“Wasn’t Just the Insult. It Was the Rigged IFBB”: Bodybuilding World Doesn’t Agree With Quadfather’s Explanation of Why Legend Mike Mentzer Died

After retirement from Mr. Olympia in 1975, Arnold Schwarzenegger made a comeback to the Mr. Olympia stage in 1980, after announcing his participation just a day before the event. He later became the winner of that year’s title. This sudden turn of events left many bodybuilders disappointed, including Mike Mentzer.

Mike Mentzer tried to attack the Austrian Oak at the pre-contest press conference and retired from bodybuilding after the event, feeling disgusted. Tom Platz, a bodybuilder from the same competition, however, reveals the real reason for the feud in a throwback video. However, the bodybuilding community is not ready to accept Quadfather’s claims.

Fans comment on Tom Platz’s video on Mike Mentzer’s death

In his seminar in 2018, Platz revealed that he remembered Schwarzenegger commenting about Mentzer’s stomach. “Arnold said, ‘Hey, you have a fat stomach.’” he added. Platz feels that Mentzer may have been provoked by such a statement. According to him, Mentzer was upset and carried the bitterness of losing 1980’s Mr.Olympia all along which ultimately became one of the reasons for his death.

Fans, however, didn’t approve of Platz’s statements. “I think there’s more to it than that..,” wrote a fan disapproving of the claims in the video. While another strongly noted, “It wasn’t just the insult. It was the rigged IFBB.”

A commenter suggested another reason for the bodybuilder’s death, “I love Tom, but part of the reason Mentzer died MIGHT have been his abuse of amphetamines…” A follower found the claims of Quadfather baseless, “More like, “A Stupid Guess Why Mike Died.” Blaming the competition a user wrote, “It was a rigged Olympia. Of course, he took that with him.” However, Mike Mentzer was once pleased by Arnie’s kind gesture.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s kind gesture toward Mike Mentzer’s ailing brother

In an interview with The Sandwich just days before his untimely demise, Mentzer revealed his rival’s heartwarming gesture. He opened up that his sick brother Ray got a call from the Terminator. 

Arnie enquired about Ray’s health on the phone call and assured him that he could call him anytime. “It was a very benevolent gesture on Arnold’s part, and in my eyes it raised his stature as a human being,” Mentzer added in the interview, per IronMan magazine.

Read More: “Death Is an Inevitable Part of Life”: Bodybuilding Legend Mike Mentzer Once Detailed an Emotional Story About His Deceased Parents

Sadly Mentzer died on June 10 in 2001 at 49 followed by Ray’s death two days later. One of the most controversial feuds in the bodybuilding arena ended after Mentzer’s demise.

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