Who was bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman's biggest rival?
Ronnie Coleman, also known as The King or The GOAT, has been a prominent presence in the world of bodybuilding for a long time. He is considered one of the two greatest bodybuilders of all time, alongside the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger. His career is filled with victories and multiple championships and he has thoroughly lived up to his alias, 'The King'.
In his long career spanning a total of 15 years, he has faced many worthy adversaries. However, one giant stands tall among Coleman's rivals: Jason Isaac Cutler.
The Coleman-Cutler rivalry
Dubbed the 'Greatest Rivalry of All-Time', Coleman and Cutler put on a serious show for everyone during their run in the bodybuilding world. The duo held down the top two spots in Mr. Olympia for an astonishing five times.
When Cutler entered the scene, Coleman was already a seasoned veteran, having won two consecutive Mr. Olympia titles in 1998 and 1999. Cutler made his Mr. Olympia debut in 1999, but finished 14th. The next year, Coleman bagged the 2000 title but tailing him in second place was the young and fierce Cutler.
The following year, Cutler met his idol on stage and competed against him. The iconic 2001 version of Mr. Olympia saw Coleman's winning streak continue. Cutler, earlier this year, posted a picture of himself and Coleman on stage, posing for the 2001 title.
"This is the 2001 Olympia at the Mandalay Bay Arena, I competed at Mandalay Bay for the first time in ’99 but this was 2001 ... And this is, I said, the beginning… when your idol becomes your rival," Cutler said.
I’ve often said that quote because I idolized Ronnie Coleman like he was the guy that I… I started with Dorian Yates and then of course… Ronnie won the Olympia and that was the guy I followed. But this is actually when I got to stand toe-to-toe on US territory," Cutler added.
On a recent episode of Cutler Cast, his very own podcast, he talked about the picture and stated that the 2001 competition was when his idol became his rival.
Of their five top two runs, Coleman won four of them. He reigned as Mr. Olympia for a staggering eight years, and who else better to dethrone 'The King' than Jay Cutler.
In 2006, Cutler finally managed to beat his rival to claim his throne as Mr. Olympia. Coleman was placed behind him in second place. Cutler recalled this moment on an interview with The Schmo and began by stating that:
"He’s the greatest ever, I’ll go on record. We all sit here and look at bodybuilders and who we admire. This guy was my idol."
Coleman's career in a nutshell
The King worked as a police officer, when his potential was spotted by the owner of Metroflex, Brian Dobson, who offered him free training. He made it to the big stage thanks to his 1990 Mr. Texas win. As an amateur, he won the World Amateur Championships as a heavyweight in 1991.
What succeeded was nothing short of one of the greatest sporting runs in history. Coleman went on to win Mr. Olympia for eight consecutive years from 1998 to 2005. His contribution, like Arnold Schrzenegger's, to the sport is priceless.