A great many people talk about height but while that can be important, equally as impressive is a muscular, aesthetically pleasing physic. Padilla was a miniature Arnold. Maessthetics made flesh. He was robbed in the 1975 Mr. Universe (big time) and even more so in the 1981 Olympia.
Perhaps the rumors of his declining to dress up in a "Buster Brown" school boy costume and parade around in front of schmoes masquerading as Judges at the 1975 South African IFBB Mr. Universe were twue? Franco Columbu was said to have done it instead as he had all the morals of a Pole Dancer who just ran out of Food Stamps.
Who knows? Just look at Danny's physique and then Danny's placing, and in the case of the latter you wonder WTF happened. But in the case of the former? You are in wonder. The man was superb, especially so at the 1981 Mr. Olympia.
