Rivalries are common in every sport, and bodybuilding is no different. The sport of bodybuilding has seen many iconic rivalries over the years. From Arnold Schwarzenegger vs. Sergio Oliva to Ronnie Coleman vs. Jay Cutler, rivalries have always fascinated fans and given them a reason to rally behind their favorite bodybuilder. However, few rivalries are as bitter and infamous as the rivalry between seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath and three-time Arnold Classic champion Kai Greene.

From 2012 to 2014, Kai Greene emerged as Phil Heath’s biggest rival. While the rivalry was short-lived, it was intense. Even though nearly a decade has passed since their on-stage feud ended, the two avoid one another. So when arch-rivals encounter one another at the Arnold Classic 2023, things got awkward.

Awkward greetings and a coincidence

Kai Greene was among the many bodybuilding icons and legends who attended the Arnold Sports Festival. Earlier, he uploaded an Instagram story about an encounter with his former on-stage rival Phil Heath. At the beginning of the clip, Greene and Heath shake one another’s hand close in for a half-embrace. “This guy,” said Greene as the two men smiled.

The two exchanged a few more words, and Kai Greene said, “you sound like uhh….” and trailed off, leaving Heath to fill in the gap. “It’s more about everybody else’s emotions now, not ours, right?” Heath said to his former bodybuilding rival, trying to make sense of the situation. After a short pause, he said, “sounds like you gonna do something.”

“I mean that’s what you sound like. We want none of that right?” said Greene. However, that’s where the conversation ends. After Greene posted the story, Phil Heah shared it with the caption, “always a mystery with this guy.” While the conversation might sound confusing, the seven-time Mr. Olympia’s wife made an interesting observation.

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Coincidentally the arch-rivals own the same bag. “Wait a second, you guys have the same bag,” said Shurie Heath. “Stop playing, where’s the bag at?” asked Greene. Heath revealed he had left it in his room. It was evident from Kai Greene’s Instagram story that the two rivals still aren’t comfortable around one another.

The infamous feud between the bodybuilding legends

Rivals always try to outsmart or rile up one another. When Arnold won his first Mr. Olympia title, he and Sergio Oliva were so closely matched the judges couldn’t decide. On stage, Schwarzenegger told Oliva they should both step off the stage as they were getting tired. However, when Oliva obliged, Schwarzenegger resumed his posing routine.

Similarly, in 2014, Kai Greene tried to get a mental edge over Phil Heath during the press conference. When Phil Heath was talking about the promise he made to his late father, Greene cut him off. The argument became heated, and Bob Cicherillo stepped in before things got out of hand.

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It seems Phil Heath and Kai Greene haven’t ironed out all the issues of their competitive past.