Before Starring in Pumping Iron Together, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Old Rival, the Incredible Hulk Star, Revisits a Memory From His 2nd Mr. Olympia in 1975

Bodybuilding icon Lou Ferrigno exploded onto the bodybuilding scene in the early 1970s. While Arnold Schwarzenegger had broken records after winning four Mr. Olympias, Lou Ferrigno emerged as his biggest rival on the bodybuilding stage. Ferrigno was taller than Arnie and had a 20 lbs weight advantage on stage. In 1974 and 1975, before starring in the iconic film Pumping Iron, Ferrigno, and Schwarzenegger faced off on the Mr. Olympia stage.

Earlier today, the bodybuilding legend, who became the first man to portray the live-action version of The Hulk, shared a memory from 1975. The 71-year-old shared a video on his Instagram story that captured the moments leading up to a career-defining moment.

A scene from the icon docu-drama Pumping Iron (1977)

On Aug 10, Instagram page edison_shmidth posted a video captioned, “Battle for Mr.Olympia 1975.” The clip contains the iconic scene from the climax of Pumping Iron, where three bodybuilders, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, and Serge Nubret, get ready before stepping on the Olympia stage for the last time during the 1975 season.

The clip showed the then-five-time Mr. Olympia being his confident self, while Ferrigno looked a little worried. Arnie often played such mind games with his opponents to throw them off. In the case of Lou Ferrigno, the seven-time Mr. Olympia’s tricks worked in 1974 and 1975. During the final posedown in 1974, Ferrigno looked “depressed,” according to Schwarzenegger.

In ’75, the bodybuilding icon also shook Ferrigno’s confidence and claimed the Incredible Hulk star had mistimed his peak. Pumping Iron showcased the journey of Schwarzenegger and Ferrigno during the ’75 Mr. Olympia. The clip however only showed the moment leading up to the final posedown. It was a career-defining moment as Arnie won his sixth Olympia title, while Ferrigno slipped to third place behind Serge Nubret. 

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The Incredible Hulk actor shared the clip on his Instagram story. While Ferrigno lost to Schwarzenegger when they met on the Mr. Olympia stage, he beat the five-time Mr. Universe in another career-defining moment.

Lou Ferrigno beat Arnold Schwarzenegger to play the Hulk

When the creators of the live-action Hulk show looked for bodybuilders who could play the superhero, Schwarzenegger was their first choice. However, in 1997, they decided to give the role to Lou Ferrigno. The bodybuilder might not have won a Mr. Olympia, but he was two inches taller than Arnold at 6’4” and weight around 280 lbs in the off-season.

The creators thought Ferrigno would be an even better choice to portray the intimidating size of the Hulk on screen. Hence despite being the first choice, Ferrigno beath the Austrian Oak and planned the role. The Incredible Hulk turned Ferrigno into a star and remains a classic.

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What did you think about the clip Lou Ferrigno shared? Write your thoughts in the comments.