Bill Pearl
Bill Pearl
Legends Page!
I'll
never forget my odyssey to the 1971 Mr. Southern USA contest
in Houma, Louisiana. My buddy Dusty and I were
actually going to witness Bill Pearl's "last posing exhibition" in
the United States before he was to compete in the Pro Mr.
Universe in London, England, his last
contest before retiring.
Pearl had shocked everyone with his
condition at his Pro
Universe win in 1967, but much had happened since that
contest. There was a whole new crop of champions,
including a new kid on the block, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, who had won the amateur title in 1967, but
since then had won the Pro Universe and the Mr. Olympia.
Just who
was the BEST bodybuilder in the world? Pearl had
announced a year ahead of time that he would enter the Pro
Universe to decide that very thing! This would be the
greatest bodybuilding event in the history of the sport with
all the stars of the day competing:
Frank Zane, Dave Draper, Reg Park, Franco Columbo, Boyer Coe, Sergio Oliva, and the one everyone
was talking about as the best in the world, Arnold
Schwarzenegger! Pearl was going to take them all on
for one last contest before retiring, and I was going to get
to see him only weeks before he left for England to compete.
I was
flabbergasted when Pearl mounted the posing platform during
that exhibition in Louisiana.
He didn't look human! He looked like a Greek god
descended from Mt. Olympus to let us mere mortals worship
divine perfection!
He was huge, tanned, ripped, and the most symmetrical big
bodybuilder in the world! On top of the great
physique, his posing was the best I had ever witnessed.
It was obvious Pearl had done his homework and was ready to
take on the best. In fact, after seeing this exhibition, I was
convinced that Pearl would beat everybody except maybe
Schwarzenegger. Arnold had made so much improvement
that I thought the winner between those two would depend on who peaked just
right. Both men were so incredible and beyond the
others of that time that I thought it could go either way. Unfortunately, we will never know
because Joe Weider didn't let Arnold compete. But Bill
defeated Frank Zane and Sergio Oliva, two bodybuilders who
had previously beaten Arnold, as well as every other bodybuilding
star that appeared that night.
 Sergio
Oliva, Pearl and Park in the 1971 Mr. U.
Bill did
retire, but over the years he has continued to shock people with
exhibitions from time to time and continues to train daily
in his personal gym in Medford, Oregon.
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Can you believe the look of hero-worship
on Richard's face when he met Bill Pearl in 1971 right
before Bill won the Pro Mr. Universe? |
Bill's fans should check out his great Web site by
clicking here.
ORDER BILL's BOOKS:
Bill's
Contest Wins:
Mr. Southern
California 1953 Mr.
California 1953
AAU Mr. America 1953
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1953 NABBA Mr. Universe
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Pro Mr. USA
1956
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NABBA Pro
Mr. Universe 1961
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NABBA Pro
Mr. Universe1967
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NABBA Pro Mr. Universe 1971
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MY
FAVORITE PHOTOS OF BILL:
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Bill at 56 years of age in
1985.
© 1985, Chris Lund |
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Magazine
Covers:
IronMan 7/53
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Strength & Health 9\53
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Muscle Builder 2\54
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IronMan 1\55
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Muscle Power 4\55
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Reg Park Journal 5\55
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IronMan 3\56
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Muscle Power 4\56
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Strength & Health 6\56
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Reg Park Journal 7\56
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IronMan 9\57
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Strength & Health 7\61
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Muscle Builder 9\61
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IronMan11\61
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Strength & Health 12\62
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IronMan 6\63
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Muscular Development 2\64
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Strength & Health 2\65
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Muscular Development 4\66
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Muscle Training Illustrated 3\67
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IronMan 1\68
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Muscular Development 3\68
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Strength & Health 3\68
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IronMan 7\69
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Muscular Development 11\69
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IronMan 11\71
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Muscular Development 12\72
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Muscle Training Illustrated 1978 August
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