RonTeufel.com
Ron's Story - page two:
Influenced by all he had read in the muscle magazines about the incredible transformations that had occurred overnight at the legendary Gold's Gym address, Ron Teufel forgot that he had achieved his own victories in a very short period of training at lesser-known gyms in Pennsylvania. So important was the Mr. America title to him, so determined was he not to leave anything to chance, that he turned his back on home ties, believing in his essence that the east coast offered nothing comparable to the environment that had produced the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger among others. The magazines at the time were full of glowing reports of Mike Mentzer’s successes since moving from Washington to train at Gold’s. To say it straight, Ron Teufel appeared every bit a Mr. America winner the first day that he stepped into Gold’s. Before long the local bodybuilding cognoscenti was saying out loud that he would be unbeatable at contest time. Over at the offices of Weider International the writers were falling over themselves to arrange interviews in advance of Mr. America Day, recklessly announcing that no one stood a chance of upsetting the blond 22-year-old from Philadelphia. By the self-confidence that Ron Teufel vibrated during the last few days before the contest it was clear that he too believed the publicity and the uninhibited prognostications. He had every reason to be optimistic. While he had come to California in winning condition, mere weeks later Ron Teufel looked ready to take on the more established Neanderthals at Gold’s. Yes, even Robby Robinson would not have outclassed him. The training enthusiasm that for years has been so much a part of Gold’s had a positive effect of Teufel. He threw himself into a training program that had even the established habitués scratching their heads in open-mouthed admiration. By the morning of the Mr. America in 1978, few in the prejudging audience doubted Teufel would be the day’s big winner. But the title eventually went to Tony Pearson. It was a most controversial affair, with all of the muscle magazines splitting over the decision afterwards. The situation was not helped by the fact that two days or so before the contest Teufel had returned to Philadelphia. A number of businessmen then connected with Gold’s were reportedly disappointed by his sudden disappearance, for they had been banking on the publicity that would accompany Teufel’s victory, if he had entered the contest as a representative of Gold’s. Teufel had other plans. He turned up at the contest as a representative of his Philadelphia club where he had prepared for so many of his earlier battles. One magazine openly accused the promoters of the 1978 Mr. America event of hanky-panky, pointing out along the way that when the sponsors of such a prestigious contest are also owners of an over publicized gym the temptation to fiddle with competition results becomes that much harder to resist. Another magazine stated boldly that Tony Pearson was “the worst winner in the long history of the Mr. America contest.” For his part, Ron Teufel would say later: “I have always tried to be a good sport. When legitimate winners have beaten me I have always been first to publicly congratulate them. But the Mr. America 1978 stunk.” And obviously, Teufel could not tolerate the stench. For soon after the winner had been announced Teufel walked out and headed for home. He did not participate in the tryouts for the Mr. Universe team that followed. But Tom Platz did; and he beat Tony Pearson. More than that, after the contest Ron Teufel announced that he was through with California bodybuilding. He clearly suggested that the price a winner had to pay was too high, and left all varieties of unsavory conclusions to be drawn from his statements. Indeed, the 1978 Mr. America results did not rest well with the bodybuilding fraternity and many expressed the view that amateur bodybuilding in this country had been thrown back fifty years as a direct consequence of Tony Pearson’s victory. (more)
Influenced by all he had read in the muscle magazines about the incredible transformations that had occurred overnight at the legendary Gold's Gym address, Ron Teufel forgot that he had achieved his own victories in a very short period of training at lesser-known gyms in Pennsylvania. So important was the Mr. America title to him, so determined was he not to leave anything to chance, that he turned his back on home ties, believing in his essence that the east coast offered nothing comparable to the environment that had produced the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger among others. The magazines at the time were full of glowing reports of Mike Mentzer’s successes since moving from Washington to train at Gold’s. To say it straight, Ron Teufel appeared every bit a Mr. America winner the first day that he stepped into Gold’s. Before long the local bodybuilding cognoscenti was saying out loud that he would be unbeatable at contest time. Over at the offices of Weider International the writers were falling over themselves to arrange interviews in advance of Mr. America Day, recklessly announcing that no one stood a chance of upsetting the blond 22-year-old from Philadelphia. By the self-confidence that Ron Teufel vibrated during the last few days before the contest it was clear that he too believed the publicity and the uninhibited prognostications. He had every reason to be optimistic. While he had come to California in winning condition, mere weeks later Ron Teufel looked ready to take on the more established Neanderthals at Gold’s. Yes, even Robby Robinson would not have outclassed him. The training enthusiasm that for years has been so much a part of Gold’s had a positive effect of Teufel. He threw himself into a training program that had even the established habitués scratching their heads in open-mouthed admiration. By the morning of the Mr. America in 1978, few in the prejudging audience doubted Teufel would be the day’s big winner. But the title eventually went to Tony Pearson. It was a most controversial affair, with all of the muscle magazines splitting over the decision afterwards. The situation was not helped by the fact that two days or so before the contest Teufel had returned to Philadelphia. A number of businessmen then connected with Gold’s were reportedly disappointed by his sudden disappearance, for they had been banking on the publicity that would accompany Teufel’s victory, if he had entered the contest as a representative of Gold’s. Teufel had other plans. He turned up at the contest as a representative of his Philadelphia club where he had prepared for so many of his earlier battles. One magazine openly accused the promoters of the 1978 Mr. America event of hanky-panky, pointing out along the way that when the sponsors of such a prestigious contest are also owners of an over publicized gym the temptation to fiddle with competition results becomes that much harder to resist. Another magazine stated boldly that Tony Pearson was “the worst winner in the long history of the Mr. America contest.” For his part, Ron Teufel would say later: “I have always tried to be a good sport. When legitimate winners have beaten me I have always been first to publicly congratulate them. But the Mr. America 1978 stunk.” And obviously, Teufel could not tolerate the stench. For soon after the winner had been announced Teufel walked out and headed for home. He did not participate in the tryouts for the Mr. Universe team that followed. But Tom Platz did; and he beat Tony Pearson. More than that, after the contest Ron Teufel announced that he was through with California bodybuilding. He clearly suggested that the price a winner had to pay was too high, and left all varieties of unsavory conclusions to be drawn from his statements. Indeed, the 1978 Mr. America results did not rest well with the bodybuilding fraternity and many expressed the view that amateur bodybuilding in this country had been thrown back fifty years as a direct consequence of Tony Pearson’s victory. (more)
