A bodybuilder that just missed the champion mark.
In many different sports you’ll hear stories and legends of competitors who had some potential to do some truly great things had they been given the chance. Bodybuilding is no exception with countless individuals competing in amateur shows only to disappear once they receive their pro card. Bodybuilding isn’t particularly an easy sport to be apart of. There are so many talented athletes who compete in bodybuilding that the smallest of margins could spell victory or defeat. For example many believe Phil Heath to be the greatest bodybuilder in the world currently, while others believe Kai Greene is superior, and still others support the notion that Dexter Jackson or Shawn Roden are even more impressive.
The criteria for victory is all subjective and truly hard to get a grasp on. It’s easy to see how an amateur could look at the pro level of the sport with such reverence or with terrible fear. Even if you work hard in the gym and push yourself past your limits you could still end up as a middle of the road bodybuilder. But despite all of that, if you have the gift and knack for bodybuilding then no one can deny your potential.
This was true for a bodybuilder by the name of Jeff King. The man was a massive bodybuilder in an era when aesthetics were viewed upon more favorably than muscle mass. From the late 1970s through the early 1980s men like Frank Zane dominated the world of bodybuilding with symmetry and proportion. Jeff King was a man who fit those criteria, but had a tremendous amount of muscle mass to boot.
King had quadriceps that were gigantic, even big enough to compare to Tom Platz who was known for his legs. In terms of size, King was outmatched by Platz, but he certainly wasn’t in regards to definition. King also sported one of the biggest necks the sport has ever seen. He power was on full display when he won the AAU Mr. America and NABBA Mr. Universe titles in 1983.
Though King appeared to have the talent of an IFBB pro, even getting the support of Mike Mentzer, he never chose to compete for the prestigious organization. Instead he stepped away from the sport leaving a ton of questions behind in his wake. Why did he retire, why didn’t he compete for the IFBB? We may not fully understand King’s reasons, though the biggest reason he’s given is that he was burned out from the constant training and competing. It just goes to show you how difficult and unforgiving the industry can be.
Do you think Jeff King would have done well in the IFBB? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
