Author Topic: Stories - Your favorite stories re pros / legends  (Read 571882 times)

Bossa

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #725 on: June 23, 2005, 01:05:51 PM »
It was in November 2004 Men's Fitness...I read it online so I don't know if the actual article had pics of him.  Really Ray lived like that as well for a while ???

stuntmovie

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #726 on: June 23, 2005, 01:26:42 PM »
Been trying to find a Poda photo to post on here without success.

Can anyone else do it?

Has anyone heard from Les Spendlove lately? Or know what he has been up to? Last I heard, I think was getting involved in po0litics.

And whatever happened to Lynn Lyman  and Jerry Wallace?

Bossa

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #727 on: June 23, 2005, 01:34:09 PM »
Ya stunt I have done google and yahoo image search and no luck...I have some old issues of musclemag but no scanner :-\

onlyme

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #728 on: June 23, 2005, 02:04:14 PM »
Ray and Benny were friends.  Benny hung out at his gym.  Not sure about Ray living like benny.  I was very surprised to see Benny on Chuck Norris's film ? USA I think.  I later asked Chuck and he told me benny trained him for awhile.

knny187

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #729 on: June 23, 2005, 02:16:20 PM »
when I did a google search......this small picture popped up


Dan-O

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #730 on: June 23, 2005, 03:06:18 PM »
Benny had something like an 850-lb. deadlift as I recall.  He was a strong dude.

onlyme

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #731 on: June 23, 2005, 03:14:27 PM »
At that show where benny wore the mask.  he just ran up on stage in the middle of the show and started posing with a wolf mask on.  The police and security came and kicked him out.  The crowd went crazy and most said he could have won that show he was the best built.

stuntmovie

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #732 on: June 23, 2005, 03:46:56 PM »
Thanks, Knny. I enlarged the Poda picture but it sure ain't better.


stuntmovie

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #733 on: June 23, 2005, 04:13:58 PM »
I've been reading some adverse remarks about the Weiders and the IFBB on various posts and felt that it might be a good idea to throw in my two-cents.

It is not my intent to defend the Weiders or the IFBB and I present this as my best attempt to offer the facts and then let the shit fall where it may. You guys are good at that!

Back in the 50's, Weider published a series of magazines that were somewhat on the "questionable side/darkside".

But over time they did make some noteworthy changes and literally fought the vast majority of the human population regarding what was beginning to be known as "bodybuilding".

They and they alone struggled through some pretty tough years and eventually pulled ahead and left everyone else involved in this questionable "sport" in the rear picking up the pieces or heading the way of the dinosauers.

But the Weiders alone fought it out and stuck with it and built the IFBB and various magazines up from the "nothingness" that they used to be. And they did this by every means possible and created a number of animosities along the way.

But Ben and Joe banded together and made it happen while everyone else fought them from every possible angle.

Good or bad, they made "bodybuilding" what it is today!

And I guarantee ya that Arnold woudl not be "Arnuld" today if it wasn't for the Weider organization.

Now place yourself in their shoes!

If you fought so hard and for so long a period of time, would you want to give any of that up?  Would you want to pay additional fees if someone was willing to work for less? Would you allow anyone to get organized with the eventuality of getting ostricized? Would you want to lose any power of any sort to anyone who was not supporting you from the very beginning when everyone was against you? (I bet that htey even got rid of them!)

$300,000,000 says they would, but I'd be fighting to the death for any piece of anything left over after that transaction.

If it wasn't for the Weiders, the bodybuilders would still be posing on weekends at Muscle Beach and Arnold would be married to some milkmaid in Austria.

Photo ... Can anyone ID the year of this shot from the buildings in the background?






stuntmovie

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #734 on: June 24, 2005, 02:23:20 AM »
Thanks Akbar-Ali,  This NABBA topic could be an interesting subject to discuss and here is my general feeling about it.

To the best of my knowledge, the NABBA is not a well known organization in the States.

