Sibling rivalry and motivation between Mike and Ray.
Ray told me a story about Mike not picking him up on the way to high school one morning. Mike had mates with him but drove right past Ray. That really bothered Ray, even in his adult life decades later.
In 1991 I got Ray to set up an interview for me with Mike. I was training at Gold's Gym, Venice, where Ray got me a free 2 week pass. I discussed hypertrophy theory with Mike but neither of us changed
what we believed. I also gave Mike an article I wrote about the judging at the 1980 Mr Olympia. No magazine would publish that article. Now it is lost because I doubt Mike would have saved it because
I did not write that Mike was the winner. Then I asked him about the time he drove past Ray on the way to school. Mike couldn't remember that moment and said he wouldn't have done that. Well, Ray
was adamant that was what happened. So I had to conclude that Mike didn't see Ray that morning. I have no idea if Mike discussed that morning with Ray.
When Ray was training for the Mr America contest that he won he told me that his Mom was sick and that he would have trained 24 hours a day if that was what it took to win the title. Mike had already
won Mr America so now it was Ray's turn and yes, he did win that contest.
Ray told me a few times that his Dad favoured Mike. So there was Ray always trying to win the praise from his father. Mike did better academically and also won bigger titles. That sure motivated Ray to
try harder. Perhaps he also took risks that he should have avoided. When Mike turned to drugs after his loss in 1980 Ray told me his Dad urged Ray to give Mike a job at his Muscle Mill Gym in Torrance, Ca.
Ray did give Mike a job for a while but found out Mike would be nasty to several policemen training there so Ray lost customers. In the end it was Mike who looked after Ray. That seemed odd to me
because when I lived at Ray's place in April 1991 he had a successful rehab business using expensive Medx lower back and neck machines. He drove a red BMW 535 car and had plenty of money coming in.
He flew up to San Francisco to see someone about opening a second clinic up there. Somehow his marriage and businesses fell apart because Ray ended up alone and living with Mike in an apartment.
No doubt Mike was highly educated and intelligent. Those who knew Ray saw an earnest fellow who was also quite intelligent. So it is rather sad that two intelligent guys who won major bodybuilding
titles and were experts in hypertrophy and training didn't make it to 50 years old. Mike was 49 and Ray was 47.