Arnold Schwarzenegger is the name that has been in the realm of bodybuilding for over four decades. Despite, his incredible accomplishments, his return to Mr. Olympia in 1980 stirred controversy that still lingers today. Many people believe it was one of the most controversial wins in bodybuilding history. People haven’t forgotten the controversial victory, which led Mike Mentzer to quit competitive bodybuilding.

Recently, Generation Iron posted a picture of Schwarzenegger and asked about the top five comebacks in bodybuilding history. While mentioning other bodybuilders who made successful comebacks, fans expressed their outrage at the inclusion of Arnie’s 1980 comeback.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s comeback in 1980 tops the list

Generation Iron, in their top five list along with Schwarzenegger, included Lou Ferrigno’s in 1992, Keving Levorone’s in 2016, Jay Cutler’s in 2009, and Phil Heath’s in 2020. These bodybuilders made remarkable returns to the sport, earning admiration and rewriting their stories of success. Arnold himself won the Sandow trophy six times consecutively until 1975 and a total of seven times over his career.

Following that, he took a hiatus from competitive events to focus on his acting career. But have you wondered what triggered him to make his comeback five years later?  Well, during an interview, his rival and three-time Mr. Olympia winner Frank Zane revealed what might have triggered him.

He candidly shared an incident during an interview, before they became rivals, everybody used to train at Gold’s Gym, building friendships through total cooperation. Before the 1980 Olympia, Zane, having won three times, told Schwarzenegger that winning 3 Olympias is nothing compared to beating him at the Mr. Universe stage. He believed that it might have fueled Arnie’s comeback the next year, where the debate arose on whether he should have won.

Schwarzenegger’s number-one placing hurt fans’ feelings

Schwarzenegger’s comeback in 1980 is often remembered as one of the most talked-about and disputed moments in the competitive sphere. Fans continued to express their disappointment and anger, making it a topic that hasn’t faded away even after 43 years.

One user expressed his anger and said, “Everybody knows what happened in 1980.”

Another wrote, “Number 1 the biggest robbery in bodybuilding.”

READ MORE: 6x Mr. Olympia Aka ‘The Shadow’ Credits Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Arch-Rival for His Bodybuilding Philosophy

“Cutler is number 1 because he actually won and deserved to. Arnie didn’t deserve to in a lot of people’s opinions.”

Others have a similar expression calling it

“The great robbery of 1980.”

One questioned the placing,

“How is Arnold top he should’ve come about 4th in 1980.”“There is only one successful comeback and that one is ended with the famous quad stomp. Arnold’s comeback was a joke…” wrote another bodybuilding enthusiast.

Do you also agree with people’s reactions, or do you think Schwarzenegger’s victory was well-deserved? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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