A Farewell to 'The Giant'
On November 25, 20
13, the sport of bodybuilding lost a great hero in IFBB Pro Greg Kovacs, who passed as a result of a heart attack. As with Nasser, I'm grateful that the rabid mainstream media hasn't taken hold of this tragedy to rally against the sport, especially because they'll do so without a scintilla of evidence most of the time.
Greg Kovacs was a special bodybuilder that arrived at a unique time in the industry. I found out about his passing two days after it happened and I immediately approached the Boss, Dave Palumbo about putting my thoughts down in an article. I mean, let's face it, bodybuilding eulogies are pretty lame and in article-form even more so. I've seen articles that basically outline an athlete's contest record and then just write around that. That's basically Wikipedia with some added fluff. We don't do that here, not at RxMuscle.com.
When I first came across 'The Giant,' (a fitting nickname, even if posthumously given) I was floored, for a few reasons. For starters, he was a very tall guy and tall mass monsters are in short supply – both in his era as well as today. Second, he was Canadian. Now for the record, I'm American, but who here doesn't root for the underdog? Although Canada is larger than the United States, its competitors don't get four shows where they can turn pro – they get one. I think for a lot of top-ranked Canadian amateurs to turn Pro is huge milestone, and Greg did just that. Third, he was working his tail off for a company I'd vaguely heard about.
That's right folks, before Phil Heath, before Jay Cutler, before Branch and Johnny, before all those guys, there was a virtually unknown company selling products that ended with Tech and this giant phenom promoting them wherever he went, on whatever publication he appeared on, and especially on his stellar DVD! MuscleTech got huge with Greg’s assistance and then dropped him. Shocking order of events, eh?
He always looked so happy, like he loved what he was doing, and from some of the exclusive quotes we have here today, those hunches have been validated. For now I will let you read the words of Greg's friends. I think it's important that we pay real homage to a real hero. Unfortunately, many of the people I contacted were unable to respond due to contractual restrictions, but I hope they sound off from their respective sites/publications.
Guest Comments
“Greg Kovacs' brute strength and massive physique was only rivaled by
his enormous heart. It's sad that it was this heart, in the end, that was broken beyond repair. His passion and love for the sport together with his unrivaled muscle mass will be a beacon for future bodybuilders to aspire to… to accept that there are virtually no boundaries that the human body can't surpass.”
– Dave Palumbo, President RxMuscle.com, Species Nutrition
“I had only met Greg a few times. The first time that I met him was in Toronto at the gym. He was huge and equally just as strong. I found out that he was laid back and an easygoing guy. He'll be missed. Rest in peace.”
– IFBB Pro John Simmons, Michigan NPC Co-Chair
“Greg was a very nice guy. He will be missed by his friends, and without a doubt his family and all of us muscleheads. RIP!”
– IFBB Pro Ron Love
“I met Greg Kovacs back in 2002. My memories of Greg always involve a smile and food. He was the biggest bodybuilder at the time with an off-season weight in the 400s. He was so big that even some of the simplest of tasks were a challenge… like tying his shoes. He was too young to leave us so soon! I am going to miss his ability to make people laugh and love for the sport of bodybuilding. Greg will be missed.”
– IFBB Pro Colette Nelson
"I just recently heard of the death of Bodybuilder Greg Kovacs, it is another loss of a Champion and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones. When Greg came on the scene he set a new precedence for size in bodybuilding and he certainly pushed his competitors to new levels. His persistence and media exposure were second to none. I got the privilege to meet and talk to Greg on only a few occasions but he was a good hearted guy and spoke well of everyone. Rest his Soul!"
-IFBB Pro Jason Arntz
"I've met Greg in Ohio (during the Arnold Classic), accidentally as his wife asked me in the Gym if I would be so kind and spot her husband doing incline barbell presses.
I said sure and turned around just to see absolutely monstrous guy getting ready to bench 585 lbs!?! That was my introduction to greg Kovacs...his strength was just out of this world. Years later, after he won his pro card he contacted me to find out about some specific protocols I was teaching other pros, and I gladly helped him for what he was always very grateful for. I am extremely saddened to hear about his premature death. My sincere condolences to his family and friends."
- IFBB Pro Milos Sarcev
“I remember the first time I met Greg it was the early part of 1995 at the Niagara Falls Pro. I was working a booth and hadn't turned pro yet, but Greg thought I was the biggest thing. But I said, ‘Dude you think I'm big? Look at you, you're a giant.’ This before anyone really knew who he was. He hadn't really gotten out there yet. So we exchanged numbers and he use to call me for tips. Then not long after that he made it big. He was a good guy!”
– IFBB Pro Don Long
“Greg was a gentle giant and one of the nicest guys I ever met in the industry. Always polite with a true love for ‘real’ bodybuilding. I met Greg in North Carolina for a guest posing appearance. The promoters had me scheduled to pose right before the overall presentation and the show had already gone past midnight. Well, as I was backstage waiting to go on, I fell asleep. The next thing I remember is being woken up by a 340-pound monster laughing his ass off telling me I'm going on stage in one minute. Here I am taking off my clothes, still half asleep while Greg is smacking oil on me. Even though I never got a chance to pump up I still went out and brought the house down trying to keep a straight face as Greg kept laughing through the whole routine. Bodybuilding lost another one of the good guys. Rest In Peace, brother.”
– IFBB Pro King Kamali
I hope Greg's friends and family see this, and take comfort in knowing that their friend or relative really did something with his life, that he'll be remembered and celebrated in the sport of bodybuilding.
