The first had been in the 70s with Arnold and company. Hi Nick, thanks for stopping by. In many cases, this is NOT the case. But it wouldnt last. I think/fear that the drive for muscularity in recent years has made usage far more problematic from a health perspective. The 43 years old Female Physique competitor died of a heart attack a couple of days after placing 16th at the 2019 Tampa pro show. His mother found the body of Seccarecci, who had returned on Monday from a trip to Finland where he took part in sporting events. Here is one out of hundreds of studies on effects of steroid abuse. Do you have a link or book I can check out? Grandson of the late Ray and Betty (Thompson) Matarazzo and Joseph and Mamie (Bagarella) Paratore. David Robson. These athletes are, for me at least, victims of a sport that has a total disregard for its competitors. I went from 50% bodybuilder/50% runner to 70% runner/20% swimmer and 10% bodybuilder. He was at his competitive peak in his early-30s, when "mass monsters" dominated bodybuilding, and he claimed to eat up to seven pounds of red meat per day at his biggest. Most people remember Mike Mentzer from the 1980 Olympia where they felt he got an unfair fifth placing. the heaviest competitive male bodybuilder, George F. Jowett, The Standard That Determines the Ideal Shape, The Key to Muscle and Might (c. 1925), John Christy, Mid-Year Checkup, Hardgainer Magazine, July/August (1999). By the way, the age each one of these bodybuilders when they died would be useful ! He was awardedbodybuilder of the yearby theAssociation of Sports Reporters of Santiago (ACDS)on several occasions. He won 3 out of 5 of his IFBB competitions between 2012 and 2015. If youre a fan of old lifting articles Id highly recommend this website as well: Rich Piana shouldve been mentioned too!! I think the biggest mistake is to assume that steroids were the only culprit here. His is the most improbable dash from amateur to pro in bodybuilding history. My sincerest condolences to your family and closest friends who will now miss you more than life. Mariola Sabanovic-Suarez passed awaytragically only days after Tampa Pro. Devoted grandfather to Andrew, Valerie, and Renee. MIKE MATARAZZO - 1965 - 2014 . They advised him to stay on the East Coast and build his name in smaller showsmaybe the Jr. USA, maybe the Jr. Nationals. But even the ones who have survived and are in their 50s or so, are not without major health problems. The bodybuilding champ turned actor died on a boat in Turkey at the age of 65. Anthony was a graduate of Boston University and had worked as apersonal trainer over a decade. His fiance rushed him from their Modesto, California home to the hospital. According to official reports, Mike Mentzer died ofheart complications,but most people consider heart attack to be the cause of his passing. This is considered his average steroid cycle. Email: sm(at)fitnessvolt.com Disclosure: FitnessVolt.com has an affiliate relationship with different brands and is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. He diedin his sleep due to kidney and heart failure. He was a 4X top-five finisher at the Night of Champions. Loving brother of Mary Jean Matarazzo and caring Uncle of Gianna and Cam O'Malley of Winchester and Wyatt of CA.. Death 29OCT1997 - Winchester, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA. Emotionally, it made a guy like mewhose only fear in life was the loss of his mother and fatherafraid of every little ache and pain., Mike Matarazzo encouraged bodybuilders to buy health insurance and get frequent medical checkups. Electrolyte Drinks: Do They Aid Workouts? He placed first in the super-heavyweight class of the Junior USA. https://scienceline.org/2007/08/ask-cooper-bengaydeath/#:~:text=If%20you%20were%20to%20then,brands%20that%20contain%20methyl%20salicylate. At 25, Matarazzo earned the right to turn pro on his first try in only his second contest and against a stacked field. