Bodybuilding Veteran Gustavo ‘The Freakin Rican’ Badell Dead at 50, Community Reacts

It is with great sadness that we report the death of bodybuilding star Gustavo ‘The Freakin Rican’ Badell at age 50. At the time of this writing, his cause of death is uncertain, although RX Muscle’s Dave Palumbo and Nick Trigili suspect it was caused by a stroke. 

“Gustavo battled with kidney issues for several years,” shared Dave Palumbo. “Whatever caused his death was something that was not expected.”  

In 1997, Badell earned his Pro card at the Caribbean Championships and never looked back. He always brought great conditioning to the stage and was known for his detailed striations. En route to finding success, Badell received help from bodybuilding veteran Milos Sarcev, who currently coaches Mr. Olympia contender Samson Dauda and other top names. 

As an IFBB Pro, Badell was a mainstay of the Open class during the 2000s. He took part in numerous Arnold Classic and Mr. Olympia competitions and pushed some of the world’s best such as Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler, and Dexter Jackson. Every time Badell graced a stage he brought electric energy and built a legacy off the back of hard work. 

Some of Gustavo’s best victories include the 2006 Ironman Pro Invitational, the 2006 San Francisco Pro Invitational, and the 2009 Atlantic City Pro. His final competition would come in 2012 at the Arnold Classic, where he finished 13th. Though, perhaps Badell’s biggest claim to fame was defeating Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler during the 2005 Mr. Olympia Challenge Rounds. 

While Badell was a recipient of a kidney transplant, it remains unclear if that contributed to his sudden passing. It’s early to speculate, though some industry experts have done their best to explain what happened. 

Bodybuilding Community Reacts to Tragic Passing of 50-Year-Old Gustavo Badell 

According to Nick Trigili of Bodybuilding and BS, Badell was trying to bulk up again. He said he was unsure if Badell was using performance-enhancing drugs at the time of his passing. Trigili specified that the cause of death appears to be a stroke. 

 “Got an update on Gustavo Badell, it looks like he did have a kidney transplant several years ago, he had his sister’s kidney, and he was doing fine. It looks like he was trying to bulk back up again. I don’t know if he was using performance-enhancing drugs or not. It looks like they found him today, he had a stroke and passed away,” Nick Trigili revealed. 

Details are limited, but Dave Palumbo of RX Muscle also mentioned that a stroke was the likely culprit. 

“We lost another great one, Gustavo Badell, the ‘Freakin Rican’ one of the best bodybuilders of the early 2000s. His claim to fame, beating Ronnie Coleman in the challenge round. A round they used to hold at the Mr. Olympia competition where they would compare various poses and get judged by former Mr. Olympias like Lee Haney and Dorian Yates, Samir Bannout. Gustavo defeated Ronnie in that challenge round and that was during Ronnie’s reign when he was supremely dominant winning Olympias. In the challenge round if you picked the right poses to go against different competitors you could strategically win that round, and so, so did Gustavo. I think that was the last time they held it after that.” 

“Gustavo’s motta was ‘I work hard.’ I interviewed him numerous times back in the day and he used to,
always tell me that,” Dave Palumbo shared. “Prayers out to his family. This has got to be a really tough one. From what I hear, I’m hearing stroke as a cause of death. I don’t like to give cause of deaths without autopsy reports or definitive you know confirmations from doctors, but that’s what I’m hearing from people who are close to him. It’s not confirmed but I did hear stroke.” 

Gustavo Badell’s Competition History 

1991

• Junior Caribbean Championships – Overall Winner

1997

• World Amateur Championships – IFBB, HeavyWeight, 10th
• Caribbean Championships – Overall Winner (Earns Pro Card)

1998

• Grand Prix Germany – IFBB, 9th

1999

• Grand Prix England – IFBB, 17th
• Night of Champions – IFBB, Did not place
• World Pro Championships – IFBB, 14th

2000

• Ironman Pro Invitational – IFBB, 18th
• Night of Champions – IFBB, Did not place
• Toronto Pro – IFBB, Did not place
• World Pro Championships – IFBB, 11th

2001

• Grand Prix England – IFBB, Did not place
• Ironman Pro Invitational – IFBB, 16th
• San Francisco Pro – IFBB, 11th

2002

• Ironman Pro Invitational – IFBB, 13th
• Night of Champions – IFBB, 10th
• Olympia – IFBB, 24th
• Southwest Pro Cup – IFBB, 6th
• Toronto Pro – IFBB, 3rd

2003

• Night of Champions – IFBB, Did not place

2004

• Arnold Classic – IFBB, 7th
• Ironman Pro Invitational – IFBB, 3rd
• Olympia – IFBB, 3rd
• San Francisco Pro – IFBB, 4th
• Show of Strength Pro Championships – IFBB, 3rd

2005

• Arnold Classic – IFBB, 3rd
• Ironman Pro Invitational – IFBB, Winner
• Olympia – IFBB, 3rd

2006

• Arnold Classic – IFBB, 4th
• Olympia – IFBB, 6th
• San Francisco Pro – IFBB, Winner

2007

• Arnold Classic – IFBB, 4th
• Olympia – IFBB, 8th

2008

• Arnold Classic – IFBB, 6th
• Ironman Pro Invitational – IFBB, 2nd
• Olympia – IFBB, 10th

2009

• Arnold Classic – IFBB, 11th
• Atlantic City Pro – IFBB, Winner
• Olympia – IFBB, 13th

2012

• Arnold Classic – IFBB, 13th

This comes as a great loss after what has already been a difficult few months for the bodybuilding community. Less than two weeks ago, fitness influencer/Men’s Physique competitor Jo Linder passed away at just 30 years old. His girlfriend said he died from an aneurysm, but some fans are hoping for closure with an autopsy report. 

Meanwhile, earlier this week, Catalin Stefanescu, 30, also met his untimely fate after drowning in just a three-foot-deep river. In light of the odd circumstances, police are investigating the matter to find out exactly how he died. 

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Gustavo Badell will always be remembered in the bodybuilding community for his work ethic and perseverance. He leaves behind his loving wife and children. We at FitnessVolt send his family, loved ones, and friends our deepest condolences during this trying time.