I think the problem is that people who don't powerlift, have no idea what a shirt is for bench pressing. They see bench press numbers like 1005 lbs. and then think that the guy who can bench press 500(raw) is half as strong as the guy who lifted 1000lbs with a shirt. Saying you bench 500lbs sounds a lot better if the world record was 700, rather then 1000+. So it hurts the guy who doesn't want to use a shirt so to speak. Why do you think the average joe asks you what you can bench press rather then squat/deadlift?? Because they have a reference as to how much weight is good or bad for the bench press.
I guess my point is that, due to the huge difference in weight a shirt lets you press, it screws up points of reference people have. If I bench 300lbs. raw, what does that equat to with a shirt?? I'll will never know unless I buy a shirt and practice. So how can I compare myself to others who use a shirt?? Its like drugs in the pro bodybuilding. If they stopped using drugs, they would shrink massively in size and wouldn't be very impressive after seeing the freaky size of the guys today. If people stopped using shirts, the bp numbers would drop and not be very impressive. Once someone benchs 1000lbs., 725lbs. just doesn't sound like a lot, shirt or not.
No big deal, anyone who lifts natural and without equipment shouldn't even think about looking at the numbers the pros lift. If you want to talk cheating, talk about the mad AAS use in lifting. I would love to see what people can accomplish naturally, but those numbers aren't impressive and get no media attention. It makes natural people like myself very unimpressive. A 300+lbs. bench press would sound great if the world record was 500lbs., at 1000lbs., its pathetic. My body would look much more impressive if not for all the drugs available to make 300lb 4% bodyfat monsters. I look at flex magazine and then see myself in the mirror and get very frustrated. The bar is raised way too high no to be special naturally.