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. This is what happens when you separate exercise from overall health consciousness. I think you are being way to light in this article for these disgusting looking individuals, who helped drag bodybuilding into the gutter (Im sad they are dead, and believe me I nearly tried the steroid route, I understand why they did it!) The cause was reportedly a heart attack, and despite CPR being attempted, he was pronounced dead in the gym. Even though he never won a single one of those 31 contests, he was beloved by bodybuilding fans. Unfortunately, I am suffering from permanent consequences. This steroid is given to cows for 50 days before slaughter. Mike Matarazzo is one of the well-known bodybuilders of all time, remembered for his impressive calves and arms. Cherished son of Mary and the late Michael S. Matarazzo of Somerville. Known primarily for his massive arms and calves, his best placing in the Mr. Olympia competition (out of seven total appearances) was 9th, in 1998. Mike Matarazzo was a hard-working bodybuilder, remembered for his impressive arms and calves. Mike Matarazzo (Died Age 48) Mike Matarazzo is one of the well-known bodybuilders of all time, remembered for his impressive calves and arms. On the other hand, if your goal is to step on a stage and go head to head with the best bodybuilders in the world, things can spiral out of control too fast too soon, especially if you have no idea what you are doing. Ray too died within 48 hours of Mikes passing. - ., Does Protein Accelerate Aging? But what happens when these same people start falling dead in their hotel rooms, swimming pools, or worse, on stage due to a heart attack? There are no events at this time. Make sure relatives of Michael Joseph Matarazzo know they have sympathy messages here. Mike Matarazzo was considered an 'old school bodybuilder' and one of the hardest working guys during his peak years. But even about steroid, the majority of studies link long-term consumption of steroid with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and irregular heart function. His first appearance in the Mr. Olympia competition was in 1994, where he placed 7th. Next Read:Flex Wheeler Opens Up On Steroids, Kidney Failure And Blood Clots That Led To Leg Amputation. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Mildred Josephine ( Matarazzo) Johnston (1927 - 1997) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days. No amount of money in the world is worth that. He also took home fifth place in Mr. Universe in 1997. My sister passed away in her sleep at 29 years old from heart issues that she was unaware she had. Chet promoted drug-free training and had an awe-inspiring physique in his prime. He has been a professional journalist since 1989, including co-founding the Waterbury Observer, assistant metro editor at the Jackson (Michigan) Citizen-Patriot and spent a year covering the. Rhoden was no ordinary bodybuilder. He won his first title at the age of 24. The work did it as well. Another highlight was his ninth at the 1998 Mr. Olympia. [6][7] At the time of his death he was residing in Modesto, California, and had been forced to stop working as a bail bondsman[8] due to his 20% heart function. His highest professional bodybuilding placing was 13th at the 2004 Arnold Classic. Stafford reportedly passed away at the age of58 due to a heart attack. Mike Matarazzo had open heart surgery on December 8, 2004 as a result of clogged arteries. But my god Im glad I didnt. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. Unfortunately, he passed away at an early age. Ive yet to hear about Reeves and steroids. He was in hospital for a long time and needed several operations. Arnold is still alive, but Franco passed away in 2020. Mike Matarazzo, a popular bodybuilder in the 90s, died of a heart attack in 2014 at 47 years old after years of steroid abuse to keep his eight percent body fat and 275lb figure. banned from competing at the 2019 Mr. Olympia, he collapsed while posing at the Arnold Classic in Australia, Bodybuilding Community Reacts To Tragic Loss Of Franco Columbu, Remembering 28 Bodybuilders Who Passed Away (2017-2020), Powerlifting & Bodybuilding Veteran Dawn Whitham Passes Away at 57, Arnold Schwarzeneggers Coach And Austrian Bodybuilder Kurt Marnul Passes Away, Iconic Womens Bodybuilder Tonya Knight Passes Away at 56 After Battle with Cancer, Courtney King Workout, Diet Program and Biography, Milos Sarcev Says Big Ramy Has to Deliver at 2023 Arnold Classic for Redemption, Lee Labrada Says Son Hunter Plans to Win 2023 Tampa Pro and Texas Pro Before Next Olympia, Flex Wheeler Forgetting Thoughts and Suffering from Extreme Tremors After Using Amitriptyline, 15 Best Compound Back Exercises + Workouts, Rich