Bodybuilding icon Arnold Schwarzenegger is not fond of defeats, and when he got a taste of it at the 1968 Mr. Universe, the athlete wasn’t pleased. King of Aesthetics, Frank Zane, outperformed Arnie with his superior conditioning. Moreover, years after the latter’s defeat, he once hinted at his rivalry with Zane with a demeaning comment on his physique.

Unable to accept his loss, Arnie was flustered. Zane, on the other hand, didn’t even think of Arnie as competition, given that he was only a budding athlete back then. Speaking of the instance, in a recent interview, the three-time Mr. Olympia discussed what led to his 1968 triumph, leaving Arnold in the stands.

Frank Zane’s humble explanation of his most epic win

After the event, Schwarzenegger was unable to accept his defeat by Frank Zane, and thus, he addressed him, saying, “I just got beat by a chicken with 17-inch arms.” This remark even reached the ears of the athlete itself. Recalling his relationship with Arnold and how his victory affected the two athletes, Zane shared unheard details in a recent interview with Scott Danner.

The host explained Zane’s feat as an honor since he was among the few who had defeated the legendary Arnold. “Well, we didn’t know each other at the time; it was 1968, and I just won Mr. America the week before, and I was in great shape whereas he wasn’t in his best shape,” the 81-year-old pro casually added.

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Soon after the competition, Arnie flew off to California, eventually receiving the Joe Weider sponsorship, whereas Zane had to get back to teaching math full-time in Florida. He added, “I was just doing everything on my own, and eventually I made it out to California and started, you know, I got a job teaching there for eight years.” After having saved up enough to pursue bodybuilding full-time, Zane gave his all and ended up winning three Mr. Olympia titles. Not only Arnold but even Zane had an interesting insight for his rival.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was not even a competition for Frank Zane

Remembering his first impression of The Austrian Oak in 1968, the IFBB Hall of Famer revealed that he did not consider Arnie his competition. He felt that the athlete still had a lot of work to do and was not up for winning that year’s Mr. Universe title. As a result, Zane won the show, beating Arnold, which remains a peak moment of the former’s career.

“He was just a big smooth guy without a tan. I didn’t see him as competition in that show,” Zane once shared in an interview. The loss hit Arnie hard, and he was left in disbelief. However, this also ended up firing him up to ace his upcoming shows.

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Both athletes are looked upon as Golden Era greats. While Arnie moved on with his ambitious nature and became an action legend and a governor, Zane was satisfied with a life of peace and quiet. Regardless, their finesse remains treasured in the bodybuilding sphere.