At the peak of his career, Ronnie Coleman was a different kind of beast, and Jay Cutler understands that for obvious reasons. Winning eight consecutive Mr Olympia titles is not everyone’s cup of tea, but for Coleman, it was just another day in the office. The golden age of bodybuilding was defined by him, and for Cutler, he was an unparalleled source of inspiration.

Speaking on the UnWrecked podcast with Andrew Berry and Sir Kyle Wilkins, four-time Mr Olympia Jay Cutler said he did not expect Ronnie Coleman to bounce back after his loss to Günter Schlierkamp at the 2002 GNC Show of Strength Pro Championships.

“Coleman was my idol. I never imagined Ronnie was ever going to be as good. I literally thought in ’03... I had him on the ropes. I knew Gunter beat him in ’02, and we came in firing, all of us, for that ’03 Olympia,” said Cutler.

He further added, “Then Ronnie Coleman came back like an alien. He took his clothes off backstage, and I said, “Oh, f***.” I just knew it. He was completely out of this world.”

The 2002 GNC Show of Strength Pro Championships stands as the only major defeat of Ronnie Coleman’s career during his peak Mr Olympia years. It was a shocking result, but Coleman understood that he was not at his best and that he needed to make changes to come back stronger.

That setback gave a new motivation to Jay Cutler to excel at the 2003 Mr Olympia, “And I was great that year. I mean, if he wasn’t there, I would have won it. I thought that was going to be the run. I was 30, no, I was in my late 20s then.”

Ronnie Coleman returned as a showstopper, outclassing the entire field at the 2003 Olympia to claim his sixth Mr Olympia title. In reality, it was only after Coleman retired that Jay Cutler won his first title in 2006.

Well, Cutler might have nothing but all praises for Coleman now, but during their peak years, he considered him nothing but a rival.

"...Crazy split biceps”

“I took it so personal back then, I remember the animosity…just between you and Ronnie, he was the enemy,” revealed Jay Cutler during a conversation with his good friend Dave Bourtlet last year. The rivalry between Cutler and Coleman was fierce. Both were evenly matched rivals, but Ronnie was a beast who, at the time, seemed impossible to stop.

Cutler expressed that the first time he laid eyes on the Texas native, he was mesmerized, though Coleman was not at his peak at the time. “I was impressed with Ronnie, but he wasn’t the Ronnie of late,r right? You know when he came on in like ’98.”

He further added, “He had like the crazy split biceps…at that time…I thought his lower body, which is amazing, because full circle towards the end of his career, he had like the biggest legs!”

Coleman came in like a storm, making sure no one got in his way, and Cutler, his staunch rival, understood that he had to be equally good to compete with him: “That’s how it was…that was the biggest obstacle.”

Well, despite their animosity, both Cutler and Coleman defined the golden age of bodybuilding on which the modern era is built. That said, which of the two beasts was your favorite?

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Joyita Das