Gaspari Talks Drugs in Bodybuilding and the Late Mohammed Benazizas Death, Brian Shaw Announces The 2023 Shaw Classic Lineup & Reveals It Will Be His Final Competition, 10 Best Bone Broth Supplements of 2023 (Reviewed & Ranked), Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Protein Review, 10 Best Coffee Creamer For Intermittent Fasting of 2023 (Review & Ranked). He passed away in 2001 at 49-years-old. He wasnt going to saunter about serving up faux smiles as if doling out gifts. During his downtime, Mike began studying to be a psychologist in 1974 to keep his academic mind active. Check Out:Legendary Bodybuilder Mike Mentzer Talks Steroid Use In Recently Surfaced Video. Mike was admitted to the intensive care unit of Stanford hospital in Palo Alto due to heart complications. To many, he will always be remembered for his incredible friendliness and humble acknowledgement of his fans. He competed for the first time in the Mr. Olympia contest in 1991. Thats where Mike Matarazzo, Jr. grew up. I was a GUINEA PIG for a company that tried to cut costs for janitorial position for a VERY LARGE AREA. Im still the same down-to-earth guy who moved from Boston to California 12 years ago. Matarazzo is remembered for his meteoric rise, his fan-friendly demeanor, and the way his posedown stage dives and tongue-out most musculars conveyed that he never thought he was better than us. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Michael 'Roc' Roccaforte, 35, gave his family an exaggerated "What can I do?" shrug after U.S. District Court Judge Richard Berman socked him with a 118-month sentence that was four months. Hey Ben, thats another tragic case that completely slipped my mind! MIKE MATARAZZO STUCK HIS TONGUE OUT. I think a combination of gear and the intense workouts everyday week to week shortened their lives. Known for his roles in Braveheart and Gladiator, Mitchell passed away from a heart attack in Turkey. Legends and future legends in Venice dismissed him as that Maserati guyjust another wannabe whose name they would never need to bother learning. Ordoneaz: Relevanta. That Mr. O was Matarazzos final contest. Join Facebook to connect with Michael Matarazzo and others you may know. I happened to be one who did for 15 years, but I probably took 20 years off my life. He did it every time he crunched a most muscular during his 31 pro shows. Vezi: The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement Prinesa ndrtnic 2 - Nunta. Mike Matarazzo, who died at 48 in 2014, was one of the most popular bodybuilders of the 1990s despite never winning a pro show. Chester won the prestigious Mr. American and Mr. Universe bodybuilding competitions. Netflix's upcoming animated feature My Father's Dragon, the latest project from five-time Oscar nominated Irish studio Cartoon Saloon and directed by its co-founder Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner), has found its voice(s). Enjoy your eternity., Bodybuilding, Strength, and Fitness: News, Advice, and Culture, Ukrainian Strongman Talks about Training in a Warzone, Worlds Strongest Man 2023: Events & Schedule, Study Finds Similar Muscle Growth With Vegan vs. Omnivore Diets. While I do agree that the majority of people on this list clearly died far before they should have and there is an issue to be discussed, two of the individuals listed really shouldnt be on here in terms of analyzing what is going wrong in the sport. His best placing in the competition was in 1997, where he placed 2ndbehind Dorian Yates. The sport of bodybuilding has been under fire lately due to growing cases of cardiac arrests amongst athletes. Copyright 2010 - 2022 Fitness Volt IBC. Wed hate to see promising talent give up on the sport due to health and safety issues. Instead of 20 minute to two hour runs a day and one hour workouts in the gym, I am doing light weight lifting, running on the spot and exercises I learned at my retirement home for 33 minutes every day early in the morning. Steroid bodybuilding is an extreme suicidal sport. Only the overall USA and North American champs and the Nationals class winners did so. Ill have to do something on Rich in the near future as his videos were something else. Im always happy to hear another point of view once there is evidence for it. After about 15 minutes of chest compressions by four paramedics, an ambulance took Frank to the