Your Physique, Vol 5, No 5, Page 23, December 1945

Dan Lurie Challenges John Grimek

Dan Lurie, questioning John Grimek's right to the title "Most Muscular Man in America" recently challenged Grimek to challenge this title in a contest before independent judges. The challenge and the answer to the challenge have already received a great deal of publicity. Your Physique Magazine refuses to take sides in the issue but in the interests of fair-play will publish statements by either of the men involved provided they do not contain disparaging remarks of a personal nature. Below we present a brief statement from the challenger, Dan Lurie.

To The Body Builders of America:-

Many of you already know that I Dan Lurie, had the audacity to challenge The Great John Grimek to a battle of muscles. Like the Daniel of many ages ago I knew that I was stepping into a Lion's Den but I hardly expected my actions would arouse the roars which have since emanated from the said "den".

Frankly, I don't believe that I have the most muscular body in the world or for that matter in America but in my opinion neither has John Grimek. I have seen too many muscular bodies to stick my neck out in this respect.

On this continent. we have "world champions" in almost every sport you can mention, despite the fact that these "world champs" rarely meet contenders from other countries. In some sports such as boxing we have two or three world champs in the same weight right in our own country, and as for wrestling, why almost every State in the Union has its own "world champ".

For many years John Grimek has been hailed as the Most Muscular Man the World. Perhaps this appellation is justified but since he never won this title in official competition who really knows.

Personally, I am opposed to the free use of titles which a man has never earned and, in order to rectify this in the bodybuilding game I decided to do something about it.

My original plan, which I discussed freely with more than a dozen prominent body builders from different parts of United States and Canada, was to stage, at my own expense, a mammoth contest to determine The Most Muscular Man in America. The contest was to be open to all-comers, invitations were to be sent to clubs and contestants throughout the continent, details were to be published as widely as possible, and so on. The plan called for the payment of all or part of the expenses of all bonafide contestants, also at my expense.

The plan was pretty well organized and all ready to be put into action when I ran into a snag, namely the amateur regulations covering such a contest. According to the Rules of the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States, I am classed as a professional and any amateur who competes with or against. me would immediately lose his amateur status. This automatically ruled me out of the contest which is not a matter of great importance but unfortunately the same rules strictly interpreted would also rule out John Grimek. Therefore a wide-open competition to determine Grimek's right to the title so consistently bestowed upon him became an impossibility.

Needless to say there remained only one course open to me and that was to challenge John Grimek personally. My challenge to him is herewith reproduced:

Dear John Grimek:

There has never been a world wide competition to decide the holder of the title, "Most Muscular Man." Yet it has been incessantly assumed that you possess this honor. If we were considering the best physique, it is my personal opinion that you may be foremost in the field, but I am skeptical concerning your merits as Most Muscular Man.

I am confident that if we were both subject to close scrutiny we would dispel any doubts as to who undeniably possesses the most muscular body.

I therefore challenge your right, John Grimek, to the title "Most Muscular Man in America" anytime before the end of the present year. Arrangements agreeable to you and myself regarding time, place and selection of judges can be made. Since this is my invitation it would not result in any personal expense to you. An open challenge to this effect will appear in the Oct.-Nov. issue of "Your Physique" magazine.

If you do not respond it will be evident that you have rejected this challenge and that you have assumed an attitude of defeat.

Your opponent in good faith.

Signed: Dan Lurie.

To say that I got a rise out of John Grimek is putting it mildly. I had expected a polite little note of acceptance or rejection instead of which a 2000-word epistle filled with acid remarks and abusive statements hit the press. The Great John sure gave little Dan an awful going over. In spite of this I hold no ill-feeling toward John Grimek. I guess he never dream that an insignificant runt like me would have the gall to question his right to a title he never actually earned. I am sorry for what John said, and even more sorry that it appeared in print. It shocked me to see a man who has so long stood as an idol to the he-men of this country, climb down off of his pedestal and try to defend himself by a barrage of insults and petty mud-slinging. Since I was responsible for this letdown by issuing the challenge I would like to ask all of my readers not to judge Grimek to harshly. Undoubtedly he was greatly angered at my collosal nerve and in the heat of the moment wrote things he must certainly feel ashamed of now.

I presented John Grimek with a simple, straightforward challenge and I expected a simple, straightforward answer. Has John Grimek accepted my challenge? Will he defend his title in a competition against me, at my expense, and before independent judges acceptable to both of us. Frankly, I don't know. He said a lot in his 2000-word blast but I defy anyone who reads it to determine whether the answer to my challenge is Yes or No.

Yours for titles which are justly won.

Dan Lurie

PHOTO CAPTIONS

- Dan Lurie in one of his recent poses, showing the extra layers muscles he developed in the last few months.-Photo by Forbes.

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