Over Two Decades After Winning His Only Arnold Classic, Ailing Ronnie Coleman Reveals $93,000 Reason for Why He Competed

Ronnie Coleman is the arguable GOAT of bodybuilding. From 1998 to 2005, Coleman dominated the Mr. Olympia stage, winning eight titles in a row. However, despite his dominance, the former cop won only one Arnold Classic title. Bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger founded the Arnold Classic, and today it stands as the most prestigious bodybuilding contest after Mr. Olympia. So why did Coleman participate (and win) only once?

In his latest YouTube vlog, the 59-year-old former Mr. Olympia showed the game he attended between the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners. The video captured many fans who came up to the bodybuilding icon to click a photograph or chat. During one such interaction, the eight-time Mr. Olympia revealed the $93,000 reason why he competed in the 2001 Arnold Classic.

Ronnie Coleman loves bodybuilding and cars

Before the game started, the bodybuilding icon went down to the field and talked to some players. Others also came up to Coleman for a chat. One of his fans showed Coleman a still from the 2001 Arnold Classic win. “Look at how young Arnold looks right there when I won his show,” said the former mass monster. “That was 2001,” added the 59-year-old.

“That’s the year you got the yellow Hummer?” asked the fan. After Coleman answered with a “yeah”, the fan asked if he competed in the Arnold Classic because he wanted to win the 2001 version of the car Schwarzenegger endorsed. “Yeah. That’s the reason the only reason why I competed,” said the bodybuilding icon. While everyone knows about Coleman’s passion for bodybuilding, his love for cars is a lesser-known fact.

In 2007, the East Valley Tribune checked out The King’s car collection. According to the Tribune, Coleman owned a pair of Cadillac Escaldes, a yellow Hummer H1, a Mercedes S-55 AMG, and more. However, Coleman also decided to add an Arnold Classic title to his trophy case. Hence, despite being in a lot of pain, the bodybuilder competed and won.

The eight-time Mr. Olympia nearly missed out on his Arnold win

In April 2023, the eight-time Mr. Olympia worked out with last year’s Mr. Olympia runner-up, Derek Lunsford. During the workout, Coleman talked about his career. The King recounted how he had a severe injury shortly before the Arnold Classic and nearly missed out on competing. The 59-year-old said during prep that he had hurt his back.

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Initially, Coleman thought his back was sore, and the pain didn’t subside. Colemen went to the hospital and found he had a herniated disk. The accident happened during a session of heavy squats. However, Coleman stopped doing squats momentarily instead of resting and skipping the Arnold Classic. He continued to train after a short rest and won the show.

Watch this story | Arnold Schwarzenegger Reunited with Ailing Ronnie Coleman for Special Occasion 

What did you think of Ronnie Coleman’s revelation? Did you know about his love for cars? Tell us in the comments.