One of the greatest rivalries of all time in bodybuilding was arguably between 8x Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman and his successor, 4x Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler. The two athletes have come face-to-face multiple times at the arena. While there have been sparks, the two bodybuilders hold massive respect for each other.
This admiration was witnessed when Cutler re-shared a picture by Coleman where both can be seen posing from a previous competition. The two are seen posing the most muscular pose, aka the crab pose. The King captioned the post, “The Greatest Rivalry in Bodybuilding History.”
Upon seeing this, fans couldn’t keep calm and went all gaga over the two, sharing their thoughts in the comments section. However, how did this rivalry begin?
Coleman, also known as “The King,” is one of the two greatest bodybuilders ever to grace the sport. He won the Sandow trophy eight times in a row, from 1998 to 2005. Coleman tied the number of Mr. Olympia titles with another great, Lee Haney. Haney was the most dominant bodybuilder, winning every year from 1984 through 1991. He was Coleman’s idol since the beginning, and the joint record of the two still stands at the top.
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Considered the greatest of all time, Coleman was untouchable during his era. Even though he faced many worthy opponents, there was one giant who stood tall among his rivals: Jay Cutler. When Cutler made his Mr. Olympia debut in 1999, Coleman was a seasoned veteran. He won Mr. Olympia titles in 1999 and 2000. Cutler finished only in 14th place in his debut, but the fierce competitor came in second place at the 2000 Mr. Olympia title.
The competition among the two was fierce, and after grabbing eight consecutive wins, the King was finally dethroned by none other than Jay Cutler. In 2006, Cutler conquered his rival and idol to claim the Mr. Olympia throne. Cutler has won the Sandow trophy four times: in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010. After finally achieving victory, Cutler believed that winning the 4 Olympia title was not a huge deal for him. Instead, beating Ronnie Coleman was the biggest achievement of his life.
Though the two had been harsh rivals on the field during competition, the duo shared a bond of mutual respect. And it was not just fans who went into a frenzy upon seeing the post but also famous bodybuilders.
Fans react to Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler’s Instagram post
Anyone who has witnessed the greatest rivalry of all time will know that Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler were cutthroat competitors. Now, upon seeing the two together in an Instagram post shared by Ronnie Coleman and collaborating with Jay Cutler, fans and bodybuilders alike could not keep their calm. They poured their thoughts and high regard into the comments section.
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7-time Mr. Olympia, Phil Heath, was the first one to comment, and being able to watch the two compete against each other in 2005, he penned, “I’m just glad I was able to watch it live in 2005. People have no clue how crazy it was.” Arnold Sports’ official Instagram handle also commented, “Can’t wait to see the both of you in March!!!.”
However, what was the icing on the cake was when Jay Cutler himself commented on the post with all praise, “When my idol became my rival. The time we had Big Ron. Can’t wait to see you in a few weeks.” One fan commented on the two greats by calling them “MONSTERS.” Another fan, who was in awe of 2000 and 2010’s bodybuilders’ physiques, wrote, “2000s bodybuilding and 2010s powerlifting were a monster of their own. Goats.”
Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman are undoubtedly two of the best the sport has ever witnessed. This picture also goes down as one of the most memorable pictures ever taken on the bodybuilding stage. And the reactions of fellow bodybuilders and fans prove the same.
Top 5 Rivalries of all time in bodybuilding
Ronnie Coleman Vs Flex Wheeler
The Ronnie Coleman and Flex Wheeler rivalry was one extraordinary one, as in the end, one had the upper hand above the other. Coleman, known for his conditioning left fans astounded after defeating Flex Wheeler in 1998 Mr. Olympia.
Even though fans considered Wheeler would dominate the world when Dorian Yates retired, Coleman had other plans. Before the 1998 Mr. Olympia, both the bodybuilders had built something of a camaraderie, and he provided advice to Coleman.
However, to Wheeler’s hard luck, Coleman used his advice and won the 1998 Mr. Olympia. It did not stop there. Ronnie again defeated him in the 1999 and 2000 editions as well, which led to Wheeler stepping away from the sport for 2-years. He made a return in the 2002 Mr. Olympia and as fate would have it, Wheeler again came second with Ronnie Coleman winning the prestigious title.
Mike Mentzer Vs Arnold Schwarzenegger
Mike Mentzer vs Arnold Schwarzenegger is arguably one of the most legendary rivalries that went down in history. Though their rivalry was a short one, it made waves around the entire bodybuilding industry. It was during the 1980 Mr. Olympia, in which Mentzer was expected to be crowned champion saw the rivalry unfold.
The 1980 Mr. Olympia was supposed to be Mentzer’s year. Coming from a heavyweight division victory the previous year, he was raring to go. But Arnold’s presence and his mind games saw him win the title leaving Mentzer angry.
Mentzer even attempted to physically attack Arnold following several derogatory comments by the Austrian Oak. After Arnold was declared the winner, Mentzer retired from the sport and never competed again.
Phil Heath Vs Kai Greene
Jay Cutler and Phil Heath were the epitome of friendship on and off the stage. However, it was a different story between Heath and Kai Greene. At the 2013 Arnold Classic Europe, both Heath and Greene nearly came to blows on stage.
Whenever the duo has appeared on stage, there has been tension between them. Heath and Kai’s rivalry has escalated to the point where they attempt to crowd one another out, each taking steps to physically overbear the other.
Even though Greene gave his best, he was never able to come close to Phil or defeat him on stage. Greene retired from the Olympia in 2014 after an extremely fiery press conference spat with Heath.
A fan favorite, Freene was only able to win the silver medal thrice at the Mr. Olympia each time losing to his rival Phil Heath. Their rivalry went down as one of the biggest after the Arnold vs Mentzer spat back in 1980.
Sergio Olivia Vs Arnold Schwarzenegger
These were two commendable icons who ushered in the golden era of bodybuilding. They first competed for the Mr Olympia title against each other in 1969.
Schwarzenegger was the ‘it’ boy, and Olivia earned quick recognition for his defining physique. Being the title winner consecutively for 1967 and 68, Olivia won over Schwarzenegger in his debut game in points four to three.
Frank Zane Vs. Franco Columbu
Schwarzenegger’s exit from the Olympia game saw his pal Frank Zane competing against fitness icon Franco Columbu. Their intense face-off started on the Mr. World stage in 1969 and followed through Mr. Universe, Mr. World, and Olympia titles. Franco won against Zane twice for Mr. Olympia, in 1974 and 1975.
