Bodybuilding controversies in history: Part II
Bodybuilding controversies continue. In this installment, we look at five stories that rocked the IFBB stage in the 1980s and 1990s — from Flex Wheeler’s dubious “ninja story” ahead of the 1997 Mr. Olympia to Bertil Fox’s double murder in the autumn of the same year.
Bodybuilding controversies: Flex Wheeler’s “ninja story” (1997)
Ahead of the 1997 Mr. Olympia, many observers believed that Flex Wheeler, the reigning Arnold Classic champion, had the best chance of beating Dorian Yates, who had been “chewed up” by injuries. Then, 48 hours before the contest, the number one contender for first place arrived at the hotel with the left forearm and upper arm strapped up.
By Wheeler’s account, a carjacking had left the bodybuilder a victim six days earlier. A martial arts practitioner, Wheeler floored the first attacker, who had threatened with a weapon, and dealt with the second assailant as well, but did not get away unscathed. It was supposedly that arm injury that kept Wheeler from competing at the Mr. Olympia.
Some believed the story. Most did not. The common view was that Wheeler simply wasn’t in shape and made up the story to avoid stepping onstage in unfavorable condition. Remarkably, the incident is missing from Wheeler’s autobiography, published in 2003. Yates won his sixth and final Mr. Olympia title that year.
Tonya Knight’s doping scandal (1989)
Over the years, men have also been caught in IFBB drug tests. Shawn Ray had to give up the 1990 Arnold Classic title after a positive steroid test — one of four athletes caught that time. Nasser El Sonbaty lost third place in 1996 for using diuretics. Jay Cutler’s sample at the 2001 Mr. Olympia also came back positive for diuretics, but the case died down because the testing had not been carried out properly.
One of the most sensational cases, however, is the annulment of Tonya Knight’s results. Officials learned that someone else’s urine had been slipped in place of Knight’s sample. A 1990 issue of Flex reported that the evidence was solid. Knight also admitted it: ahead of the 1988 Ms. Olympia, Knight sent in the urine of IFBB athlete Mike Quinn’s former girlfriend as the sample. Knight placed fourth at that contest.
The same suspicion arose at the 1989 Ms. Olympia. The ruling was harsh: Knight’s results from Ms. International as well as the 1988 and 1989 Ms. Olympia were annulled, and the prize money had to be repaid. Still, Knight came back in 1991 and won the Ms. Olympia title, this time without any scandal. After a few more pro contests, Knight ended the active career in 1993.
Bodybuilding controversies at the 1981 Mr. Olympia
A year after Arnold’s disputed 1980 win, the bodybuilding world got a new talking point. Franco Columbo, the 1976 Mr. Olympia winner, made a comeback and won his second Mr. Olympia title in 1981.
Columbo’s legs were visibly small, a result of injuries picked up in the earlier strongman years. The winner was far from peak condition. So were second-placed Chris Dickerson, fourth-placed Roy Callendar and fifth-placed Danny Padilla. It was especially glaring in comparison with third-placed Tom Platz, who shocked the bodybuilding world with a completely new level of upper-body mass and quality — Platz’s legs were already legendary, a phenomenon that is very rarely seen even on today’s stages.
Andreas Munzer’s tragic death
On March 15, 1996, right after placing seventh at the San Jose Pro Invitational, Andreas Munzer died — a bodybuilder who had always been in outstanding condition. The cause of death was internal bleeding and multiple organ failure.
The German magazine Der Spiegel responded by publishing an overview of Munzer’s daily steroid quantities and his administration of growth hormone and insulin. These substances most likely “melted” Munzer’s liver away. And they are probably doing the same to the internal organs of many other bodybuilders.
Bodybuilding controversies and the Bertil Fox murder case
Bertil Fox — nicknamed “Brutal” — was one of the best bodybuilders of the 1970s–80s. According to the charges, 46-year-old Fox shot dead his 20-year-old ex-girlfriend Leyoca Browne and her mother Violet Browne on September 30, 1997. The incident took place three years after Fox left bodybuilding, having opened a gym on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts and Nevis.
The first trial ended inconclusively. At the second hearing there was enough evidence, and Bertil Fox was convicted of the double murder. Fox is currently serving a life sentence in a St. Kitts prison. Fox did not admit guilt.
FAQ: bodybuilding controversies and answers
Did Flex Wheeler’s ninja story turn out to be true?
The story was never officially refuted, but the fact that Wheeler left the incident out of the 2003 autobiography leads most observers to conclude that it was a cover for condition problems.
What happened to Tonya Knight after the scandal?
Knight came back in 1991 and won the Ms. Olympia title without any new scandals. Knight ended the active career in 1993.
Will there be a sequel to the series?
Yes — the bodybuilding controversies continue in Part III, where we look at the remaining five stories that damaged the sport’s reputation in the 1970s–2000s.
Translated by Janar Rückenberg
Source:Turg.Fitness.ee
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