“It Was Happening to Ali… Before My Eyes”: Arnold Schwarzenegger Faced a Tough Career Dilemma After Watching Legend Muhammad Ali’s Comeback Fight in 1980

Bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger moved to the United States of America in 1968 and two years later won his Mr. Olympia title. He continued to defend that title for five subsequent years till 1975, making him the most decorated bodybuilder of that time.

After establishing his legacy in the sport as one of the greatest bodybuilders ever, Schwarzenegger pivoted to film. His lifelong dream of becoming a big Hollywood star became his next goal. But in 1980, Schwarzenegger decided to have another go at the Mr. Olympia title.

Arnold Schwarzenegger competed one last time in 1980

Training his body for his title role in ‘Conan the Barbarian’ at the time, Arnold Schwarzenegger decided to compete in the 1980 Mr. Olympia competition one last time. CBS had hired him to provide color commentary for network television and announced his bid for the title at the eleventh hour. However, his decision met strong opposition from everyone.

His old friend, Dan Howard, advised him against it, and the other entrants in the competition didn’t believe he could win either. But Schwarzenegger remained steadfast in his belief that he had a good chance at victory. The only time he entertained second thoughts was raised by the title fight between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes taking place on the Friday night before the Olympia.

“You hear the stories of the old guys, the former champs, coming back and getting wiped out by the new guys. And it was happening to Ali right before my eyes,” Schwarzenegger said. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who had announced his retirement in 1979, re-entered the ring with his bout against Larry Holmes, billed as “The Last Hurrah!” Almost unanimously, Ali’s decision to partake in this match was considered a big mistake, given his deteriorating health. 

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And anyone watching the fight could tell that it hadn’t been in Ali’s best interests. “Just like me, he decided to come back one more time,” Schwarzenegger continued. “I could see he was making a mistake and for a split second I had to wonder if I’d be making the same mistake by entering the Olympia the next day. Would I be risking my legend? But it was only for a split second.”

Schwarzenegger had a controversial victory

 Arnold Schwarzenegger’s good friend Paul Graham hosted the 1980 Mr. Olympia contest in Sydney, Australia. The reigning Mr. Olympia, Frank Zane, had approached Schwarzenegger on whether he should compete to defend his title despite an injury. The legend gave him the go-ahead and even denied any intentions to enter the competition himself.

Schwarzenegger hailed as the legend of bodybuilding, had only 8 weeks of serious training, and some of his body parts were still lacking in size and development. The Pumping Iron star had the best arms onstage that day. However, his abdominal and thigh pose revealed average ab development with a wide waist offset by thin, underdeveloped quadriceps.

With his big smile and showmanship winning over the audience, however, Schwarzenegger came out victorious. But with the top competitors standing there in peak condition, his victory gained harsh criticism from his peers. Many in the audience booed the final standings. Mike Mentzer, in particular, felt cheated and withdrew from competitive bodybuilding after that contest.

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In the end, the 1980 Mr. Olympia contest would go down in history as one of the most exciting and controversial bodybuilding contests in the history of the sport.