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'Dancing With the Stars' shirtless Maksim Chmerkovskiy fires back at Len: 'You're too old'

maksim-shirtless.jpgMaksim Chmerkovskiy wants people to know there were plenty of proper dance steps in his shirtless samba on Monday's (April 26) "Dancing With the Stars."

Len Goodman criticized Chmerkovskiy's stripped down samba for being gimmicky, saying, "I'm fed up, Maks, with shirts coming off! [Your partner Erin Andrews] is too good for that!"

Goodman should know by now that if you dish it out to fiery Russian, you better be able to take it.

"Len is wrong one billion percent," Chmerkovskiy told Us after the show. "He said we didn't have enough substance in samba. Are you out of your mind? I could give you a list right now, probably would take about three pages, of all the steps we did in samba. This is what I do for a living!

"I know that not everyone knows what goes into this, but I go back to running four very successful dance studios. I have a staff of about 50. I have trained a ton of US champions and world champions, and I've coached [everyone] from juveniles to professionals. Don't tell me what I didn't do right because you're wrong! And if that means you're too old to be on this show and judge, then that's what it means."

Not sure if calling Goodman "too old" will help spur the judge to surpass the seven paddle he's been using for the couple pretty much every week, but hey at least Maks got his point across.

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Photo credit: ABC

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As one Russian to another (my grandmother was "full blooded" Russian), you can take your shirt off for me anytime"! Wish I could remember how to spell, Szartzveteh, but I don't think grandma ever told me how to spell it! Love you and your dancing, shirt on or off.

oh Drama! loves it.. hehehe!! go shirtless as much as u can..

Maks is right. Len is two-faced. He complains about taking the shirt off and props - but praised Jake repeatedly last week, even though he "messed about" in Len's words, and did the ridiculous pants off/pants on stunt. DOUBLE STANDARDS. I guess the judges have to pimp the ABC reality "stars" however.

He can take off anything he wants. The women are half naked so why not the guys? I wish they wouldn't wax their chests though.

I agree about the double standards. Len swooned over Jake's pantless routine. He should have the same standards for everyone. Also Jake trips at least once every week and the judges love him. I had no idea tripping was such an asset in dancing. Is that where the expression "tripping the light fantastic" comes from? Jake has certainly mastered the tripping aspect.

Len crossed the line from constructive criticism to verbal abuse when he gave feedback to Erin and Maks for their Samba. Uncomfortable to watch and disappointing to see Len reduced to such behavior. I love DWTS but will stop watching if judging drifts to abusive-belittling behavior rather than helpful feedback.

Len is an old bastard who couldn't judge a dance-off if his life depended on it. Good for this guy to verbally chastize Len as he had it coming. I would have said even more to that joker.

You are all dumb. Nothing len said was offensive. And he is right. It is gimmicky. but maksim is a sexy beast....doesnt mean he should take shirt of. If he was the contestant and not the pro it would be different. It is about erin not him.

I can't stand that Maxsin can't wait till he is gone.
what a show off..who does he think he is???? the star of the show.......

Len needs to take his eyes off Maksim and look at Erin. He's been ignoring how she's been able to keep up with Maksim's difficult choreography for weeks now.

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