Tony Pearson (bodybuilder)
Tony Pearson | |
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Bodybuilder | |
![]() Tony Pearson | |
Personal info | |
Nickname | " The Michael Jackson of Body Building " |
Born | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | January 11, 1957
Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
Weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
Professional career | |
Pro-debut |
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Best win |
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Predecessor | Bertil Fox |
Successor | Robby Robinson |
Active | Retired 1994 |
Tony Pearson (born January 11, 1957) is an American bodybuilding champion. His bodybuilding championships include individual and couples competitions.
Biography
Early years
Tony Pearson was born the second youngest of eight children (five girls and three boys). His mother, Daisy Pearson, was a stay at home mom and his father, Sam Pearson, worked as an ice and coal delivery man. Pearson grew up during the civil rights era of the early 1960s in
Tony discovers bodybuilding
As a member of his school's wrestling team, Tony suffered a knee injury, at which time he started weight training as a way to rehabilitate his knee. Surprised at how quickly his body responded to lifting weights, Tony decided he wanted to become a bodybuilder. Seeing his interest and talent, his coach took him to a "real gym," George Turner's gym in
Tony and Arnold
Later that year (1976) Tony was training in Venice Beach, where he was discovered by Arnold Schwarzenegger on Muscle Beach, who became his mentor. Pearson won his first contest, the 1976 Mr. Venice Beach, and Arnold featured him in the first edition of his book, The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding Co-Written by Bill Dobbins. Of the young Pearson, Schwarzenegger wrote, "I remember a few years ago seeing a skinny black kid training at the weight pit on Venice Beach. I watched him doing endless sets of squats, with very heavy weight, torturing himself with rep after rep. After a while, his thighs began to grow and soon they were huge, separated and beautifully defined, and only a year and half later he entered and won the 1978 Mr. America contest."[1]
Individual competition
Tony Pearson known for his symmetrical lines and razor sharp definition. Pearson's stage name was "The Michael Jackson of Bodybuilding" due to his similar facial appearance to the entertainer. His career began to take off as he worked his way through the amateur competitive ranks. In 1977 winning the Amateur Athletic Union's (AAU) Mr. Los Angeles (Junior), and the 1978 Mr. Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA), Jr. Mr. USA, (Sacramento, CA), Jr. Mr. America, (Austin, TX), Mr. California (short), (Sacramento, CA), and (AAU) Mr. America, (Cincinnati, OH). At the age of twenty one, Pearson was the second youngest to win Mr. America (the youngest was Casey Viator at the age of nineteen), (Preceded: Dave Johns 1977), (Succeeded: Ray Mentzer 1979).
Other bodybuilding competitions won during his twenty-year career include the 1979 World Bodybuilding Guild (WBBG) Professional (the official start of his professional bodybuilding career), Mr. World,
Couples competition
Pearson was first introduced to couples posing in 1979 when he made a guest appearance with the "First Lady of Bodybuilding",
In 2010, at the age of fifty-three, Pearson returned to the stage guest posing with his former Mixed Pairs partner 2001 Ms. Olympia Juliette Bergmann at the 2010 "Juliette Bergmann Bodybuilding Classic" in the Netherlands, and also made a guest appearance at the FIBO Power 2011 in Germany. In 2014 at the age of fifty-seven, Tony returned to competitive competition winning the Men's open (short) and the Grandmaster's over 50 class at the NABBA USA American Championship's, also capturing the Joe Meeko Memorial Men's best poser award.
Other competitions
In 1991 and 1992, Pearson competed in World Bodybuilding Federation WBF shows launched by professional wrestling mogul Vince McMahon. A group of thirteen professional bodybuilders were named (WBF Body Stars). Pearson's stage name was dubbed "The Jetman". In 1993 Pearson promoted a supplement line (ICOPRO), Integrated Conditioning Program, developed by Dr. Frederick Hatfield (also known as "Dr. Squat") for Vince McMahon.
