Teen Titans: The 15 Best Teenage

FLEX
FEATURE
TEEN
TITANS
The 15 best
By GREG MERRITT Senior Writer
photos courtesy of weider health and fitness
FLEXonline.com
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There are several ways to do a list like this.
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One is to attempt (often with scant photographic and video records) to discern who was built the
best. With that methodology, Paul DeMayo and Eddie Robinson would’ve made the top 15. Another
is to factor in which teen champs went on to the greatest success, and if this is a primary criterion,
we would need to make room here for Jay Cutler and Chris Cormier. You can also weigh what legends did in competition shortly after turning 20, presuming they possessed similar attributes when
still 19, and thus names like Steve Reeves, Berry DeMey and Lou Ferrigno would be here.
Those three factors were all considered in the rankings, but our principal focus was on who accomplished the most onstage before their 20th birthday. That’s the only standard that is fair for bodybuilders of all eras and, as you will see, teens had more success in earlier decades. Nine of our 15
turned 20 before 1980. Only three did so in the ’90s and none in this decade; the most recent, Branch
Warren, left his teens in ’95. And so, with this compendium, we journey through the often-murky
past to discover how amazingly accomplished some bodybuilders were while still considered “kids.”
Let this honor roll educate, spark or settle debates and inspire bodybuilders of all ages.
Growing up in Southern California and looking to
beef up for high-school football, Ray joined a gym
before his junior year, and the already-famous bodybuilder John Brown began coaching him on his very
first day. As a 17-year-old middleweight, Ray won the
teen division of the California Pro Cup. At 18, he took
the Teen Los Angeles (he also placed third in the open
middleweight class) and Teen California, and was
runner-up among middleweights at the ’84 Teen
Nationals. The next year, already noted for his pleasing lines, but now with solidity to match, Ray won the
light-heavy and overall
titles at the Teen Nationals, and, after turning 20,
the Jr. World Championships in Australia. He
didn’t stay amateur for
long. After winning the
overall at the ’87 Nationals as a 22-year-old light
heavy, Ray launched a
remarkably consistent pro
career, placing in the top
five at the Mr. Olympia
12 straight years before
retiring in 2001.
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PHOTOs: (insets) chris lund
Lee
haney
South Carolina’s Haney received a weight
set as a Christmas present in 1971 at age 12.
“I was hooked for life,” he says. He flexed at
16 in the Mr. South Carolina and racked up
his first wins, Mr. Palmetto and Mr. South,
when 18. These were open contests in his
home state against much older competitors.
At 19, he traveled to Detroit as one of 78
teens competing for the 1979 Teen Mr. America (future pro Phil Williams was in the
lineup). Already noted for his V taper,
212-pound, 5'11" Haney won the tall class and
overall. Three years later, at 23, he completed
a stunning sweep of the Jr. Nationals, Nationals and World Championships, and in 1984
he chalked up his first of a record-setting
eight consecutive Mr. Olympia wins.
Shawn
ray
13
Branch
warren
Like Ray, he caught the iron
bug when training for football, and the 5'6" Warren was
victorious at the Teen Texas
at only 16 and the AAU Teen
Mr. America when 17. Then,
at 18 and 184 pounds, after toiling in Arlington’s
MetroFlex Gym (where Ronnie Coleman sweated), he
nabbed the light-heavy and overall titles at the ’93 NPC
Teen Nationals. If you’re wondering why Jay Cutler isn’t
on our list, the current Mr. O won the heavy class that
year before the more polished Warren beat him for the
overall (Capriese Murray, Rodney St. Cloud and Jeff
Willett also competed). Age is crucial in teen bodybuilding, where even a couple months can make a significant difference in mass and muscle maturity, and
Warren established himself as his country’s supreme
teen, beating near-20-year-olds like Cutler, less than
four months after his 18th birthday. With no more
“youth” titles to capture, he focused on college and
didn’t compete again until he was 24. Now one of the
world’s top pros, Warren earned his pro card when he
won the heavy class at the 2001 Nationals at 26.
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10
Jorge
betancourt
Mohamed
makkawy
Presenting classical lines and proportions reminiscent of Bob
Paris, this 5'5" Floridian dominated teen contests, first as a lightweight, then as a middleweight. The Cuban émigré was victorious
at the 1989 Teen USA at only 17 and the 1990 Teen Nationals
when only 18 (future pros Aaron Maddron, Mike Morris and
Derik Farnsworth were in the latter show). “Chic” then moved up
to open events and won the prestigious 1991 Southern States as
a 165-pound, 19-year-old (future pro
Michael Francois was the third-place
heavy). He thus generated much buzz
going into that year’s Nationals, where,
not at his best, he finished 13th among
middles. However, his reputation as one
of history’s greatest teen bodybuilders
was already established, as his is arguably the physique on this list that
appeared most “finished” before his
20th birthday. Touted as a sure-fire pro,
the ever-aesthetic Betancourt instead
vanished from the stage for 12 years. In
recent years, his best placing was a middleweight fourth at the 2004 USA.
