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Getbig Bodybuilding Boards => History - Stories - and Memories => Topic started by: Schmoff on August 07, 2014, 07:46:31 PM
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from bill grant
Today was another bad Day for Bodybuilding..The owner of the Iron and Silk Fitness Center in New York where I work informed me that The Legendary Harold Poole Has Passed away in New York I am saddened to Hear this. He was one of the nicest guys you could ever know. Harold was the manager of the Cheetah Club in New York. He also worked at the Weider Headquarters back in the day when it was located at 801 Palisades Ave. Union City along with the Legendary Leroy Colbert. He also was a Mr. America and Mr. Universe winner. He also competed against Larry Scott for the Mr. Olympia..He will be sorely missed..So Lets give Harold our respect as a Legendary Bodybuilder..I will miss you my Friend.it was an honor to have known you..RIP Harold Poole..May God Bless you..
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How old was he?
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How old was he?
Harold Poole (born December 25, 1943 died August 7, 2014 in Louisville, Kentucky) is a former AAU, IFBB and WBBG professional bodybuilder.
Poole's athleticism was apparent very early on. He was quarterback on his football team at Shortridge High School in Indianapolis, placed fourth in the state high school wrestling championships, ran 440 yards in 50 seconds and put the 12 pound shot 55 feet.
In 1960, Poole entered the AAU Mr. America and, at the age of 16, took 18th place. His final AAU teen opportunity came in June 1963, where he won most muscular, but was the runner-up to Vern Weaver. Three months later, Poole switched to the IFBB and, at age 19, he won the Mr. Universe. In 1964, he became the first African-American to be named IFBB Mr. America. Starting in 1965, Poole became the only man to compete in the first three Mr. Olympia contests finishing runner-up to Larry Scott in the first two Olympias.
He retired from bodybuilding competition following the 1982 IFBB Night Of Champions, where he placed outside the top 10. He lived in Florida, where he continued to train with weights and practice martial arts until the end of 2010, when he moved to New York City. He was inducted to the IFBB Hall of Fame in 2004 and the WBBG Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2008, Poole was voted the Greatest Teenage Bodybuilder of All-Time.
Competition and award history
1960
Mr America - AAU, 18th
Mr Mid-America - AAU, Most Muscular, 2nd
1961
Mr America - AAU, 4th
Junior Mr America - AAU, Overall Winner
1962
Mr America - AAU, Most Muscular, 1st
Mr America - AAU, 2nd
Mr North America - AAU, Winner
1963
Mr America - AAU, Most Muscular, 1st
Mr America - AAU, 2nd
Teen Mr America - AAU, 2nd
Universe - IFBB, Tall, 1st
Universe - IFBB, Overall Winner
1964
Mr America - IFBB, Tall, 1st
Mr America - IFBB, Overall Winner
1965
Mr. Olympia - IFBB, 2nd
1966
Mr. Olympia - IFBB, 2nd
1967
Pro Mr America - WBBG, Winner
Mr. Olympia - IFBB, 2nd
1968
Pro Mr America - WBBG, Winner
1971
Mr USA - IFBB, Tall, 1st
1972
Mr World - IFBB, Tall, 3rd
1980
Night of Champions - IFBB, 12th
1981
Grand Prix California - IFBB, 7th
Grand Prix New England - IFBB, 9th
Night of Champions - IFBB, 6th
Canada Pro Cup - IFBB, 8th
1982
World Pro Championships - IFBB, 9th
2004
IFBB Hall of Fame
2007
WBBG Hall of Fame
(http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/images/2007/drobson301e.jpg)
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RIP.
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RIP
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Oh Christ. Hard to get happy after this one.
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He was legend and a good guy.
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RIP
Back in the day, an old school bodybuilder told me that Poole actually won the first Olympia, but, Weider wanted a white guy winning and changed the scoring.
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RIP
His muscularity was way ahead of its time.
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RIP
Back in the day, an old school bodybuilder told me that Poole actually won the first Olympia, but, Weider wanted a white guy winning and changed the scoring.
i heard they were tied, and the judge asked weider what they should do. Joeseph E Weider said give it to the white guy.
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RIP
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i heard they were tied, and the judge asked weider what they should do. Joeseph E Weider said give it to the white guy.
Was Harold Hispanic? Mixed white/black?
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Was Harold Hispanic? Mixed white/black?
black and american indian .
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i heard they were tied, and the judge asked weider what they should do. Joeseph E Weider said give it to the white guy.
I'd figure that Joe the schmoe would go by cock size, not skin color.
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I'd figure that Joe the schmoe would go by cock size, not skin color.
Skin color would sell his magazines/products back then ....cock size was..... well .... for other kind of activities I guess !
WoooSSHHH BE YE KE
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his pic was in Golds when I first started lifting. Great physique. :-\
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R.I.P.!!!
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RIP we lose another pioneer in our sport.
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May he be blessed.
Vic on deca for a few months would have beaten him in the universe . . . true story.
THE BEEF
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Beef liver tabs and brewers yeast.
PIP Iron brother.
