Let's talk about guys that got out of the game early and sort of disappeared - why, and where are they now?

bbxtreme · Aug 15, 2023

FartJohnson said:
Ronnie Coleman Signature Series is alive and well, it seems?

His name, yes. The supplement company like most took a huge loss during COVID like many companies. I do some work with the agency he used when he took off and got in all the GNC’s, etc. According to them he ran out of money when COVID hit. They’ve either scaled back to a small shop or sold out (I believe is what happened) to a VC firm. That’s why he’s not all over the website as he used to be. Just his name in the branding.

bbxtreme · Aug 15, 2023

control said:
How do you like Atlanta? That's one of the places I've thought about moving to

I’ve lived here all my life so might be biased but it’s a great balance hence I’ve always stayed here and rooted my business here. It’s changed some in the past few years, but one of the top places in the country still IMO.

But ask me later today once it’s a 100 degrees with this damn humidity and I might change my mind. LOL

1fst400 · Aug 15, 2023

I worked out at Main Event Fitness here in Atlanta back when Trey used to go there. Lex Luger used to own that gym way back. Trey was a massive dude, but I was disappointed watching him train with short quarter/half reps, but he lifted heavy AF. I guess it did the job for him. He used to drive up in a black Escalade with loud hip hop lol. He had a camera crew there one day - pretty cool. Anyway, I asked him if he was competing again that year (not sure what year) and he was pretty easy to talk to. Said he was competing and just wanted to come in bigger and more shredded. I think that was at his peak.

He just disappeared. I saw later he did some guest posing and looked like a the Michelin Man. He just never came back from that. Last I saw, he was at Titanz gym outside Atlanta. He got into coaching and firefighting. Haven't heard anything else about him in over 10 years. Promising dude, but couldn't get his dieting together I guess.

mexbeast · Aug 15, 2023

Just curious if anyone knows what happened to Mark Dagdel? I think that's he's last name, he became a pro by winning a national show as a light heavy, at 5'6

Alan1 · Aug 15, 2023

mexbeast said:
Just curious if anyone knows what happened to Mark Dagdel? I think that's he's last name, he became a pro by winning a national show as a light heavy, at 5'6

Mark Dugdale - I mostly remember him when he was more of a regular writing stuff for T-Nation years back, but looking now doesn't seem he's too active (articles or his YouTube, etc). His website says he retired from competition in 2017.

socialdfan · Aug 15, 2023

Tevita Aholeli not sure of spelling...

goback2013 · Aug 15, 2023

socialdfan said:
Tevita Aholeli not sure of spelling...

I remember seeing him at the San Diego Pacific Islander Festival sometime mid-late 90s.

Shelby · Aug 15, 2023

control · Aug 15, 2023

bbxtreme said:
I’ve lived here all my life so might be biased but it’s a great balance hence I’ve always stayed here and rooted my business here. It’s changed some in the past few years, but one of the top places in the country still IMO.

But ask me later today once it’s a 100 degrees with this damn humidity and I might change my mind. LOL

I'm in Arizona so 100 degrees sounds pleasant, lol. I just wanna live somewhere with more trees

AllOkJumpmaster · Aug 15, 2023

Shelby said:
A lot of these guys competed for a long time. I wouldn't say they "got out of the game early" unless your definition of early is at least a decade.
And I'm not sure how a bodybuilding career is supposed to "end" but they pretty much do a "last show" and then you don't really hear or see from them anymore because no one is any longer interested.
Stan McQuay - competed at least from 1998 to 2017
Santi Aragon - competed at least from 2007 to 2020
Branden Ray - competed at least from 2006 to 2017
Jason Huh- competed at least from 2004 to 2013
Frank McGrath- competed at least from 2001 to 2015
Lionel Beyeke- competed at least from 2008 to 2020

I agree a lot of those guys competed for a lot more years / shows than I thought. Thanks for pointing that out, and I certainly didn't mean any disrespect to anyone implying that they didn't have a complete or fulfilling career. You just sort of feel like guys will be around forever, especially some are, and others stay more in the public with social media and things like that. I mean Seth Feroce has been done competing for a while but because of his podcast / social media etc. he still feels "around"

Another guy I was thinking of was Cody Montogomery. I really loved his physique, I think he said something about not wanting to do what he would have had to get the size to be competitive.

