Joe Abbenda (born July 4, 1939) is an American former professional bodybuilder during the early to mid-1960s.[1] He competed in the tall man competitions, and as an amateur won the Teen Mr. America in 1959, AAU Mr. America and the amateur NABBA Mr. Universe competition in 1962, and was the professional winner a year later, in the 1963 Mr. Universe.[1][2]
| Joe Abbenda | |
|---|---|
| Bodybuilder ♂ | |
 | |
| Personal info | |
| Born | July 4, 1939 Long Island, New York, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft (183 cm) |
| Weight | 226 lb (103 kg) |
| Professional career | |
| Best win | |
| Predecessor | Len Sell |
| Successor | Earl Maynard |
| Active | 1959-1963 |
Abbenda is of Italian descent, and at the time of competing in championships, was one of only two Italian-Americans to have done so.[3] He attended Adelphi University in 1957.[4]
List of competitions
edit| Year | Competition[1] | Result and notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Mr New York City | 3rd in Tall |
| 1959 | Teen Mr America | 1st |
| 1960 | Mr America | 5th |
| 1960 | Mr New York City | 2nd Overall, 2nd in Tall |
| 1961 | Mr America | 2nd |
| 1962 | Mr America | 1st Overall, 3rd in Most Muscular |
| 1962 | Junior Mr America | East Overall Winner |
| 1962 | Mr Universe | 1st Overall, 1st in Tall |
| 1963 | Mr Universe Pro | 1st Overall, 1st in Tall |
Media appearances
editJoe Abbenda has been featured in magazines such as Health and Strength, IronMan, Strength and Health, and Muscular Development.[1] He appeared as himself on the April 1, 1963 episode of To Tell the Truth, not receiving any of the four possible votes.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Joe Abbenda". Muscle Memory. Archived from the original on November 16, 2011. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
- ^ "NABBA International Hall of Fame". World Fitness Federation. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
- ^ Tinerino, Dennis (June 22, 2017). Supersize Your Faith: Tapping Into God's Miracle Power. Destiny Image Publishers. ISBN 9780768424089. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2020 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Joe Abbenda's Mr. America Story". NECKBERG. February 25, 2020. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- ^ "To Tell The Truth". YouTube. April 1, 1963. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021.
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