Late Bodybuilder ‘The Freakin’ Rican’, Who Once Went Head to Head With Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler, Receives Emotional Tribute From Ex Editor-in-Chief of MD Magazine: “Love Him or Hate Him That’s Who He Was”

The bodybuilding world is still mourning the loss of Jo Lindner. And another shocking news hit the sports community. Gustavo Badell, the reckoning star of the early 2000s who gave a tough fight to ‘The King’ Ronnie Coleman, died at 50. Elite bodybuilder Dave Palumbo confirmed ‘The Freakin Rican’ death news.

The former editor-in-chief of Muscular Development Magazine gave an emotional tribute to the star bodybuilder in his latest YouTube video on his channel, RxMuscle — The Truth in Bodybuilding.

Dave Palumbo pays tribute to Gustavo Badell

Palumbo recounted his interaction with Badell Gustavo when the former was serving his term as a journalist with Muscular Development. The YouTuber recalled that during the same period, Badell was under a contract with the magazine, and Palumbo had to interview him. 

But the journalist had it tough to get the 50-year-old bodybuilder on board as the latter was upset with the management of the magazine. “He was very mad, he felt that he was slighted, and he was insulted because I don’t know if Steve Blackman didn’t put him on a cover he was promised,” Palumbo recalled. But the 55-year-old made Blackman call Badell for a settlement. 

Later, the interview went great, and Palumbo suggests that Badell loves being interviewed. The entire episode made Dave Palumbo realize that Gustavo Badell “would not compromise his principles for anyone that was Gustavo, you love him or hate him that’s that’s who he was and I believe that’s how he lived his life.” But it is very saddening that the elite bodybuilder who was placed in the top 5 of Mr. Olympia multiple times passed away at a very young age. 

The Freakin’ Rican allegedly died due to a stroke

During his prime competitions, the IFBB Pro stood shoulder to shoulder with bodybuilding legends like Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler. Though he had stepped away from the competitive bodybuilding scene long ago, Badell remained dedicated to his fitness journey. Tragically, he passed away, allegedly due to a stroke. While Palumbo refrained from confirming the cause of death without official autopsy reports, the bodybuilding community mourned the loss of a remarkable athlete.

The YouTuber also confirmed that the 50-year-old suffered from kidney issues over the past few years. However, his condition was not life-threatening.

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Gustavo Badell marked his name in bodybuilding history by defeating Ronnie Coleman in Mr. Olympia Challenge Round Champion in 2005. But unfortunately, he left his fans and family at 50.

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