Matt Mendenhall dies at 61.
The bad news continues to haunt the bodybuilding world with the horrible news about the death of bodybuilding legend Matt Mendenhall.
Matt Mendenhall was one of the greatest bodybuilders to grace the competition stage. Unfortunately, even though he was built like a God, he never earned his pro card.
Matt was born on 26 June, 1960. He passed away at the age of 61 on 28 August, 2021.
At the time of publishing this article, the cause of death was not known.
Matt competed against some of the best bodybuilders in the history of the sport. Going up against greats such as Lee Haney, Berry DeMey, Bob Paris, Mike Christian, Gary Strydom and many more.
Mendenhall became a fan favorite with his good looks and beautiful physique. He ended up becoming the most wanted bodybuilder for seminars and guest posing.
At the 1984 NPC Nationals in New Orleans, Matt delights the audience with a 238-pound physique, straight out of Michelangelo’s wildest dreams by its aesthetic perfection.
The hall goes wild each time Matt appears on stage and his superlative calf, thigh, triceps, biceps, pecs and shoulder development should seal his victory.
To the dismay of the audience and a sizeable portion of the competitors, Mike Christian is proclaimed winner of the heavyweight class. Many still question the judging results on that evening.
Tragedy strikes on the evening of December 8, 1984, Matt’s impossibly hectic life takes a sudden twist.
On his way to pick up some material for a bodybuilding seminar, which he was to give the next day in Canada, Matt hits another car which had just driven through a red light.
Matt, who was not wearing a seat belt, is ejected through the windshield and lands in the middle of the street. He is rushed to the hospital and the doctors puzzle at the fact that he broke neither his neck nor his back, a phenomenon which they can only attribute to his outstanding muscular mass and physical development.
Matt is out of the gym for 16 weeks during which he follows therapy sessions at the Institute for Neuromuscular Reeducation.
After recovering from his injuries, Matt returned to the competitive stage, but he would never be the same. His body was overworked from his non stop guest posing jobs and travelling.
The unjust defeat in 1984 to Mike Christian left Matt with a bitter taste in the mouth and a new sense of disillusionment towards bodybuilding in general. He would never be at his best again.
In a 2018 interview, 8X Mr. Olympia Lee Haney said Matt Mendenhall is a walking He-Man.
Haney, went on to say that if Matt got it together, he would of been unbeatable. Even though Matt was not as successful as Lee Haney, Haney went on to say that if mother nature had to create a perfect bodybuilder, it would be Matt Mendenhall.
Till today, Lee Haney said that he has never seen a perfect physique such as Matt.
Read More: “Till today, I have never seen a perfect physique such as Matt Mendenhall”- Lee Haney.
Evolutionofbodybuilding.net would like to send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mike during this difficult time.
Competition History
1982
Nationals – NPC, HeavyWeight, 2nd
1983
Nationals – NPC, HeavyWeight, 5th
1984
Nationals – NPC, HeavyWeight, 2nd
1985
USA Championships – NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st
World Games, HeavyWeight, 2nd
1986
Nationals – NPC, HeavyWeight, 2nd
1987
Nationals – NPC, HeavyWeight, 11th
1988
Nationals – NPC, HeavyWeight, 10th
1991
Nationals – NPC, HeavyWeight, 5th
