After Clenching Victory From Then Favorite Flex Wheeler, ‘The King’ Ronnie Coleman Confesses an Unheard Truth About the Sultan of Symmetry

The sport of bodybuilding has witnessed umpteen rivalries in its history. Although none can match the tension between Flex Wheeler and Ronnie Coleman. After the retirement of Dorian Yates, Wheeler was the presumptive fan favorite. But that’s when Coleman intervened and created an era named after him. With winning eight consecutive Mr. Olympia titles, The King etched his name in the history of the sport. But surprisingly, he credited Wheeler for his success.

Recently, the IFBB pro appeared in an interview, where he revealed the untold truth about the Sultan of Symmetry. Recalling his prime time in the sport, Coleman shared, if it was not for Wheeler, the story would have been something else. Let’s get to know more through his lens.

Flex Wheeler, Ronnie Coleman camaraderie

Coleman made his debut on the professional bodybuilding stage in 1992 and had an all-natural body. Working as a police officer, the soon-to-be legend was not aware of the requirements of competitive bodybuilding and trained on his own. Nonetheless, Wheeler helped him out with various aspects of the sport that propelled him to achieve greatness.

In the latest interview with 2022 Mr. Olympia runner-up Derek Lunsford, The King paid tribute to his ‘best’ competitor. While asking Lunsford about their companionship, Coleman revealed, “What about the camaraderie, y’all guys have any camaraderie?… It’s the same way for me and the guys coming up, a lot of people don’t know Flex Wheeler pretty much is the reason why I won the Olympia.”

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Explaining his remark, the 8-time Mr. Olympia recounted how the Sultan introduced him to the greatest fitness coach. “He turned me on Chad Nichols. He’s like, ‘hey man who are you working with?’ Dude I’m doing my own things, he said ‘that’s crazy’. He gave me his number, I called Chad, Chad didn’t pick up the phone…So I called him again, and he called me back and the rest is pretty much history. Because I won my first Olympia that year.”

Moreover, Wheeler saw potential in him and was impressed by the overall outcome that anyone could hardly match to date.

Coleman’s physique astonished the Sultan

Wheeler was the legend known for his unmatched aesthetics and proportionate physique. In fact, his prodigious flair to perform a full split acquired him the moniker, ‘Flex’. Albeit, he never won any Sandow trophy in his career, Wheeler accomplished various other competitions like Ironman Pro, Grand Prix, and Night of Champions. However, the four-time Arnold Classic winner perceived Coleman as the worthy heir of his reign.

In a 2018 interview, the Sultan revealed that there’s still no one who could beat The King. “He’s the king. Ronnie will always be the king…I hope I am alive and hope I’m safe to look at the person who beats his best physique ever. I don’t foresee that.”

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Even though they were the greatest rivals in their prime, the legends were good friends off the stage, guiding and supporting each other on various occasions. As per Colman, Wheeler deserves a special mention for his dedication to the sport. Don’t you think the same?