Author Topic: 1970 NABBA Mr. Universe: Arnold beats Reg Park! (Read 38552 times)

GoneAway · « **on:** December 21, 2008, 08:32:14 PM »

Thanks to musclememory.com. From Muscle Builder: Vol 12, Num 10, Page 52. May 1971.

THE 1970 NABBA MR. UNIVERSE CONTEST - AS I SAW IT!
by ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, "Mr. Olympia"

It is fitting that I should give thanks to Joe Weider, on behalf of Dave Draper, Franco Columbu, Frank Zane and myself, for making our trip to London and the Mr. Universe contest possible. It cost Joe a whole heap of dollars, some 3,000 in fact, and I am really happy with the way things turned out.

The London fans expressed their gratitude too, for this was the greatest line-up of top physiques ever assembled together on one London stage. It says much for Joe's love of bodybuilding that he actually spends money to help make the NABBA show a success.

I have listed the results of the contests, the Amateur and Professional sections, below. But I wish to comment here on these results. I thought Reg Park was indeed lucky to have placed above Dave Draper and I believe the accompanying photographs will supply the evidence.

Frank Zane was lucky too. He was pushed all the way by Frank Richard. It is interesting to note that a special judging panel of girls was .asked to vote for its choice. They all voted in favor of Frank Zane. I guess this must prove something.

I totally disagreed with the results of the short class contest. How Chris Dickerson ended up ahead of Franco Columbu still puzzles me. I thought Franco was so far ahead. Again judge for yourself from the accompanying photos. One judge actually told me Franco displayed too many muscles. He just had to be kidding!

I am sorry I had to be the one to burst the Reg Park bubble. This was only the second time that Reg was beaten in a physique contest. The first time by Reeves. Reg is to be congratulated, however. He was not satisfied to rest on his laurels. He trained and competed. I am sure he was not disgraced. Let's not forget he is now over forty and I am just twenty-three. It was Reg who first inspired me to take up bodybuilding. I read about his background in the Weider magazines during my youth in Germany and I made up my mind to be as great as he was. Later, of course, I decided to be even greater, and, thanks to Joe Weider, I accomplished my dream. But back to Reg Park. I hope he will not allow this defeat to end his days of competition. I am almost certain he will be back next year. I so wish he would decide to compete in the Mr. Olympia event. You have shown the stuff you are made of Reg; you are not a coward. More than I can say for some of the so-called greats in America.

Wouldn't it be nice to see Bill Pearl on the Mr. Olympia stage? I am positive your fans would like to see how you make out against Sergio and me Bill. How about it? A year's hard training should get you into contest condition!

I am rambling. Let's get back to the Mr. Universe contest. This turned out to be a great show. The packed house received the IFBB team most enthusiastically and begged us to return next year. I don't know about that, this is my fifth win over there. But you can bet I shall be in the greatest shape of my life, I say that each year I guess, at the next Mr. Olympia. What more can I say. I try to be as good as I possibly can each year. And with Joe Weider as my trainer, I manage to keep my word.

Editor's Note: Three years ago I appeared in a show in London with Reg Park and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Backstage, Reg made this prophesy. "In just two years this kid will wipe the floor with all existing competition. He'll be the greatest!" I don't know whether Reg included himself however. Strange coincidence that Arnold should have found himself training under Joe Weider soon afterward, just as Reg had done a couple of decades before. But such is a life!

AMATEUR MR. UNIVERSE RESULTS

TALL CLASS
1 Frank Richard
2 Helmut Riedmeier
3 Brian Eastman
4 Karl Kainrath
5 Gunter Heinlein
6 Paul Grant

MEDIUM CLASS
1. Frank Zane
2 Albert Beckles
3 Lars Lunde
4 Janko Rudman
5 Ehrling Wahlgren
6 Roy Perrott

SHORT CLASS
1. Chris Dickerson
2 Franco Columbu
3 Pierre Vandensteen
4 Frank Columbera
5 Michael Baker
6 Kamal Bozan

AMATEUR MR. UNIVERSE (Overall)
Frank Zane

PROFESSIONAL MR. UNIVERSE RESULTS

TALL CLASS
1 Arnold Schwarzenegger
2 Reg Park
3 Dave Draper
4 John Bubb
5 Jacques Louvier

SHORT CLASS
1 Boyer Coe
2 Kassem Yazbek
3 Fani Dutoit
4 Nicolas Kemp
5 Moktari Abdelsallem

PROFESSIONAL MR. UNIVERSE (Overall)
Arnold Schwarzenegger

johnny1 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 21, 2008, 08:53:23 PM »

What a Awesome line up of Champion's, in that first Picture of Arnold, Dave, Reg just standing there.... you really can see the Future meets past there...Reg Still Massive even in 1970 and there's Arnold just as Massive as Reg but with Better refinment,Quads,more polished etc...Another Great Picture!!!!!!!!!

johnny1 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 21, 2008, 09:06:53 PM »

A little clearer shot of 3 all time bb Legends....

johnny1 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 21, 2008, 09:11:28 PM »

These next 2 of Reg recieving his 2nd place trophy are (C/O Jeff Preston ironage

johnny1 · « **Reply #4 on:** December 21, 2008, 09:27:22 PM »

Couple more..

johnny1 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 21, 2008, 09:54:43 PM »

Wonder if Arnold ever imagined for a second in this shot in 1967 that he would one day Actually compete against his BB IDOL.

