The ESPN The Magazine Body Issue has been a huge hit since it debuted back in 2009. The ESPN rival to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue obtained 35% more ad sales than comparable issues its first year.
What separates The Body Issue from the Swimsuit Issue is that all of the athletes are shown fully nude, with strategic coverage of private parts. Also, the athletes are a mix of male and female, while the swimsuit issue is just female models and athletes.
In its first four years, the body issue has featured MMA fighters Gina Carano, Randy Couture, Ronda Rousey, and Jon “Bones” Jones. Those four fighters embody the “Bodies We Want” section in the issue, showcasing, you guessed it, the best bodies in the world of sports.
This list will focus on both sides of the spectrum: the bodies that we would never want, and the bodies that would be the hardest to achieve.