The 2025 Arnold Classic will have a prize money of half a million dollars, thanks to the 2024 event’s popularity. This quickly attracted the attention of Jay Cutler as it was revealed to the public. In the comment section of an Instagram post by Arnold Sports, the four-time Mr. Olympia tagged his rival Phil Heath and popular coach Hany Rambod, which also caught a lot of attention on the internet.
“@philheath $500k Cc: @hanyrambod,” was the comment by Jay Cutler on the Instagram post of Arnold Sports. Heath also replied to this comment, saying, “@jaycutler if you’re gonna train with me then I meannnn.” The comment of the four-time Mr. Olympia was later featured on Arnold Sports’ IG again in a separate post.
Who doesn’t want a little more cash than what is being offered? Arnold Classic will be offering a staggering $500,000 to the winner next year, which is $100,000 more than what Mr. Olympia offers. As a clever move, the Austrian Oak has raised the standard of the event beyond other bodybuilding competitions.
The comment surely garnered attention, and Arnold Sports uploaded a screenshot of it with an iconic image of Jay Cutler and Phil Heath. They also wrote an eye-catching caption:
“You sure you guys haven’t got ONE more in you?! @jaycutler@philheath#500k”
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The seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath also replied to this post. However, the bodybuilding icon just responded with a gif of Schwarzenegger from the Commando movie. Even if Cutler and Heath’s comeback isn’t official, the community would be ecstatic if it became true.
The rivalry between Cutler and Heath dates back to when Cutler was dominating the scene. Cutler won his fourth Mr. Olympia title in 2010 after defeating a young Phil Heath. However, Heath got his revenge just the next year by clinching the title and defeating Cutler. The return of these two rivals would also be a huge boost to the popularity of the Arnold Classic, even after their prize money exceeded that of Mr. Olympia’s.
The reason behind setting the bar high for Arnold Classic 2025
The Mr. Olympia competition has long been considered the gold standard in bodybuilding. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger has achieved this trophy seven times, so he understands how valuable it is. But the Austrian Oak is also a master at drawing attention to his own annual event. By announcing the increase of the 2025 Arnold Classic prizemoney to $500k, he has already made a lot of noise.
Bodybuilders, like Cutler, Heath, and many more, have already commented on this huge update. However, Schwarzenegger wants no feud with IFBB, who are in charge of Mr. Olympia. The Austrian Oak just wants to boost its drive to consider an increase in perks for the winners of the prestigious event.
