“Incredible Hulk Versus Mighty Mouse”: Lifting Community Debates as Clip of 4’10 Bodybuilding Veteran Posing With 6’4 Lou Ferrigno Resurfaces

What happens when a 6’4 inch man squares up against a 4’10 inch man on the bodybuilding stage? As absurd as it might sound, this is exactly what happened at the 1993 Mr. Olympia. Lou Ferrigno made his final Mr. Olympia appearance after his short-lived comeback, and he went up against 4’10 Italian bodybuilder Flavio Baccianini.

While you’d think Baccianini wouldn’t stand a chance against the 6’4 man, that wasn’t the case. After the video of the bizarre head-to-head resurfaced, bodybuilding fans flocked to the commenters section. They didn’t mince their words in naming who they preferred. 

How the David vs. Goliath clash happened

After failing to beat his biggest rival, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno retired from bodybuilding right before hitting his prime in the mid-70s. However, after starring as The Incredible Hulk, the bodybuilding legend found success and fame. Yet, the first man to portray the live-action Marvel superhero returned to bodybuilding for one last shot at glory in 1992.

Despite being past his prime, Ferrigno even made the original mass monster, Dorian Yates, look small. The following year, the Italian Flavio Baccianini qualified for the Mr. Olympia in 1993. Thus, the stage was set for a one-of-a-kind David vs. Goliath clash on the bodybuilding stage. The resurfaced footage showed how the two bodybuilders had a bizarre yet fun pose down on stage. However, the fans favored the Italian.

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The bodybuilding community preferred David to Goliath 

“Flavio (Baccianini)… Way better condition! Way better legs too!” said one fan after watching the footage. While Lou Ferrigno had an overwhelming advantage in height and weight, fans thought the Italian outdid him in other aspects. “The little fella looks way better,” said another bodybuilding fan. One fan couldn’t help but reference the Incredible Hulk TV show from the 80s.

“It’s the incredible Hulk versus Mighty Mouse,” said the fan. Another fan marveled at the size difference between the two bodybuilders. “At 6’4… Imagine how Big he was, he’d also outangled Dorian,” commented the fan. Dorian Yates might have been a six-time Mr. Olympia and the first bodybuilder to compete close to 300 lbs. However, Ferrigno was larger.

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Another fan made an interesting comparison. While the size difference was incredible, he explained a way to level the playing field. “If you just took pictures and sized them to look equal. They would both look 6’4 and the shorter guy would definitely win,” commented the fan. What do you think about the resurfaced video? Did Lou Ferrigno deserve his 10th-place finish at the 1993 Mr. Olympia, or should Flavio Baccianini have placed better? Let us know in the comments below.