Having a bodybuilding career that spanned five decades is impressive enough, but when you factor in that it also includes a 20-year absence, it becomes even more the unlikely feat. Such is the case with Tony Pearson, 67, who first hit the stage as a teenager in 1976 with a victory and had the same success in 2020 in the masters division.
The Memphis, Tennessee native began bodybuilding in high school following a knee injury sustained as a member of the wrestling team. He began to respond quickly to weight training and caught the eye of a few big names in the industry, more specifically George Turner, who owned a gym nearby where the likes of Samir Bannout, Dave Johns and Ken Waller trained.
The then-19-year-old made a bold move that many have done in the world of bodybuilding and that is heading to California to train at Gold’s Gym, the Mecca. He began to gain some attention there, as well, and none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger recognized the potential that Person had. A short time later, that first show under his belt and Schwarzenegger showed great foresight by mentioning Pearson in his book, “The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding,” considered the Bible of the sport.
In a few short ears, Pearson became known as the “Michael Jackson of Bodybuilding” and made quite the presence on the amateur and then professional stages in a number of federations (AAU, WBBG, NABBA, WABBA, IFBB and WBF). Pearson’s speciality was in the Couples Competition and he was featured in all of the magazines in the industry.
It seemed that Pearson had called it a career after not placing at the 1994 IFBB San Jose Pro Invitational, but he returned in 2014 to win the NABBA USA American Open in two categories (open short and grandmasters). But that’s no the end of the story, as Pearson came back at the 2020 AAU Mr. Universe Master’s and walked away once again as the winner.