He began working out at 14, but in his native
Egypt, there were few if any opportunities for
Makkawy to compete in teen contests. So, when
only 17 in 1969, he entered and won the
Mr. Egypt and Mr. Mediterranean (the first of
four times he won the latter contest). In Iraq in
1972, the 5'4" Makkawy finished third out of nine
competitors in the short class of the Mr. Universe. He was just 19. Celebrated for his proportions and posing, The Magic Egyptian went
on to win the 1975
Mr. International and,
despite weighing only
around 160, conjured
up a spellbinding pro
career in the ’80s,
placing second in the
Mr. Olympia twice,
both times to fellow
former teen phenoms:
Samir Bannout and
Lee Haney.
England’s Harrison was 16 when he won
the under-17 division of the 1985 Mr. Yorkshire. Noted for his strength and quads at a
young age, he claims to have squatted 620
for reps at 17. In 1988, the 19-year-old was
victorious at both the Jr. Britain and Jr. Universe. The following
year, at 20 and sporting an imposing
X-frame, 6' Harrison
became the youngest
man ever to win the
British Championships, a record that
still stands. Subsequently, he waited
four years before competing in the IFBB
pro ranks. When
Harrison last posed
in a contest in 1998
he was 29.
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photos: (top inset) kevin horton; (bottom inset) bob gardner
Ian
harrison
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Samir
bannout
When the Lion of Lebanon was merely a 110-pound cub,
he was inspired by his brother-in-law’s success as a weightlifter. Six months after his first workout, the 15-year-old won
his class in the Lebanese Junior Weightlifting Championships.
In 1973, he spotted Arnold Schwarzenegger on the cover of
MUSCLE BUILDER/POWER and purchased the portal to
his destiny. Unable to speak English, the 17-year-old studied
the photos for weeks, seeking out the smallest clues. Then he
trekked to the magazine distributor’s warehouse and convinced them to give him back issues of Weider magazines, and
he taught himself English in order to read the articles. At 18
and already displaying his now-celebrated symmetry, Bannout
won the Mr. Beirut, but lost the Mr. Lebanon by one point.
One month later, he achieved the honor of representing Lebanon at the Mr. Universe by defeating the man who previously
edged him out. In the 1974 Mr. U, 18-year-old Bannout finished in a three way tie for seventh (out of 19) in the medium
class. The press dubbed him “Teenage Mr. Universe.” He won
the Mr. Lebanon at 19, but his country’s team boycotted the
1975 Mr. U, held in South Africa. After immigrating to America, Samir Bannout earned pro status in 1979 and became
Mr. Olympia in ’83 at 27.
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07
08
Boyer
coe
Growing up in southwestern Louisiana,
14-year-old Coe was
the first person to
enroll in his town’s gym. The following year, he entered
a contest, and, at 17, three days before graduating from
high school, he was triumphant at the 1964 Mr. New
Orleans. It was the first of five open contests Coe won
as a teen. Later in ’64, he was named Mr. Hercules of
the Southwest, and the following year he racked up victories at the Mr. Louisiana, Mr. Texas and Mr. Southwest USA. Already known for his sharply peaked biceps,
in 1966 Coe became Teen Mr. America, and just two
weeks after his 20th birthday he lost the Mr. USA by the
slimmest of margins (a half-point) to fellow 20-year-old
Dennis Tinerino, who also edges past him on this list.
By nabbing the 1969 Mr. America at 22, Coe joins 10
other men on our compendium who claimed their country’s ultimate amateur title at 22 or less. Boyer Coe’s
competitive career spans 33 years from 1962 to 1995,
amateur to pro, teen shows to masters.
