Ronnie Coleman dominated the bodybuilding stage like no other. Winning the Mr. Olympia titles eight consecutive times, his dominance remained unchallenged for a long time. Halting the winning streak emerged Jay Cutler. What followed subsequently was the famous “Coleman-Cutler” rivalry.

In one of the most competitive years in the history of bodybuilding, the two legends left no room for others. Known for strong opinions, Jay, in his interview with ‘The Barbell’ honestly answered the popular question, “was Ronnie, the superstar of the era?”

Cutler opens up on Ronnie

Apart from the passion for bodybuilding, the two legends stand the polar opposite. While Ronnie is a man of few words, Jay explains himself as an “ambassador” who loves “traveling the planet and doing all the other stuff.” According to him, it was easier for Ronnie to “be a superstar“ because of him.

Talking about his rivalry with Ronnie, Cutler says, “he had someone breathing down his neck.” The competition engaged the people and made them talk. Putting across his viewpoint, he points out that had Ronnie been by himself, he wouldn’t have been “as popular.” He adds, “I was a guy who made it much easier for him.” Unlike most of his contemporaries, Ronnie never spoke much.

Read More: “Jay Cutler Is Smoking Cr*”k”: 8 Time Mr. Olympia Winner Ronnie Coleman Destroyed His Biggest Rival’s Claim on Dethroning Him Once

As Cutler says, Ronnie was famous for his gym antics. Ronnie’s popularity was greatly influenced by Jay likewise, Jay’s drive to perform increased because of his desire to outperform.

How did ‘defeating Ronnie Coleman’ become Jay’s life’s purpose?

Being consistently placed at number two in the top 10 did not mean much to Cutler. For him, defeating ‘The King’ was the bigger deal. After replaying his career over and over, Jay realized he was more motivated to register his win over Ronnie.

Acknowledging that, he says he is the “guy who beat Ronnie Coleman.” The bodybuilder adds, “my whole career was about beating the one guy.” As Cutler rose to prominence, Coleman took his retreat. A Ronnie fan, Jay was influenced by him.