Honors and awards
In 2007, Pearson was inducted into the "Muscle Beach Bodybuilding Hall of Fame" in
Media appearances
Tony has appeared on: Man from Atlantis: "The Disappearances" television movie (minions) MGM, 1977, Good Morning America Show 1978, The Merv Griffin Show 1979, Rose Parade, Pasadena, CA, 1979,
Tony has been featured in the fitness and lifestyle magazines: Sports Illustrated,
On Aug. 25, 2023, Variety Magazine announced that Generation Iron and The Vladar Company had acquired distribution rights for Driven: The Tony Pearson Story, a feature documentary detailing Pearson's life and career.[6] Produced by Tequila Mockingbird Productions, the film won the Grand Prize for Best Documentary Feature at the 2023 Golden State Film Festival.[7] The documentary is set to premier in English-speaking territories on Apple, Amazon, Google Play and VUDU on Oct. 6, 2023.[6]
Stats
- Height: 5 ft 8 in
- Weight: 200–205 lbs
- Arms: 20 inches
- Waist: 29
Pearson have the best stomach Vacuum pose, because he was able to display it in multiple poses. Also was known to have the best shoulder to Waist ratio in bodybuilding.[8]
Competition history
Year | Competition | Category/Class | Result |
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* 1976 | AAU Gold's Classic | Teen | overall winner |
* 1976 | AAU Gold's Classic | Teen, Short | 1st |
1977 | AAU Junior Mr. USA | Short | 3rd |
* 1977 | AAU Mr. Los Angeles | Junior | 1st |
* 1977 | AAU Mr. Southern California | Junior | 1st |
* 1978 | AAU Mr. America | overall winner | |
* 1978 | AAU Mr. America | Medium | 1st |
* 1978 | AAU Mr. California | Short | 1st |
* 1978 | AAU Junior Mr. America | Medium | 1st |
* 1978 | AAU Junior Mr. America | overall winner | |
* 1978 | AAU Junior Mr. USA | overall winner | |
* 1978 | AAU Junior Mr. USA | Medium | 1st |
* 1979 | WBBG Olympus | winner | |
1979 | NABBA Mr. Universe | Medium | 2nd |
* 1979 | WBBG Pro. Mr. World | winner | |
* 1979 | WABBA World Championships | Medium | 1st |
* 1979 | WABBA World Championships | overall winner | |
* 1980 | NABBA Universe Pro. | winner | |
1980 | WABBA World Championships | Professional | 3rd |
1980 | WABBA Pro. World Cup | 5th | |
1981 | IFBB Canada Pro. Cup | 4th | |
1981 | IFBB Grand Prix Belgium | 6th | |
1981 | IFBB Grand Prix Wales | 5th | |
1981 | IFBB Universe Pro. | 3rd | |
1981 | WABBA Pro. World Cup | 7th | |
1981 | IFBB World Grand Prix | 4th | |
1981 | IFBB World Pro. Championships | 3rd | |
1982 | IFBB Night of Champions | 6th | |
1982 | IFBB World Pro. Championships | 6th | |
*1983 | IFBB Grand Prix Denver | winner | |
1983 | IFBB Grand Prix England | 4th | |
1983 | IFBB Grand Prix Las Vegas | 6th | |
1983 | IFBB Grand Prix Portland | 2nd | |
1983 | IFBB Grand Prix Sweden | 6th | |
1983 | IFBB Grand Prix Switzerland | 6th | |
1983 | IFBB World Pro. Championships | 8th | |
1984 | Canada Pro. Cup | 3rd | |
1984 | IFBB Olympia | 12th | |
1984 | IFBB World Grand Prix | 3rd | |
1985 | IFBB Night of Champions | 9th | |
1985 | IFBB Olympia | 12th | |
1986 | IFBB Los Angeles Pro. Championships | 5th | |
1986 | IFBB Night of Champions | 4th | |
1986 | IFBB World Pro. Championships | 9th | |
1987 | IFBB Night of Champions | did not place | |
1987 | IFBB World Pro. Championships | 8th | |
1988 | IFBB Grand Prix US Pro. | 6th | |
1988 | IFBB Niagara Falls Pro. Invitational | 5th | |
1988 | IFBB Night of Champions | 8th | |
1988 | IFBB World Pro. Championships | 8th | |
1989 | IFBB Grand Prix France | 11th | |
1989 | IFBB Grand Prix Germany | 9th | |
1989 | IFBB Grand Prix Spain | 9th | |
1989 | IFBB Grand Prix Spain (2) | 9th | |
1989 | IFBB Grand Prix Sweden | 11th | |
1990 | IFBB Arnold Classic | 6th | |
1990 | IFBB Houston Pro. Invitational | 6th | |
1990 | IFBB Ironman Pro. Invitational | 8th | |
1991 | WBF Grand Prix | 11th | |
1993 | IFBB Chicago Pro. Invitational | 13th | |
1993 | IFBB Night of Champions | did not place | |
1993 | IFBB Pittsburgh Pro. Invitational | 16th | |
1994 | IFBB Ironman Pro. Invitational | 14th | |
1994 | IFBB San Jose Pro. Invitational | 16th | |
2014 | NABBA USA American Open (short) | 1st | |
2014 | NABBA USA American Grandmaster's | 1st | |
2020 | AAU Mr. Universe Master's | 1st |
See also
References
- ^ "The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, first edition, page 449.
- ^ WBBG Pro. Mr. World
- ^ "Pearson, Tony".
- ^ "American Colleges".
- ^ "Bodybuilders.com - Tony Pearson Bio, Contest History and Pictures!". www.bodybuilders.com. Archived from the original on 2001-08-21.
- ^ a b Ramachandran, Naman (2023-08-25). "Tony Pearson Documentary 'Driven,' Chronicling Bodybuilding Legend's Last Competition, Sets Streaming Debut (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
- ^ Menjivar, Andrew, Driven: The Tony Pearson Story (Documentary), James Maslow, Fabio, Andre Rush, Tequila Mockingbird Productions (II), retrieved 2023-08-25
- ^ "Tony Pearson - Biography". Archived from the original on 2010-05-03. Retrieved 2009-12-14.