Bodybuilding Legend Arnold Schwarzenegger Once Revealed a WWE Star He Would Avoid in His Prime and its Not Hulk Hogan

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a bodybuilding icon and one of the most accomplished athletes in the sport. A seven-time Mr. Olympia winner, his physique was the benchmark when it came to bodybuilding for decades. The Austrian Oak was also one of the most powerful men when it came to weightlifting and held various records throughout his career.

Even today he looks as fit as ever, while at his peak there was hardly anybody who could come close to The Terminator. The action movie icon is also a huge wrestling fan and once gave a WWE star a massive compliment.

It is true that very few people in the world would even think of competing against Schwarzenegger in his prime. However, he once himself said he would not have liked to compete against a particular WWE star even in his prime and no, it is not Hulk Hogan. This is despite the Hulkster flexing biceps larger than Arnold at one time.

Arnold Schwarzenegger said he won’t like to compete with one WWE superstar

Arnold Schwarzenegger had a distinguished bodybuilding career and can be credited with putting the sport on the map. His impressive feats of strength and power became the talk of the town in no time. To give an idea of his strength, he once bench-pressed a mammoth 525 pounds.

Apart from participating in Olympic Weightlifting events, he also found success in powerlifting before his bodybuilding career took off. His personal Squat record stood at 474lbs. His deadlift weighed a startling 683lbs. Not to mention he was just above 21 years when he racked up those numbers. It is safe to say he was quite untouchable at his peak.

In an interview in 2015, IGN asked Schwarzenegger, who is also a wrestling fan, if in his prime he was stronger than WWE’s Brock Lesnar. The bodybuilding icon replied that Lesnar was a monster, and he was not sure if he would ever want to go up against him in a lifting contest.

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Arnold said, “I’ve stood next to Brock. He is a monster. I am not sure I would want to ever compete in a lifting tournament with someone that big.”

Indeed, this is massive praise coming from a man who inspired a generation to take up bodybuilding as a career. Schwarzenegger’s statement may have surprised a few people. But when we consider Lesnar’s strength and his accomplishments, the argument holds weight.

Brock Lesnar is a former NCAA Champion and reportedly benches over 600 pounds and his personal best is lifting an astounding 655lbs. During his NFL stint, the former WWE Champion set the record of 43 reps on 255 lbs in the bench press. These are impressive as well as scary numbers. When we take this into consideration, we can see where Arnold’s apprehensions were coming from.

A prime Arnold Schwarzenegger competing against The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar in a weightlifting competition would have been a salivating prospect for the fans.

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