Jim Manion’s pro contract allegedly restricts athletes from earning a living.
Evolutionofbodybuilding.net continues to reveal what is taking place behind the scenes in Jim Manion’s NPC and Pro League.
In our previous articles, Evolutionofbodybuilding.net exposed the alleged illegalities in Jim Manion promoter contracts, which according to our sources, have been noticed by the powers that be.
Evolutionofbodybuilding.net has obtained the latest copy of Jim Manion’s Pro League athlete’s contract, and it is evident that several points do not make it easy for a professional athlete to make a decent living.
Jim Manion does not pay the pro athletes; therefore, he can’t restrict them from earning a living.
Bodybuilding is not the best sport in the world to make a living, as every professional athlete knows that unless the athletes get involved in other business ventures and are in the top five in the world, they will hardly earn any prize money.
For many athletes, it’s a lifetime dream to earn a pro card within Jim Manion’s NPC, but for the majority of athletes, they never step on a contest stage and just use the pro card as leverage to get more clients or sponsors for their new business ventures.
For the few athletes that continue to compete as pro athletes in Jim Manion’s Pro League, they must sign a contract that allegedly adds several restrictions that make it very difficult for the athlete to earn a living.
Jim Manion is very different from Joe Weider. Joe Weider would sign IFBB pro athletes to endorsement contracts with the Weider company and pay them. It was obvious that the athlete could not endorse another federation or product since they were employees of the Weider contract.
Jim Manion allegedly does not pay the pro athletes, the pro athletes pay a membership fee, which is allegedly $275 per year, to compete at Jim Manion’s sanctioned competitions.
Just like the promoters, the pro athletes are independent contractors, and Jim Manion allegedly has no legal power over them in regards to making money with other companies. Jim Manion’s Pro League does not sanction events.
Restricting athletes’ right to earn a living from outside sources, since they are independent contractors, can also result in antitrust violations. If athletes incorporate themselves or their company, restrictions would allegedly violate antitrust laws.
If Jim Manion signed athletes to an employment contract that included a substantial payment to the athlete, he would then allegedly have a right to restrict them from endorsing other events.
Jim Manion has every right to stop the athlete from using his logos without his permission, but that’s as far as it goes.
Evolutionofbodybuilding.net has spoken to many pro athletes affiliated with Jim Manion, who work with athletes and companies affiliated with rival federations, obviously doing this in secret so as not to get “suspended” by Jim Manion.
Evolutionofbodybuilding.net takes a closer look at the Pro League Athlete Membership Agreement.
The fifth paragraph in the contract has several questionable rules that any pro athlete can challenge legally, when they are allegedly contacted by Jim Manion’s staff, notifying them, that they are allegedly breaking the rules.
Evolutionofbodybuilding.net analyzes this part of the contract in detail:
As an IFBB PRO athlete, I agree not to compete, judge, or appear onstage (except to guest pose) at a contest unless it is sanctioned by the IFBB Professional League.
Does that mean the pro athlete can guest pose at an event that is not sanctioned by the IFBB Pro League? How many pro athletes’ guest posed at competitions in the past not sanctioned by Jim Manion and received heavy punishments?
I also agree not to promote, advertise, endorse, or use (or allow others to use) my name or likeness to publicize a non-sanctioned contest or event.
Jim Manion’s IFBB Pro League sanctions professional bodybuilding competitions. What “events” do they sanction? Do they have the right to sanction expos? Do they have the right to sanction seminars? If an athlete endorses a product, and that product sponsors a non-IFBB Pro League event, can the PRO League prevent that athlete from appearing at that event? The athlete is getting paid by the company that produces the product; the Pro League does not pay the athlete. Is the Pro League trying to control and/or prevent the athlete from earning a living?
As a sponsored athlete, I may guest pose, give a seminar, or appear at a display booth, meet and greet, or act as a brand ambassador.
This seems to be contradicting the previous sentence. Can or cannot the athlete work anywhere they want?
I may coach a competitor or attend as a spectator.
Attend “what” as a spectator? Can Jim Manion’s pro athlete attend a competition not sanctioned by him and not suffer any negative consequences in the future?
I acknowledge and accept that the IFBB Professional League does not authorize me, my sponsor, or anyone else to use “IFBBPRO”, IFBB PRO LEAGUE, IFBB PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE, or the IFBB Professional League logo in any publicity for a non-sanctioned contest or event.
Again, there is the insinuation that the IFBB Pro League sanctions “events,” which they do not. They only sanction competitions. An athlete should be able to publicize themselves as an IFBB Pro without permission because they earned that status.
I agree not to promote, advertise, or otherwise endorse a non-sanctioned contest or event on my social media, which includes but is not limited to, images and videos showing names and/or logos of organizations that are not recognized by the IFBB Professional League.
Again “events” is mentioned. If the company the pro athlete is endorsing asks them to appear at an “event” that is not recognized by the IFBB Pro League, is the Pro League restricting their participation? Technically, as an IFBB Pro League athlete, they are an independent contractor. The athlete is paying the Pro League to join to compete; Jim Manion is not paying the athlete. They allegedly do not have a legal right to dictate to the athlete, outside of competing in a competition, where they can appear. They do not sanction expos, tradeshows, seminars, meet & greets, etc., they only sanction competitions. Any violation of an athlete’s rights, could and should, result in a lawsuit.
The athlete should do their homework before they sign any contract.
Jim Manion, and allegedly some other federations will do everything in their power to keep their star athletes from crossing over to other competitions sanctioned by rival federations.
But keeping an athlete requires more than just making them sign a contract that allegedly has several legal loopholes.
If a pro athlete is “inactive” within Jim Manion’s Pro League, they are not paid members, meaning they are allegedly free to earn money and compete wherever they want.
A major flaw in the contract is that Jim Manion does not sanction “expos” or “events.” He sanctions competitions, meaning the athlete can appear or work at any “event.”
Pro athletes who intend to participate in Jim Manion’s Pro League are advised to get some legal advice before they sign any contract.
If Jim Manion wants to own his pro athletes, he needs to pay
Pro athletes must remember that they are “Independent Contractors.” They are not paid by Jim Manion or the Pro League; they are only awarded prize money if they are successful at a competition.
If Jim Manion wants to make sure all of his top pro athletes remain loyal to him, he has to start signing them to lucrative endorsement contracts. Vince McMahon did this with the WBF (World Bodybuilding Federation) and Joe Weider eventually did this as well by signing athletes to endorsement contracts with the Weider companies.
Athletes had contracts worth allegedly over $100,000 per year, with some athletes reported to have earned $300,000 to $400,000 per year with Vince McMahon, and this was 35 years ago.
Jim Manion allegedly earns millions of dollars every year, thanks to sanction and registration fees from every competition, membership fees from the NPC and Pro League, and other business ventures such as sportswear related to the NPC and Pro League.
It’s about time that the pro athlete is rewarded for the suffering and dedication it takes to step on the pro stage.
Not every pro athlete deserves a lucrative contract from Jim Manion, but if there are a dozen athletes he wants to keep by his side to promote his competitions and other business ventures, he must employ them with a contract.
New or other professional athletes who are not successful or do not compete regularly should have the right to earn money, either through sponsorships or by appearing in rival federation competitions.
In the long run, if the athletes feel more comfortable, everybody will be happy. It’s useless for the pro athlete to be tied down if they are not earning any income with Jim Manion and his Pro League.
The original IFBB Pro contract from 2024.