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Handsome man with a superb physique. Sorry to hear of his passing. :-[
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He was a tough dude. That club where he worked was in the Times Square area, during the 70s. It held about 2k people and he was the head bouncer.
He lived in my neighborhood for awhile, and definitely looked like someone you wouldn't want to have a beef with.
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Itīs a bad new to bodybuilding world. Especially when this year celebrate the 50th aniversary of Mr Olympia.
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R.I.P.
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i heard they were tied, and the judge asked weider what they should do. Joeseph E Weider said give it to the white guy.
Yet, Harold jumped from the AAU to a no-name org because he knew as a black man he would never win the Mr America. The AAU Mr America was meant to represent the ideal American man, with points for facial appearance, interview ability and other athletic ability. Weider offered a contest that was based on muscle size only, where Poole could win the overall title.
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Yet, Harold jumped from the AAU to a no-name org because he knew as a black man he would never win the Mr America. The AAU Mr America was meant to represent the ideal American man, with points for facial appearance, interview ability and other athletic ability. Weider offered a contest that was based on muscle size only, where Poole could win the overall title.
Apparently Harold had a stutter so wasn't suitable for an AAU Mr America title. Being black also went against him. They gave him the consolation Most Muscular Man title. He was bitter after this so he started competing with the IFBB and immediately started winning big titles.
Larry was a hugely popular winner in 1965. The fans would have destroyed the theatre had Larry not won that night!
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Black bodybuilders back then got screwed by both the IFBB and the AAU,but the AAU was far worse.
Look at the contest records of Oliva,Rock Stonewall,Kenny Hall,and Ken Covington just to name a few...................ri pped off at almost every outing by far far inferior builds.
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;D harold poole the bodyguard in this case twiggy[look it up] seen here with mike gubillo the man w the 25 inch arms and denie walters the mti writer.
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;D harold poole the bodyguard in this case twiggy[look it up] seen here with mike gubillo the man w the 25 inch arms and denie walters the mti writer.
duhhhhhh forgot pic duhhhhhhh here ya go.
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I met him once. Nice guy. RIP Harold.
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Black bodybuilders back then got screwed by both the IFBB and the AAU,
And Cheetah's to apparently , just ask Robby :-X :o
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rip......he was in the pat benatar video......love is a battlefield.
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I ran into him four or five times, when I lived in the east 70s. I don't know if he lived around there or worked around there or what. This was maybe about five years back. There was this chinese place either on york or first that we both apparently liked and I saw him in there a couple times. He was still pretty big, especially for an older guy. The first time I saw him, he looked familiar but I couldn't quite place his face. The next time I saw him , it occurred to me that he looked like a golden age bodybuilder, I just didn't know which one- and, honestly, it just seemed sort of anachronistic for this city, much less, that neighborhood. This was during the summer, and at this time I was in pretty good shape. So on my way out, I paused and stared and must have had this quizzical look on my face because he just grinned and said "Looks like you work out." I started grinning and said "You know, you look familiar." He told me that he used to be a competitive bodybuilder, but it was probably before my time, etc. So we talked for a little while, he seemed like a good guy. I ran into him a few more times and we'd just bullshit for a few minutes.I'm not claiming to be a close friend, but I'm genuinely sorry to hear about his passing. RIP
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Besides all of those "politics" against black men in the bodybuilding world at that time... (ironic when you look at what color the men are who now DOMINATE the stage of the Mr. O )
Harold battled some demons long after bodybuilding was over.
Nobody has mentioned them here, so I won't either, but he did pass fairly young.....
Nice pics of him and Larry Scott on the internet.
(http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x263/timeamajorova/haroldandlarryscott_zpsb98e9afd.jpg) (http://s183.photobucket.com/user/timeamajorova/media/haroldandlarryscott_zpsb98e9afd.jpg.html)
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Yeh, I lived around the block from Harold and trained with him, often in the 60's when we were both kids. He was always full of life and very strong, for those days. I remember spotting him with 405 in Bench press for reps . Hrold was never into dieting, and I can rember him eating Chef Boyardee Ravioli out of the can while we were hanging out. He was training for the 2nd Olympia and he was vascular and ripped. Never was able to gain much weight. Used to compete at 218. Hey, Harold, RIP.
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RIP
Back in the day, an old school bodybuilder told me that Poole actually won the first Olympia, but, Weider wanted a white guy winning and changed the scoring.
Typical weedy bullshit. I wanna win against every man, regardless of race. I hope he's laughin' w/ Jackie Robinson!
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:)
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I remember seeing a full page photo of Harold Poole in the first muscle magazine I ever got, which was about 1967. I couldn't believe how muscular he was.
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late Harold ( Damian) Poole
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:)
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Great MM pose
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Poole was the freakiest bodybuilder I had ever seen when I was a kid. Wow!
Still, I don't think he was better than Larry Scott. Scott's tremendous arms gave him the nod over Poole.
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:)
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..
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some of harold's covers
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:D
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Glad to see the Funkster back where he belongs!!!
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Glad to see the Funkster back where he belongs!!!
thanks, mine was one of the accounts that got hacked..
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thanks, mine was one of the accounts that got hacked..
Yeah...
I'd "heard" something about that!!
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some great covers ^