GoneAway · « **Reply #6 on:** December 21, 2008, 10:06:01 PM »

Reg wore some fantastic shoes that day.

Johnny, do you know who the man with the glasses is, in the picture of him toucing Draper's shoulder?

Pumping up before the show:

crownshep · « **Reply #7 on:** December 22, 2008, 03:37:23 AM »

In the 3rd pic down,i wonder if the little kid in the background turned out to be a bodybuilder as he got older.He looks about 9-10,imagine being that age and seeing Arnie,Reg and Dave.

GoneAway · « **Reply #8 on:** December 22, 2008, 04:48:39 AM »

A very lucky kid, indeed.

Here are some shots of the great Dave Draper from this contest. There is talk that Dave should have beaten Reg for second.

GoneAway · « **Reply #9 on:** December 22, 2008, 04:52:18 AM »

More of The Blonde Bomber who made plenty of waves at this contest.

pumpster · « **Reply #10 on:** December 22, 2008, 01:32:06 PM »

Have always liked this pic because essentially it's 3 successive generations of BBs side-by-side, easy to see the generational changes:

Park
Draper
Schwarzenegger

Must've been wild for Schwarzenegger considering that he looked up to both these guys after seeing them in the mags.

GoneAway · « **Reply #11 on:** December 23, 2008, 01:46:46 AM »

Good point, pumpster.

Here are the lineups of the respective divisions. Firstly, the pros. Second, the amateur tall, medium, and short classes.

GoneAway · « **Reply #12 on:** December 23, 2008, 08:15:59 PM »

The amateurs...

Chris Dickerson

Frank Zane

GoneAway · « **Reply #13 on:** December 23, 2008, 08:23:54 PM »

Frank Zane with Roy Perrott

Albert Beckles
Franco Columbu

The ChemistV2 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 23, 2008, 08:31:31 PM »

Great photos. Thanks.

pumpster · « **Reply #15 on:** December 23, 2008, 09:34:41 PM »

What's interesting is that some of those guys like Zane and Dickerson actually look better than they did later, in some respects. Of course, both had greater muscle maturity and detail later, but Zane with more meat, fuller and more balanced there than he was later. Dickerson more aesthetic and balanced IMO.

I still remember the amusement looking at those group shots in the mid-70s. Some of the guys in the show were so out of place standing alongside some of the greats there-the dude who is 2nd from the left end of the first row i can still recall now after seeing this shot.

GoneAway · « **Reply #16 on:** December 24, 2008, 05:04:35 AM »

Quote from: pumpster on December 23, 2008, 09:34:41 PM

What's interesting is that some of those guys like Zane and Dickerson actually look better than they did later, in some respects. Of course, both had greater muscle maturity and detail later, but Zane with more meat, fuller and more balanced there than he was later. Dickerson more aesthetic and balanced IMO.

I still remember the amusement looking at those group shots in the mid-70s. Some of the guys in the show were so out of place standing alongside some of the greats there-the dude who is 2nd from the left end of the first row i can still recall now after seeing this shot.

If you mean our left; that's John Bubb, who came fourth in the Tall class, though he's on the bottom row for some reason. Other than being a little soft, he looks pretty good. Not sure who the guy is that is second from our right, but he looks much softer than Bubb.

I agree, Zane looks fantastic at this heavier bodyweight.

funk51 · « **Reply #17 on:** December 24, 2008, 11:46:42 AM »

great thread this sections needs more like this maybe with the aau mr a and earlier mr u contests. thanks.

crownshep · « **Reply #18 on:** December 24, 2008, 11:52:18 AM »

Thats Walter O`Malley,good friend of Frank Richards,and he still competes and guest poses today,i think he`s around 70 now.
Here`s a couple of pages on ironage with a few pics i posted of him,and some when he guest posed at age 67.
http://ironage.us/yabbse/index.php/topic,13060.0.html

GoneAway · « **Reply #19 on:** December 24, 2008, 07:14:10 PM »

Quote from: crownshep on December 24, 2008, 11:52:18 AM

Thats Walter O`Malley,good friend of Frank Richards,and he still competes and guest poses today,i think he`s around 70 now.
Here`s a couple of pages on ironage with a few pics i posted of him,and some when he guest posed at age 67.
http://ironage.us/yabbse/index.php/topic,13060.0.html

Thanks, crownshep. I was very impressed by Walter's relaxed pose in the amateur lineup. Incredible ribcage development. Looks great for 67 and a very classic look about him, still.

crownshep · « **Reply #20 on:** December 25, 2008, 03:09:13 AM »

That looks like Johnny Fuller second from right.

johnny1 · « **Reply #21 on:** December 25, 2008, 05:34:01 PM »

Quote from: GoneAway on December 21, 2008, 10:06:01 PM

Reg wore some fantastic shoes that day.

Johnny, do you know who the man with the glasses is, in the picture of him toucing Draper's shoulder?

Pumping up before the show:

More outstanding pictures!!! sorry Goneaway i have no idea who the bloke is behind dave.

johnny1 · « **Reply #22 on:** December 25, 2008, 05:53:26 PM »

..........

GoneAway · « **Reply #23 on:** December 25, 2008, 06:32:09 PM »

Great shots, johnny. From all accounts, Reg and Dave were some of the nicest guys in the sport.

GoneAway · « **Reply #24 on:** December 25, 2008, 06:38:27 PM »