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Dennis
tinerino
At 14 and 140 pounds, Tinerino first rattled the floor
of his family’s Brooklyn apartment with a barbell. He
joined the local YMCA in ’61 at 16, by then weighing
175, and when 17 he began working out with a former
Mr. Teen America who had recently won the NABBA
Pro Universe: Joe Abbenda. Over time, the teen was
able to keep up with the living legend, and
they drove each other to see who gave in first. In one
torturous workout they did 34 sets of 250-pound barbell
rows. At 18, in 1964, Tinerino was named Jr. Mr. Metropolitan, Mr. Atlantic Coast, Mr. East Coast and he
placed third in the Teen Mr. America (just ahead of
Mike Katz). Continuing to fill out his 6' frame,
the kinetic New Yorker collected even more trophies
at 19 in ’65, when he won
the Jr. Mr. USA, Mr. North
America and Teenage
Mr. America; placed second in the Mr. USA; third
in the Jr. Mr. America (just
behind Sergio Oliva); and
ninth out of 29 in the
Mr. America — whew! Tinerino went on to win the
Mr. USA at 20, Mr. America at 21, Mr. Universe at
22 and compete in the pros
until 1982.
06
Ron
teufel
Taking up weight training at 15 to beef up for wrestling,
Philadelphia’s Teufel found his calling and soon focused entirely
on bodybuilding. When 18 in 1975, he won the short class and
“most muscular” at the Teen USA (future pros Dean Tornabene
and Ron Magnum also competed) and the overall at the Teen
America. The MUSCLE BUILDER/POWER
report for the latter contest praised his legs and
abdominals (he won the “best” awards for both
bodyparts) and stated he “could send a chill
through senior Mr. America contestants.” The
next year, at 19, the 5'6" blonde did just that
when he finished a close second in the short
class of the 1976 Mr. America (Tom Platz was
third) and won “best abdominals.” That same
year, he was victorious at the Mr. Colonial
America and Mr. Eastern Seaboard, bringing
to a close one of the best teenage records ever.
With abs like a tray of dinner rolls and a pec
cleft deep enough for yodeling, the late Ron
Teufel won the short class of the Mr. America
the following three years, as well as the overall
of the ’78 Mr. USA at 21.
05
Shane
dimora
Hailing from upstate New York, DiMora took up bodybuilding as
a young teen when his family moved to Florida. At 17 in 1984 he
won the Teen St. Petersburg, Teen North Florida, Novice North
Florida, Teen West Coast Florida and his class at the Teen Nationals (losing the overall to 19-year-old Franco Santoriello). The following year, he won the Teen Florida and middleweight class of
the Teen Nationals (losing the overall to 19-year-old Shawn Ray).
Then, in 1986, at age 19, the 5'3" densely
developed middleweight completed one
of the most shocking sweeps in bodybuilding history, winning not just the
Teen Nationals overall, but also his class
at both the Jr. Nationals (eight future
pros were in that contest, including Ray)
and the Nationals (ahead of Santoriello).
Twenty-two years later, his record for
earning a pro card at the NPC Nationals
as a teenager still stands. At 20 the following year, he placed second in his pro
debut. One of the most indomitable amateurs of all time, DiMora competed only
four times in the pros and retired from
the stage at 25.
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Raised by his bodybuilding mother and stepfather in
Newcastle, Australia, Priest took up weight training at 13 and
set about turning himself from a Clark Kent to something
closer to his hero: Superman. In 1986, at 13 and 14, he won
the junior divisions of three local contests, competing against
older teens. When Priest himself was an older teen, he
defeated his continent’s best adults. Starting in 1989, when
only 17, lightweight Priest won the overall Australian Championships three successive years — an incredible feat of
preeminence by a mere teenager. Interestingly, in the earliest
footage, his legs and delts grab attention more than his arms,
though the latter would become his strong points. In 1990,
at 18, the 5'4" Blond Myth finished fourth in the lightweight
class of the World Championships. After journeying to the
United States in 1993 with a no-longer-lightweight physique,
Priest was conferred a pro card and he made his professional
debut while still only 20, placing ninth at the ’93 Niagara
Falls Pro Invitational. By the following year, the audacious
Aussie was a top pro.
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PHOTOS: (inset) chris lund
Lee
priest
FLEX Teen Titans
One hot Sunday in July 1962, a skinny 14-year-old met
Austrian bodybuilding champ Kurt Marnul, and soon
thereafter the eager teen began training under the
adult’s tutelage at the Athletic Union Graz. Around the
time Marnul won the ’64 Mr. Austria and 16-year-old
Schwarzenegger placed third, the still-skinny pupil told
the teacher, “I’m going to be the best bodybuilder ever.”
The following year, he won the Mr. Steiermark and, at
18, the 1965 Best Built Junior Athlete of Europe.
Already, he was showcasing some of the size and shape
that would carry bodybuilding to new heights.
