either way with 2 classes, you lose one or so qualifying spots.

If you look at it like this and some of you may not agree with me, but if I were Jo for example, I would rather come in second place to Lenda Murray and not win the Olympia, probably receive more prize money and know that I just busted the ass of about 8 heavyweight girls, than to know I kicked the ass of a handful of lightweights. Then Jo could legitmately say she is the second best female body builder in the world. Or would you rather win your class, say you are the best lightweight in the world and have everyone say that all the heavyweights are better than you? I'll go for second best any day of the week in that situation. And, with that comes more respect and a hell of a lot more endorsement opportunities. I know I'm going to have a lot of people disagree with me, but I have lived the women's side of the sport through Kim and I know what is a better situation.

In reality the lightweight girls should be pissed - and rightfully so - that they don't actually get the chance that Sue Price/Fisher and Sue Gafner had to stand next to these heavyweight girls and push them to the limit and take them out - I just like that type of out and out battle and that's the way it should be. I just like to look up on stage and see Dexter Jackson all of about 215 pounds, look every bit as good and as big as most of the big guys on stage - that's impressive and something to respect.

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