hospital, but it was too late. Two residents who were at the pool saw him fall in and immediately pulled him out. Michalik who made famous the expression "Death is no excuse.". So, when Matarazzo locked in his most muscular and his tongue jutted out, he was letting everyone know that, no matter his placing, he was having a blast. He had a heart attack years prior and he directly blamed steroid use as the cause. Kovacs, for one,looked like dog-shit the last few years of his short life. Mike Matarazzo was recently hospitalized in Modesto, California for serious heart complications, and went into cardiac arrest soon after being admitted. At the time of his passing, it was reported that he died after choking on food, but his autopsy report pointed elsewhere. He was 68. Hi Mark, I think you raise a good point about the debilitating impact it has over time we often dont highlight the very tragic end. Mitchell suffered his first heart attack after winning his fifth World Fitness Federation title in 2006. He earned his Pro card in 1993. He was the lone-wolf, alpha male, with the thick Boston accent who unabashedly taunted the Venice Gold's Gym contingency of elite amateur bodybuilders; California's best new crop of talent that included the seemingly invincible Flex Wheeler. He won the 1985 Massachusetts Golden Gloves light-heavyweight championships. In a letter that explains what led to his death, his family also questioned the standards used in professional bodybuilding to make sure bodybuilder's maintain exceptional health. In 2004, he was considering a comeback the following spring. I even tried his 8hr arm workouts at one point! Using anabolic steroids got more common in the early 60s when bodybuilders found out this can take their muscles some steps higher. The Canadian bodybuilder competed from 1996-2004, earning his pro card in 2002. Hopstaken passed away at the age of 45 due to a heart attack. Columbu was a legend and probably the strongest pound-for-pound bodybuilder of all time. Regional Advisor Consultant at Columbia Threadneedle Investments, US Greater Chicago Area Columbia Threadneedle Investments, US, +3 more Boston University - School of. . On August 22, 2017, Dallas was found on the floor at home with food scattered around him. His nickname was very appropriate (BIG GUNS). Watch:Ronnie Coleman Wants Prescribed Steroid Use In Bodybuilding. Matarazzo liked fishing with his kids, just as he had done with his father four decades prior. In 1971, Mike suffered a severe shoulder injury that put a long-term pause on his training. Related: Arnold Schwarzenegger Calls For More Testing Or Promoting Smaller Divisions To Stop Bodybuilding Deaths. Dr. Salvatore "Sal" Michael Matarazzo, age 98, of Murray, Kentucky, died on, Monday, June 14, 2021, at the Murray-Calloway County Hospital in Murray, Kentucky. His greatest obstacle was the surplus of quality physiques in the 90s. Dallas McCarver started his career at an early age. Mike Matarazzo stuck his tongue out. Beloved son of Michael G. and Denise (Paratore) Matarazzo. In March 2017, Dallas collapsed while posing at the Arnold Classic in Australia. I wouldnt change a thing, he said of his hometown. According to the gym owner where Hopstaken worked as a personal trainer,Hans got real sick about six weeks before he passed away. Mike Matarazzo. Mike Matarazzo, on the other hand, trained tirelessly to become a bodybuilding legend after deciding to follow his passion. They trained with intensity and focus, regardless of the gym or other limitations. That was the ethic this Bostonian truck driver brought to his workouts. Mike from childhood was distinguished by extraordinary charisma and friendliness. Print Gossip Novoa Mendez was a Dominican bodybuilder who succumbed to a heart attack. I never got to see you again my friend, but one thing I can say for sure is that you were a very kind and good-hearted man that never reached his full potential., Related:Victor Martinez Mourns Loss Of Fellow Bodybuilder Novoa Mendez. Look at what Lalanne was doing in his 80s for proof of what wholesome bodybuilding can do! The logjam of future legends he had escaped with his one-and-done USA victory clogged up pro posedowns in subsequent years. He began resistance training as part of rehab and fell in love with it. According to Vicki, Mike was facing frequent chest and arm pain but refused to