Michael Richard Matarazzo (aka Big Guns) was a former American IFBB professional bodybuilder.Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Matarazzo moved to Venice, California to further his bodybuilding career. Formerly a boxer, Matarazzo first won the 1989 Gold’s Gym Classic in Massachusetts. He competed for the first time in the Mr. Olympia contest in 1991. Known primarily for his massive arms, his best placing (out of seven total appearances) in the Mr. Olympia competition was 9th, in 1998.
Mike Matarazzo died of complications due to his steroid use. Mike’s origins were from the Boston area though he transitioned to southern California in pursuit of his bodybuilding dreams. With definite success as an IFBB card holder, he competed in many competitions along with Shawn Ray, Chris Cormier, Dorian Yates, and Kevin Levrone. On too many occasions, Matarazzo flirted with death including (a) severely clogged arteries in 2004 and (b) life-threatening complications that warranted open-heart surgery in November of 2007. Common among steroid users, arteries clog as a result of a few reasons including increased production of red blood cells to the extent that they clot and overwhelm the heart’s ability to pump blood. Additionally, poorly performing regulator valves within major veins and arteries fail to open & close properly. This leads to the highly vascular look that amateurs desire; completely unaware that this is actually an outward sign of significant cardiovascular health decline. As is the case with other bodybuilders who’ve died as a result of their steroid use, their images are still circulated and used in blogs/forums, muscle magazines, etc… as though were no negative correlation between steroid/hormone use and the ultimate penalty for such PED usage. Smiling images of Ed Van Amsterdam, Nasser El Sonbaty, and others are often splashed across websites to support the façade of the steroid lifestyle including (a) optimal health, (b) the notion of super human strength, and (c) persistent sexual overtones. Again: NOTHING CAN BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!
Too infrequently, a former steroid user will publicly offer a testimonial to warn potential users of similar consequences. To our amazement, bloggers on forums were in complete denial, attributing Mike’s heart issues to secondary contributing factors such as high-fat diets, excessive protein intake, and other anomalies. Despite obvious red flags, member chats reverted to Mike’s Pre-Steroid photos rather than the breaking news that was virtually in front of them.
GYMING is Good. Medical Experiments with our precious Body can be FATAL.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbTyCe2dbRk
BY ROHAN PRASAD
2 Comments