Paul DeMayo (September 12, 1967 – June 2, 2005) was an American IFBB professional

bodybuilder Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's muscles (muscle building) by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses ...

Biography

Paul DeMayo was nicknamed "Quadzilla" for the size of his

quadriceps The quadriceps femoris muscle (, also called the quadriceps extensor, quadriceps or quads) is a large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh. It is the sole extensor muscle of the knee, forming a large ...

. Born and raised in Malden, Massachusetts,

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, DeMayo first competed in bodybuilding when he placed 1st in the Teenage Massachusetts State championships. His first

National Physique Committee The National Physique Committee (NPC) is the largest amateur bodybuilding organization in the United States. Amateur bodybuilders compete in competitions from local to national competitions sanctioned by the NPC. While the term "bodybuilding" is ...

(NPC) event was in 1988, where he took 7th place in the NPC Junior USA heavyweight class. He took 1st place in the NPC Nationals Championship event in 1994. His only Mr. Olympia was in 1995, when he placed 12th. DeMayo appeared in many fitness and magazine articles, including being featured on the cover of '' Iron Man''.

Death

DeMayo died on June 2, 2005. in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

from a heroin overdose. According to people close to him, DeMayo's problems started when his wife left him and he returned to Boston after he moved to

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

with her to train in

Gold's Gym Gold's Gym International, Inc. is an American chain of international co-ed fitness centers (commonly referred to as gyms) originally started by Joe Gold in Venice Beach, California. Each gym offers a variety of cardio and strength training equi ...

. He then was signed to an endorsement contract by sports

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company

Met-Rx MET-Rx is an American brand of nutritional supplements originally produced by Met-Rx, Inc., a California company started by Scott Connelly, and sold several times since. The brand is best known for pioneering a new category of bodybuilding supple ...

and forced to compete in the 1995 Mr. Olympia against his wishes. He placed 12th and retired shortly afterwards. DeMayo spent two years in the Billerica House of Correction (Middlesex County Jail) for shooting his gun in the air after an argument with his girlfriend and possession of

percodan Oxycodone/aspirin (trade name Percodan) is a combination drug marketed by Endo Pharmaceuticals. It is a tablet containing a mixture of 325 mg (5 grains) of aspirin and 4.8355 mg of oxycodone HCl (equivalent to 4.3346 mg of oxycod ...

. Some months before his death he told friends he was working at Gold's Gym on Lansdowne Street in Boston, but it was revealed later that he was fired several months earlier due to a substance abuse problem.

Contest history

* 1988 NPC Junior USA HeavyWeight - 7th * 1989 NPC Junior Nationals HeavyWeight - 4th * 1990 NPC Junior Nationals HeavyWeight - 3rd * 1991 NPC Junior Nationals Heavyweight - 1st & Overall Winner * 1991 NPC HeavyWeight - 3rd * 1992 NPC Nationals HeavyWeight - 4th * 1993 NPC USA Championships HeavyWeight - 3rd * 1994 NPC Nationals Heavyweight - 1st & Overall Winner * 1995 Mr. Olympia - 12th * 1995 IFBB Grand Prix England - 10th * 1995 IFBB Grand Prix Germany - 9th * 1995 IFBB Grand Prix Spain - 9th

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Demayo, Paul 1967 births 2005 deaths American bodybuilders Professional bodybuilders Deaths by heroin overdose in Massachusetts