see a doctor. [4][5] He died on August 16 while awaiting a heart transplant. Funeral arrangement under the care ofCafasso & Sons Funeral Home. Physical Culture Study is a Website Dedicated to the Study of Strength, Health, Fitness and Sport Across Centuries, Countries and Contests. Maybe its not fair to not mention that some professional bodybuilders have died of natural causes before hitting 35 years old. It was much more difficult for Americans to earn pro status then than now. MIKE MATARAZZO SR., father of IFBB star MIKE MATARAZZO, died on Sunday, August 17, in Winchester, Massachusetts, at age 71 after a long illness. Michael loved the family dogs Ozcar and Lily and they loved him. He did it every time he crunched a most muscular during his 31 pro shows. Related:Shawn Ray Calls Out Chad Nicholls For Steroids & Having Blood All Over His Hands. Famous Austrian bodybuilder Kurt Marnul has passed away. MULTIPLE janitors should have been hired! He was 48 years old. It all went downhill from here. Mike Matarazzo: Nov. 8, 1965-Aug. 16, 2014. Atwood was walking through the pool area of his condominium complex when he had a heart attack. What about Momo Benaziza who died in 1992 at the age of 32!? NASCAR, MotoGP, skiing, polo, rugby all come with an element of risk. In addition to anabolic steroids, the use of HgH, Insulin, exogenous T3/T4, clenbuterol, and various diuretics was ubiquitous. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Louis F. Matarazzo to pay them a last tribute. After experiencing a heart attack while swimming off the coast of San Teodoro, Sardinia, Columbu drowned and later died during transportation by helicopter to a hospital. Many believed Luke committed suicide after battling . Consider this a homage to the athletes who succumbed to heart attacks. On top of that, Chet had a short stint as an actor in the films, Muscle Beach Party and Dont Make Waves. He did cardio, sometimes on the heavy bag like his old boxing days, and light weight-training, always wary about pushing himself too hard. I idolized all of the bodybuilders who came from that old-school, hardcore era. Sadly, Mike passed away in 2014 of heart failure. Mendez belonged to the same town as the IFBB pro bodybuilder, Victor Martinez. Sadly, he passed away yesterday, Saturday August 16, 2014, at just 48 years old. Michael Richard Matarazzo (November 8, 1965 August 16, 2014) was an American IFBB professional bodybuilder. Chet achieved the feat at the 1996 NABBA Mr. Universe (amateur) contest in London, England. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. It was the steroids, the growth hormones, the diuretics.I wouldnt in a million years change a lot of the aspects of bodybuilding, but thats the one aspect Id discontinue if I had a second chance., When he was asked What should those who still have a second chance do about it? the 1991 USA winner responded: Put [the drugs] away. He was predeceased by : his aunts and uncles, Valerie and Joseph Paratore; and his grandfather Ray. Financially, Im pretty close to ruined. Contrary to what many people believe, Dallas Big Country McCarvers demise was not so sudden. Showing peak-era pics of these guys makes it look like they died leaving a good-looking corpse. While initially, the passings were brushed aside by blaming rookies for their inexplicit drug use, things turned on their heads when pro bodybuilders, people at the top of the food chain (read: Mr. Olympia), started losing their lives to cardiac arrests. Well, we do not need to put on our thinking hats for this as this scenario has been playing out in real life in the pro bodybuilding circuit. Scott Milne had some controversial legal issues in his lifetime, with trafficking drugs and steroids, but the 63 250 lbs big-hearted giant was nonetheless loved by the bodybuilding community. In the small city of Modesto, where he moved in 1997, he lived the anonymous life the Italian-American kid from a working-class Boston suburb might have had all along if he hadnt rocketed to bodybuilding fame in 1991. It is important to keep in mind that starting in the mid 80s and onwards, steroids became only one of the chemical agents used. She suffered a sudden heart attack which took her life. But what had he done? Three months after his death, it was found that Dallas case was of severe cardiomegaly, meaning abnormal enlargement of the heart.