Outside of Park and Reeves, I cannot think of one other NABBA Champion unless Nubret was one who I may be presently overlooking. (Did he promote an NABBA event once in which the winners had to be content with the award of tanning beds in lieu of cash.)

From my viewpoint, it seems that the NABBA is lax in promoting its contestants when compared to the Weider/IFBB organization. Do they even publish their own magazine?

Most bodybuilding fans in the US can name 10 or more IFBB affiliated bodybuilders, but would have a heck of a time nameing  even one or two NABBA athletes including the likes of Reeves and Park.

I would assume that this same situation exists in Europe.

The IFBB athletes are better known because they are promoted frequently in a world wide  magazine under the control of IFBB founders and/or associates.

To the best of my knowledge, NABBA has no means of promoting NABBA athletes and therefore they go "undiscovered".

I still insist that it was Joe Weider and the IFBB who promoted Arnold.  If Arnold had relied on the NABBA to promote him, he would be unknown, former bodybuilder in Austria married to the milkmaid.

619Rules

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #735 on: June 24, 2005, 12:30:54 PM »
Well stuntmovie, from 1960-80 NABBA Pro Universe overall winners included Bill Pearl, Earl Maynard, Arnold, Frank Zane, Boyer Coe, Chris Dickerson, Tony Emmot,Bertil Fox and Tony Pearson. Nabba Amateur overall winners over same period included Chet Yorton, Arnold, Dennis Tinerino, Boyer Coe, Frank Zane, Ken Waller, Chris Dickerson, Bertil Fox and Dave Johns. Class winners included  Steve Michalik, Paul Grant, Al Beckles, Frank Richard, Jim Haislop, Franco Columbo and Vern Weaver. NABBA were never good at promoting themselves and their magazine Health and Strengh ceased around 1984 after a 40 run. Remember that in 1971 Bill Pearl came out of retirement and challenged everyone at the 1971 Pro Universe and won it beating Frank Zane, Sergio Oliva and Reg Park while Arnold decided not to show up. Also Arnold left Austria to live in Germany before living in England for a year or two before moving to USA.
So at the very least he would have been married to an English milkmaid  ;)

AKBAR-ALI is very right about NABBA having the better known Mr. Universe title-up until the late 70's early 80's. After that the Mr Oympia became the Superbowl of bodybulding. Today NABBA is still a strong organization-in EUROPE, but not in the states, and the US is the king of the fitness industry.

Strength and Health was Hoffman's magazine-and it is well known that Hoffman never promoted BBing except to the extent he had to in order to promote his Olympic lifters/Contests.

NO ONE was into Olympic weight lifting after the late 60's. BBing started to take over. When the fitness craze hit in the late 70's/early 80's it was for BBing.

The perfect storm of Arnold, Weider's Muscle and Fitness, Pumping Iron and Gold's Gym Licensing all combined to send BBing into orbit.

Hoffman could not compete against Weider and Muscle and Fitness because he had a flawed business model-OLYMPIC LIFTING instead of BBing/fitness.

Once the late 70's came around the IFBB was clearly the best organized professional BBing organization going, and the Mr O surpassed the NABBA Universe as the top show.

BTW, Arnold did compete in the 1971 NABBA Universe-he won the Amatuer title while Bill Pearl won the Professional title. I think it is safe to say Arnold would have been beaten by Pearl if he entered the Professional divsion.




stuntmovie

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #736 on: June 24, 2005, 12:42:41 PM »
Thanks, guys! I'm learning new stuff here!

As you can see, I never have been up to date on the NABBA efforts and outcomes, so hearing this stuff is new to me.

I do recall Mike Mentzer or another bodybuilder of his time, telling me a story about competing in a professional European contest in which a sizeable cash award was being offered, but when it came time to pay off the winner, all that the promoter could produce was one of the tanning beds that one of the exhibitors did not want to pack up and ship back home.

So the tanning bed was presented as the overall award. But no one offered to pick up the shipping expenses from Europe to the west coast of the USA.

Anyone recall the details of that story?