BTW on another note, Shelby. The interview you did with Dave Palumbo when you won your IFBB pro card is probably one of my most favorite and motivating pieces of audio. I have it on my playlist and probably listen to it at least once a day, or any time even the slightest thought creeps in og maybe taking it easy for a day.

danieltx · Aug 15, 2023

AllOkJumpmaster said:
Another guy I was thinking of was Cody Montogomery. I really loved his physique, I think he said something about not wanting to do what he would have had to get the size to be competitive.

Montgomery got scared out of competing by Dallas McCarver's death. He was just about to go back on and prep for a show but that pushed him out of it.

Montgomery does have a legacy nobody will beat with his teenage nationals wins since - nobody can touch it since they raise the age limit.

micro2000 · Aug 16, 2023

danieltx said:
Jason Huh - around 2018 him and his wife developed mercury poisoning which led to him significantly downsizing

Wait?!?! What?!?!

Knight9 · Aug 16, 2023

control said:
I'm in Arizona so 100 degrees sounds pleasant, lol. I just wanna live somewhere with more trees

100 degrees with humidity is a different animal..

danieltx · Aug 16, 2023

micro2000 said:
Wait?!?! What?!?!

He explains it in-depth here, I've started it at the mercury poisoning talk:

Elvia1023 · Aug 16, 2023

Certain guys have had bad health issues which they didn't disclose. You can't really blame them because the average social media user seems to love it when bodybuilders have health issues. Gives them even more reason to hate on them and tell them it was their own doing etc. Many mentioned had great careers but they were on a downward path so there was no point carrying on competing. They have been mentioned but when I think of this thread subject names such as Trey Brewer, Justin Compton and Cody Montogomery come to mind. Zack Khan wasn't the same after his injury. He was also a complete tit though. I remember he asked my ex gf to come to his gym and she said no so he started sending her abuse

Big Dave Smith · Aug 16, 2023

Elvia1023 said:
Certain guys have had bad health issues which they didn't disclose. You can't really blame them because the average social media user seems to love it when bodybuilders have health issues. Gives them even more reason to hate on them and tell them it was their own doing etc. Many mentioned had great careers but they were on a downward path so there was no point carrying on competing. They have been mentioned but when I think of this thread subject names such as Trey Brewer, Justin Compton and Cody Montogomery come to mind. Zack Khan wasn't the same after his injury. He was also a complete tit though. I remember he asked my ex gf to come to his gym and she said no so he started sending her abuse

Safe to assume half these guys knew very little and did very little to mitigate health consequences.

All gas, no brakes. So many walking around with high blood pressure, high RHR, high blood glucose, high hematocrit, etc.

BP meds, blood sugar meds, CPAPs, devices (Fitbit/oura rings/etc), you name it. Only a fraction of guys even considered this stuff.

John O’Regan ruined a bunch of young guys early on. I was duped by him for a year or so when I was younger. The shit he would confess is INSANE. I’d bet money he’s the main contributor to Dallas McCarver’s death. Most people point at Matt Jansen and/or Chad, but if you know about you O’Regan, you know.

specter · Aug 17, 2023

So while we are on the topic of this, is it just me or is it like if a pro had some injury or other reasons for a long brake from hardcore supps, training etc they have a hard time regaining what they had size, shape etc ? its like they never really truly can get back what they had.

Heath82 · Aug 17, 2023

specter said:
So while we are on the topic of this, is it just me or is it like if a pro had some injury or other reasons for a long brake from hardcore supps, training etc they have a hard time regaining what they had size, shape etc ? its like they never really truly can get back what they had.

Father Time gets everyone

TheOtherOne55 · Aug 17, 2023

I saw someone mention Seth Shaw and I wonder why he’s taken a step back. Insane frame for a white guy but never fully filled it out. He then spent years just becoming the equivalent of a dumb BBer meme influencer. Strange. But just goes to show u, for every 1 Mr USA that really pushes it hard in their pro career, there’s 7 or so more than fade away and kinda check that box of Pro and are done. Not saying that everyone wants or has to attempt to push on, just interesting when looking at the guys we remember

danieltx · Aug 17, 2023

TheOtherOne55 said:
I saw someone mention Seth Shaw and I wonder why he’s taken a step back. Insane frame for a white guy but never fully filled it out. He then spent years just becoming the equivalent of a dumb BBer meme influencer. Strange. But just goes to show u, for every 1 Mr USA that really pushes it hard in their pro career, there’s 7 or so more than fade away and kinda check that box of Pro and are done. Not saying that everyone wants or has to attempt to push on, just interesting when looking at the guys we remember

Shaw has neck and nerve issues he's trying to fix.