Arnold Schwarzenegger came out victorious by winning the title of Mr. Olympia 7 times, and it was all because of his competitive nature. While in bodybuilding, he competed with elite athletes like Sergio Oliva and Lou Ferrigno. A pretty similar zeal came into him when he started taking his career in acting seriously.

His biggest rival turned out to be none other than iconic Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone, who recorded a blockbuster in 1976, with his boxing film Rocky. Just a year later, Arnie’s bodybuilding documentary, Pumping Iron, was released. Hollywood did indeed witness one of the most staunch rivalries between the two in the 1980s. That being said, the competition was mostly healthy and now the two have even turned into friends! Here’s how.

Sylvester Stallone shares what made him love Arnold Schwarzenegger 

In one of Sylvester Stallone’s recent YouTube videos, he gets in conversation with Al Pacino and Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the video, he reveals how their only similarity was what turned them from enemies to friends. He said, “Even though we were very adversarial when we were younger because we were competitive, it became something we realized we’re incredibly alike. Cut from the same cloth and now I love the guy.”

Demonstrating the affection that the two have for each other, in the video, Arnie gives Stallone the sword that he used in Conan the Barbarian. Apparently, he was giving Stallone ‘Conan Lessons’. They even performed a pumpkin challenge where they carved the pumpkins with the Conan sword, and the video was immensely fun to watch.

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On the other hand, when Arnie first got into Hollywood, he faced a lot of rejection because of his heavy accent. But, he answered all such doubts with his charisma and stunts in Conan the Barbarian, managing to make a name for himself. Back then, the only competition he had was with Sylvester Stallone. But how did this rivalry fuel Arnie’s success?

Sly played a major role in making Arnold Schwarzenegger number one!

Arnold Schwarzenegger only had one goal in his entire career, proving himself as the best. According to Arnie, Sylvester Stallone’s action stunts were what ignited this desire to become the ‘Number One’. Accordingly, every time one of them did well in a movie, the other would look to outperform him. “I always need an enemy. Sly was ahead of me in the ’80s so it was for me to catch up, Every time he came out with a movie like ‘Rambo II,’ I had to now figure out a way of outdoing that,” Schwarzenegger had said about their rivalry.

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In the 1980s, deadly stunts, massacre of villains, and intense sequences became a signature mark for both the action heroes. That being said, both seem to be in agreement that it was their rivalry that brought them to the top, rendering them invincible. What are your thoughts on the two legends? Let us know in the comments section below!