In September 1966, the then 6'2", 230-pound 19-yearold finished second in the tall class of the Mr. Universe,
behind overall winner Chester Yorton. Reporting on the
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contest in Ironman, Oscar
Heidenstam prophesied of
the teen phenom, “the lad
has the potential to be one of the greatest of all time.”
The following month, the lad won the Best Built International Athlete and Best Built Athlete of Europe
(25-year-old Franco Columbu was fourth both times), as
well as the heavyweight powerlifting contest in the latter.
Two months after turning 20 and weighing in at 245 with
201⁄2" arms, the Austrian Oak unanimously won the 1967
Mr. Universe (second to him in the tall class was 21-yearold Tinerino). In only five years, he had gone further
than most men could dream, and yet Arnold Schwarzenegger’s phenomenal journey had barely begun.
PHOTOS: (top inset) zeller/©fitness publications,
inc./courtesy of weider health and fitness
Arnold
schwarzenegger
FLEX Teen Titans
02
Casey
Growing up in southern Louisiana, Viator was 13 when
he inherited a barbell set. When he outgrew his home
gym, he first joined an Olympic weightlifting center and
then a bodybuilding emporium. Soon thereafter, he
showed off his results, winning the junior division of the
1968 Mr. New Orleans and placing third in the open
contest where he also took home awards for “best arms,”
“best legs” and “most muscular.” He was 16. The following year, at 17, he was sixth in the Teen Mr. America. In
1970, when he was training with fellow Louisianian
Boyer Coe, 18-year-old Viator burst into the bodybuilding big time. Amazingly, he placed third out of 29 in the
Mr. America and won “best arms,” “best chest” and
“best back.” Over the following two months, he added
two overall titles: Teen Mr. America and Mr. USA.
In 1971, he triumphed at the Jr. Mr. America as a
mere warm-up for the big show. Then, on June 12, 1971,
in York, Pennsylvania, Viator easily defeated 32 others
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to win the Mr. America. Not blessed with wide clavicles, he packed a rocky 217 pounds on his 5'8" frame
and took every best bodypart award except abs. At 19,
he was the youngest Mr. America winner ever. Then
he disappeared. After returning in 1978, he won three
pro contests in ’80 and finished third in the ’82
Mr. Olympia, but, at 31, the enigmatic Viator again
vanished from the scene shortly thereafter and didn’t
reappear until the Masters Mr. Olympia 13 years later.
Like DiMora’s, Viator’s pro record feels abridged,
leaving us to wonder what might have been, and yet it
is difficult to imagine any bodybuilder ever accomplishing more onstage before turning 20 than Casey
Viator did — except for the one man ahead of him on
our honor roll.
FLEX Teen Titans
01
Harold
In high school in Indianapolis, Indiana, when Poole
didn’t have a football game, track meet or wrestling
match, he excelled in bodybuilding contests, winning the
1960 Jr. Mr. Indiana at 16. Thinking big, Poole wanted to
be the first black Mr. America and to do so as a teen. He
placed 18th in 1960 Mr. A. By the following year, at only
17, he contended for the title, finishing a stunning fourth.
He probably deserved better. Ironman reported of Poole,
“ . . . he had the most outstanding physique from the
standpoint of shape, development, definition and general
overall proportion.” Sounds like the winner. He did win
four open contests at 17: Mr. Indiana, Mr. Mid States,
Jr. Mr. America and Mr. Ohio Valley.
At 18, 5'10" 200-pound Poole added four overall trophies to his collection: Mr. Northern Indiana, Mr. Chicago Park District, Mr. Tri States and Mr. North America.
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And, before graduating from high
school, he was second in the 1962
Mr. America, nabbing the “most
muscular” prize. One report said
it would be “hard to find a flaw”
in his physique and the only thing
keeping him from the title was “a slight speech impediment.” Read between those lines, for no black man had
won the AAU Mr. America until Chris Dickerson in 1970.
At the 1963 Mr. America, Poole again received the “most
muscular” trophy, but again was “awarded” second, just
as he was in the AAU Teen Mr. America.
Poole then crossed over to the more egalitarian IFBB
and promptly won the 1963 Mr. Universe, defeating
Larry Scott. Poole was only 19 and Mr. Universe. The
following year, at 20, he won the IFBB Mr. America (the
first black man to hold that title in any organization), and
the year after that, he was runner-up to Scott in the
inaugural Mr. Olympia. At 21, Poole remains the youngest man to ever compete in bodybuilding’s ultimate
event, and he nearly won it each of its initial three years.
He made a comeback years later but, like seven others
on our list, never won an IFBB pro show, and yet, we
now celebrate Harold Poole as the greatest teenage
bodybuilder of all time. FLEX