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Dr. Fred Hatfield passes away at 74

1K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  Buffy The Vampire Slayer 
#1 ·
Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

While it got no fanfare from WWE, Dr. Fred Hatfield, who worked for the company in the 90s as a guru of sports for the World Bodybuilding Federation, passed away on 5/14 at the age of 74. He had been diagnosed with metastasic cancer in his skeletal structure in 2012 and was told he had only three months to live. There are contradictory reports on whether he passed away from cancer or another cause. Vince McMahon hired Hatfield to be one of the key people in the World Bodybuilding Federation. McMahon had hired slew of bodybuilders and then, after the trial of Dr. George Zahorian, where it came out that Zahorian was supplying a substantial percentage of the company’s wrestlers, including Hulk Hogan, Vince McMahon and Roddy Piper, with steroids, McMahon felt the pressure to both clean up his wrestling company and the bodybuilding company. McMahon told the bodybuilders that they had to get off steroids and that Hatfield would come up with diets so they could get in shape while being off steroids. A lot of the bodybuilders scoffed at his high fat diets and didn’t come in great shape, and then blamed it on him. He was also there to give dieting and workout tips to the wrestlers as they were ordered off steroids. Hatfield was the person credited with developing ICOPRO, a protein supplement that WWF marketed heavily in the 90s but ultimately wasn’t successful even with all the television hype they put into it. He was also pushed on both the WWF’s regular television and its low-rated bodybuilding TV show on the USA Network as an expert of strength and fitness, known by his nickname, Dr. Squat, which the wrestlers, most of which didn’t want to put over the building side on the interviews, were ordered to call him. Hatfield was world powerlifting champion in 1981 and 1986, the latter at the age of 43. At the age of 45, in 1987, he did an official competition 1,014 pound squat at 220 pounds, which is nothing short of amazing. He’s credited with being the first man to officially squat more than 1,000 pounds. Doug Furnas’ (just before he started pro wrestling, most felt had he continued since he left the sport relatively young, that he could have hit 1,040 to 1,050) best squat in competition was 980, Mark Henry’s was 953.5 and Bill Kazmaier’s best was 925.9. Furnas reportedly once did 1,005 pounds in the gym, which is believable. He also helped train Evander Holyfield and was a prolific writer about strength training. He was a national level gymnast who then became a bodybuilder, switched to Olympic lifting in trying to make the 1972 Olympic team, but his best success was in powerlifting. He did an 800 pound squat on one of the WWE television shows when he was in his early 50s
 
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