619Rules

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #737 on: June 24, 2005, 01:40:33 PM »
I have been checking on the year Arnold competed in the NABBA as an amatuer and Pearl was a pro and 1971 is not checking out.

I have to find Arnold's book where there is a pic of him and Pearl at the NABBA holding their trophies-I thouht it was 1971 but looks like I was wrong.

Whoever has Education of a BB pull it out and find what year that pic was taken.......

a_joker10

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #738 on: June 24, 2005, 02:16:51 PM »
In 1971 Ken Waller won the Amateur and Bill Pearl won the professional Universe
In 1967 Arnold Schwarzenegger won the Amateur's and Bill Pearl won the professional Universe

Can't find the picture you want but will keep looking
Z

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #739 on: June 24, 2005, 02:29:14 PM »
I almost forgot 1971 Arnold won the Olympia unopposed. This has been discussed at length on this site. It is still one of the best screw overs in Bodybuilding.  According to Bill Pearl almost all of the Pro's were convinced by Ben Weider to compete against Bill Pearl at the NABBA Universe and this disqualified them for the Olympia.
Z

619Rules

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #740 on: June 24, 2005, 04:22:42 PM »
I almost forgot 1971 Arnold won the Olympia unopposed. This has been discussed at length on this site. It is still one of the best screw overs in Bodybuilding.  According to Bill Pearl almost all of the Pro's were convinced by Ben Weider to compete against Bill Pearl at the NABBA Universe and this disqualified them for the Olympia.

Good job Joker--67 was the year.

I wish Arnold woul dhave competed in the NABA Pro in 1971 and the O- ;D

Vince B

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #741 on: June 24, 2005, 11:17:32 PM »
Reading this thread was like never putting down a book that was interesting!

I think Onlyme should change his name to Allota gas! I love the way some of the guys spell words and so on. Gives the thread a certain local colour.

Now, what perplexes me is why so few others have contributed to this thread? Surely others have great stories to tell? I can tell that there are few old-timers here because most don't know who is in those old photos. Like the one with Ike Berger and Chuck Vincie on the bench. Seems to be the US weightlifting team with a couple of the bodybuilders. Anyway, a good read and some really good laughs. Keith's account of that dinner in the fancy restaurant wins the award for laugh of the year on this site.

I do have some funny stories to tell about some of the guys in the Irongame. Where in the heck does one start? I think I will do a separate post for each story.

I should know "Stunt" but can't place him. Onlyme looks like Ray Mentzer's brother! Wonder if he copied that mo from the Mentzer brothers?

Vince B

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #742 on: June 24, 2005, 11:37:40 PM »
I have a story about the Barbarian brothers in 1980. I was visiting LA with my two children, Zorba, 7 and Lani, 9. I dragged them to all my favourite, but to them boring, sites. Ok, I did take them to Disneyland and Universal Studios as well.

Naturally, I had to visit the Mecca which was Gold's Gym on 2nd Avenue in Santa Monica. I don't actually remember being inside the gym but I did talk to one of the Paul brothers in the doorway. Here was this big lumberjack type character in that thick check shirt, rope, jeans and boots. I knew about them in the magazines so I started up a conversation. I asked him what he was trying to do lifting weights. He said they were going to be the biggest and strongest bodybuilders who ever lived. I told him he would never achieve any such thing. He demanded to know why. I simply told him that he didn't have the vocabulary! Mr Barbarian # 1, the bigger of the two, insisted he did have the vocabulary. I told him that others were stronger than him anyway. "Like who?" he wanted to know. I said like Steve Merjanian. He turned around and yelled to the guys in the gym, "Who the hell is Steve Merjanian?" About that time Samir Bannout grabbed hold of me and took me aside. He warned me that he saw those crazy bastards hit people for stirring them up. I smiled to myself. I have been around the Irongame since 1959 and have owned my own gym since 1971. So I wasn't about to be intimidated by some hillbilly looking muscleheads.

