by Christian Duque
When the news that Franco Columbu passed away broke out, many of us in the world of bodybuilding as well as physical fitness were hoping it was a mistake. You know…there’s so much fake news now, with clickbait dominating the scene; however, when we saw the message from Arnold, that sealed the deal. My heart sank as well as everybody who I told here, at the NPC North American Championships, were in the exact same boat as me.
You see, Franco is one of the biggest bodybuilders of all time. like Arnold, his very first name is all that’s needed. everybody understands Franco; it’s like his whole life was in a freeze frame of the movie Pumping Iron. nobody can ever fail to remember that movie, they can’t fail to remember the camaraderie between him as well as Arnold, as well as they can’t fail to remember exactly how he assisted a Sardinian motorist who couldn’t get his cars and truck out of a tight spot. There’s likewise his two huge Olympia wins – the definitive win in the 70’s as well as the extremely questionable win in 1981. few can fail to remember his fantastic feats of strength!! exactly how many guys do you understand of, who will walk with a refrigerator on their back, just to prove their unquestioned, unrivaled strength?!?!
Franco was a tried as well as true legend, a guy who didn’t understand quitting. He excelled as a bodybuilder, he excelled as a powerlifter, as well as he excelled as a board licensed chiropractor. whatever he did, he was successful at. From training his physique, to building muscle, to earning accolades as well as honors for his celebrated acting roles, many together with his buddy, Arnold.
You know.., when you stop to believe about Pumping Iron, a great deal of it was bullshit. The hiding of personal items, the rivalries, as well as even a few of the humor was totally scripted. It wasn’t supposed to be a movie about bodybuilding, it was supposed to be a film that entertained, together with a loose bodybuilding theme. There was one extremely authentic element to that movie, however, as well as it was the close friendship – really, the brotherhood – between a young Austrian bodybuilder as well as a Sardinian one, who satisfied in Munich some 54 years ago. Camiseta PSV Eindhoven Everything, from the moment they met, to hitting it off, to coming to America as well as doing strange tasks (like bricklaying), that was all true. These guys were two peas in the exact same pod; they liked bodybuilding as well as they’d never leave it.
Franco’s work principles was unparalleled. He liked his fans as well as he liked fitness. I’ve seen Franco with the fans many times as well as you might always tell he cared for them greatly.
One thing I always respected was his unwavering loyalty to Arnold. In many genuine ways, you can truly tell a man’s character by the method he is with his good friends as well as family. To me, I always believed it extremely honorable exactly how close those two were as well as that’s why when I checked out Arnold’s comments, it not only assured me of the veracity of the news in question, however truly kicked me in the heart, as well. I can’t even begin to grasp Arnold’s sense of loss. It must be like what we’re all feeling, compounded by 10.
That being said, Franco’s spirit will online on, largely with Pumping Iron as well as Arnold. The reality of the matter is, most people never satisfied either one of them, however that movie has meant so many things to so many people. There have been countless movies, documentaries, as well as series that have tried to recreate that vibe (some even so audacious as to do it better), however like Ric Drasin commonly says, those times will never be repeated again. We may have many excellent bodybuilders, new Mr. Olympias, we may even someday see somebody break the records set by The totally remarkable Lee Haney as well as The huge Nasty Ronnie Coleman, however they still won’t increase to the level of a Franco or an Arnold. In fact, even guys from that era, they as well weren’t on that level. To be totally honest, the biggest names of that timeframe, the guys who truly emerged as mini deities from that movie, were Arnold, Franco, as well as Lou. Those three guys have one of the deepest, longest running, as well as most important forces in the sport. Their legacies as well as the sport of bodybuilding will permanently be intertwined. Franco’s memory will be a living one, it’ll be a flame that never goes out, even as we speak, a youngster is watching Pumping Iron for the very first time, they’re determining with Franco over everybody else in the movie, as well as they’re wanting Camiseta AS Monaco to comply with in his footsteps.
I’d like to offer my condolences to Franco’s household as well as friends, as we state Camiseta Selección de fútbol de Francia goodbye to the very best known, most respected, as well as most important giant killer the sport of bodybuilding has ever had. RIP / QEPD
