Eight-time championship title holder Ronnie Coleman is a legend in the bodybuilding industry. The athlete claimed victory in the IFBB 26 times. Coleman has also proved his love for the sport by going as far as continuing training even after suffering severe injuries. After winning the crown 8 times in a row which granted him the moniker The King from his fans, Coleman was finally dethroned by Jay Cutler in 2006.
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Video footage from the event shows that Ronnie Coleman wasn’t shaken after his loss. Instead, he stood calmly, congratulating Cutler with a hug. In a recent discussion with Patrick Bet-David in 2020, Coleman, now recovering from a deadly spine surgery revisited the day he lost the championship title. Revealing, how he secretly knew that his time has come thanks to an ex-girlfriend, Ondrea “Vickie” Victoria Gates.
Ronnie Coleman explained his actions back in 2006
When questioned why he seemed so confident when they announced it, Coleman explained in his Valuetainment interview, “Yeah cause I already knew I was gonna be second far away.”
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Furthermore, he continued, “My girlfriend told me.” Ronnie Coleman was dating strength athlete and pro-bodybuilder Vickie Gates from Texas at the time. Gates was near the judges’ table during the deciding moments of the competition, and she managed to steal a glance at the scoreboard. “She saw the score,” continued Coleman, “they got you second (she said).”
Coleman further mentioned how she wanted to prepare him for the situation. “She’d been with me for a long time,” he concluded. Vicky Gates was three times runners-up, Ms. Olympia, before retiring in 2003.
Jay Cutler and Ronnie’s rivalry was loved by all
Cutler consistently came second to Coleman four times before finally winning the competition against his idol in 2006. He would later secure four Mr. Olympia titles in his career. Although Cutler was more than happy to break Coleman’s legendary winning streak, he has admitted on more than one occasion, that his career took a hit after Coleman retired.
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This shows how much the fans loved watching the Coleman–Cutler rivalry on stage. Cutler, who considers bodybuilding to be an art form had stated to the press that it took him over two weeks to realize that it happened.
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