As it turns out those guys weren't dumb at all. However, they never did achieve what they claimed they were going to. Matter of fact they weren't the strongest nor the biggest. How did I know they would fail? Well, Reg Park tried to do that in 1950 and soon realised you had to choose between being really strong and really big. You really couldn't be the best in two disciplines.

Some time in the 1970's I was watching a billiard competition on TV and someone asked the then world champ, Ray Readon, if he thought any woman would ever be the snooker world champion?  He replied it was never going to happen. When asked why, he said, "They don't have the vocabulary". Guess I was waiting for an occasion to use that great line.

onlyme

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #743 on: June 24, 2005, 11:59:41 PM »
Actually both David and Peter are very smart.  Their biggest problem is they are very dyslegsic (?).  It has hurt them on numerous occassions.

Have you heard these guys sing or perform.  They both callorated on some really good kind of rap and allot of the songs have a weight lifting lyrics.  Like War with the Weights.  They have a great one called Ride my Harley.  I have them somewhere.  i am one of the only people in the world to have them.  They never really got serious about it.  One that they perform is "Whatcha you lookin at".
They perform that one at one ofthe high schools we appeared at.  If I can find them I will put them up.  A few of them are great workout songs.

They made allot of money doing what they did.  They designed their own homes.  David's home won an award from Architecual Digest.  It is awesome.  Kind of like a hansel and gretel theme.  The couches are built into the walls.  The master bathroom is one of the best I have ever seen.  Back in whatever year it was when the Santa Monica pier was partially destroyed, Peter when designing his house had them dredge up some of the timber from the pier and built a stuuning pole house.

Both are very creative.  David now is one of the top BB photgrpaher in the business.  Last I heard Peter still designs toys.  They always wanted to see if they could make it separetly.  It looks like they are doing fine.

Vince B

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #744 on: June 25, 2005, 12:30:38 AM »
I have always believed that to succeed in any endeavour you have to do something right. Either you figure that out yourself of you have someone coach you. Most bodybuilders do a bit of both. They learn from others but do some research themselves. It should be obvious to any intelligent person that there are heaps of falsehoods in the gym. It is my belief that most of the champions are a bit smarter than the rest.

The Barbarians were obviously good marketers. They lived the hype they created about themselves and became famous. They remind of the professional wrestlers who, though intelligence, get to the top of that profession. If we want the best example here of what I am saying then we need look no further than Arnold. I laughed when I saw the original Terminator. There was Arnold playing himself in many of those scenes. I bet he even came up with some of those one-liners!

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #745 on: June 25, 2005, 12:31:34 AM »
So I wasn't about to be intimidated by somehillbilly looking muscleheads.

As it turns out those guys weren't dumb at all. However, they never did achieve what they claimed they were going to. Matter of fact they weren't the strongest nor the biggest. How did I know they would fail?

Hillbillie muscle heads....that is funny....funny because FlexFan see's one of the brothers in Gold's all the time and he still wears jeans with a rope belt-just like Jethro did in the Beverly Hillbillies ;D

I would not say the Barbarian brothers were failures at all-not by a long shot.

They came close to setting a world record in the reverse grip bench press on the Merv Griffin Show, they have appeared in 10, 12, 15 or so  movies that have all made money-Twin Sitters being one of the better movies they made-not to mention the movie The Barbarians that they did in 1986. They were the biggest guys at Gold's Gym in the late 70's-with Jon Loyd being close in size (Loyd took second to Strydom in the 1986 USA-Loyd 245#, Strydom 225#).

No, the Barbarian Brothers have made more money from BBing (without ever doing a show) than probably anyone except Arnold. Even Gary Strydom, who would come in second with a 350K WBF contract and Crazee Wear clothing company in the early 90's.

Besides those are Onlyme's training partners and he won't like them getting bad mouthed, and Onlyme wrestles bears ;D ;D ;D

onlyme

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #746 on: June 25, 2005, 12:39:44 AM »
they made allot of money with clothing sales,  and other items they endorsed also.    And it is funny they never competed, yet they made hordes of money in the BB world and appeared in magazines around the world.  I can't remember the name of the movie but it is when david was a cop and peter was a thief.  I liked that movie too.

Vince B

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #747 on: June 25, 2005, 01:47:55 AM »
On this forum it seems the pen is mightier than the sword.  :o  I am at my keyboard ready to take on any stirrers. I wanted to debate Mike Mentzer in the magazines but that never happened. I did meet Mike in 1991 at Gold's Venice. I was staying with Ray at his flat in Torrence so Mike agreed to see me. We discussed some theories and I was asking the questions but Mike was saying very little. I studied philosophy and wasn't as impressed with Ayn Rand as he was. However, I am still searching for an Ayn Rand superwoman!! However, I still credit Mike Mentzer as being one of the few philosophers in bodybuilding who actually came up with a systematic theory about training.

Mike was with a group of professional bodybuilders who gave a group seminar after a contest in Sydney in 1979, I think. Well, I was sitting at the back and asked, "How do you make muscles grow?" or some such question, expecting a serious reply. Mike quipped, "Are you having trouble growing?" Everyone laughed. I had to be more specific that it was a hypertrophy question. He still didn't give me a good answer. Guess he was keeping that to himself. Or maybe he thought I was another musclehead who deserved what I got for asking a stupid question.

I gave Mike my only copy of the article I wrote about the 1980 Mr Olympia. Several magazines rejected it. I don't think Mike kept that copy. :'(  It should be published now that he is gone. Anyone know how I can contact anyone regarding his estate?

I didn't say the Barbarians were failures. Only that they didn't attain their goal of being the biggest and strongest men on the planet. Kaz and other strongmen were closer to that achievement.

I think the Barbarians proved, like Victor Richards did, that you didn't have to compete to be acknowledged in the Irongame.

I have never heard of Keith until I posted on this forum. Seems to me there might be several unsung guys who lifted amazing weights, built huge physiques, but who remained unknowns in the bodybuilding world. Let's face it, Onlyme is one funny SOB! I guess his size and strength allowed him to get away with pranks that others would have paid dearly for!  ;D

Vince B

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #748 on: June 25, 2005, 05:18:45 AM »
I went to York, Pa, in 1965 with a handfull of articles I had written for Strength & Health and Muscular Development. They had a very nice gym in the York office building and you could train there free while you were visiting. I got an interview with Dr. Terry Todd and I remember he corrected some of the grammar on a couple of pages. He wasn't interested in using any of them in his magazine Strength & Health. Anyway, later I got an interview with John Grimek, who was the editor of Muscular Development. He was a hero of mine because as far as I know he was never defeated in a bodybuilding contest. Plus, John was very strong. Well, I took out my camera to get a photo of John and got turned down. No explanation but as many know he had one bad eye that was damaged by an accident with a spring device many used to use in those days. John always wore sunglasses. He seemed to me to be a bit of a grump and told me my articles would suit the Weider magazines. Well, that was a slap in the face because there is no way I would work for Joe. I couldn't imagine writing one of his editorials for him about how great he was. So that was the end of my quest to be on the staff of a bodybuilding magazine. Later I discovered it wasn't such a great job, anyway.

I was in York when the first Mr Olympia was on. Some of us were discussing that contest with John Grimek and he wasn't too happy with the IFBB. He said that Larry Scott had his name on his trophy. I guess that proved to John that the contest was fixed! However, it is possible to know the results after the judging and have trophies engraved before the presentations.

John had a reputation that he walked like a big cat or something. So I was interested to see how he did walk. He sort of strutted through the gym with fairly long strides. I used to immitate that walk but it sure wasn't like any cat that I recalled.

I saw Bill March standing press 375 pounds. Very impressive. I talked to Bill one day and I doubted that John Grimek still had calves that measured 17 1/2 inches. He bet me that they did. Since he was willing to bet me that was good enough for me. If I had accepted that bet I would have seen how big John's calves were that day.

After I was there a few days I got to hear a few stories from Bob Hoffman, himself. Since I had read his editorials and so on for over a decade I knew that Bob liked to glorify himself. One day when he was walking through the company gym I told him, "Bob, you write all that stuff about yourself but you look fat to me! Well, he stopped right there and called everyone in the gym around him. He always wore a suit. He took the jacket off, then tie and shirt. He was standing there in a white singlet. Well, he took in a deep breath and then sssssslllllllllloooooooo ooowwwwlllllllllyyyyyy let it out. It took at least 30 seconds and maybe longer. We stood there amazed. At the end he inhaled and created a vacuum under his ribcage. While in that state he got a few of us to touch his tummy which seemed firm enough. He then left the room. We all shook our heads and sort of smiled and continued training. The next day a serious John Terpack came up to me and took me aside. He told me that it was a courtesy that they allowed me to use their gym. If I criticized Bob again I would not be welcome in that premises! In other words I was told to keep my mouth shut. Guess you have to kiss butt if you want to work on a magazine, huh?

Bob delighted in telling us young fellas about his sexual prowess when he was much younger. He would say how he competed in weightlifting one day and what he lifted. I think he C & J something like 275 pounds. Well, he said the night before he was with this woman and he came so many times. Goodness me it was a large number. Well, we never could figure out how that affected his lifting one way or other because he seemed to lift the same as he always did! I think the point was that he thought had he desisted maybe he would have lifted more?

Oh, yes, they used to call York, Muscletown USA, well, when I was there it was hardly that. I never saw so many fat people as there were in that little town.

Vince B

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Re: Tell your favorite stories re pros/legends
« Reply #749 on: June 25, 2005, 05:50:12 AM »
Well, since I mentioned Bob Hoffman maybe I should relate my meeting Joe Weider.

After the Mr Olympia in Sydney in 1980 that Arnold won there was a harbour cruise for the competitors, officials and invited guests. All the guys who were upset didn't come on that cruise which was a pity because it was fun. Arnold and Franco and most of the guys were aboard. There was food to eat and what a sight the harbour is at night.

Joe was sitting yapping with some of the guys in the middle of the boat. I went up to him because I took about 360 shots of the contest plus some colour slides. I mentioned that to Joe who replied, "Send me your contact sheets".  I had met Bill Reynolds previously and he had been to my gym. Bill used to collect T-shirts and he was always coaching some hot female bodybuilder but never seemed to score. He complained to me that Joe used to mix him up with Bill Dobbins who worked for him. I mean, he was an editor and Joe would call him by the other guy's name. Bill was right there beside me so I said that I guess I will send the contact sheets to him. I added, if you don't use them...."THEN, REYNOLDS YOU'RE FIRED!!" Bill turned white on the spot and Joe laughed his head off. I said it like the way that boss fired Dagwood Bumstead. Oh, dear, how to make friends and influence people. 

Bill Reynolds had a PhD but did a stupid thing outside the hotel at Bondi where the competitors were staying. He had this medicine ball and said to a young kid nearby, "Watch this!" and threw the ball over his shoulders as high as he could. That thing sailed up and came down right through a windscreen of a car parked there! Bill scooted off but Paul Graham ended up paying for it because someone dobbed the Dobbins lookalike in!

I asked Robert Nailon who to send photos of the Olympia to and he said Musclemag, Ironman and a magazine in Germany. I asked what I should do about splitting the photos and he told me to send them all to everyone. I did that and later got a nasty letter from Bob Kennedy who refused to pay me for any photos because Peary Rader had used the same ones on his cover. I got even with Robert by selling all the negatives and slides to him for $1,000. He was going to do an article on that contest but it never happened. For years afterwards I would see my photos appearing in the magazines with Robert being given the credit. It was funny because I had a tripod set up in the middle of the audience and got the best photos of the Olympia. I got John Balik a seat at the finals beside me by getting a gym member to swap seats with John down at the front. Robert chose to take photos backstage and missed getting all the excitement of that contest. Robert Kennedy has never communicated with me since. Guess Robert fixed me good that day. :-[