Sergio Oliva, more famously referred to as the Myth, was the undeniable force in bodybuilding in the 1960s. Having won the Mr. Olympia championship three times, defeating him on stage was a far-off dream. Competitors knew that when he was on stage, claiming the title was too far a reality. But Arnold Schwarzenegger thought otherwise.

When Arnold first stood beside Sergio in 1969, he knew he got no chance. Claiming the second spot that year, Arnold made up his mind not to return empty hands in the coming year. When Sergio first saw Arnold, he was impressed. He knew the young lad had potential, but losing the title never crossed his mind.

Sergio Oliva opened up about the infamous 1970 pose off with Arnold 

23-year-old Arnold was in no mood to leave space for Oliva. This year he was all set to claim the spot. As Sergio walked the stage to pose off, he saw “Arnold posed like a great champ.” Talking about the famous pose of a round that went down in history as one of the most iconic moments in bodybuilding, Sergio, in a 2019 interview, said, “it was unbelievable.”

Talking about himself, he said, “I was in my top shape, not the best, but one of my top shapes.” Sergio was confident in himself; he revealed, “I knew I would not lose against Arnold because I had no weak spots, and so anyway, he went on, and he’s a warrior.”

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But much to his dismay that year, Arnold won the title. Arnold and Sergio’s onstage rivalry is one of the most famous tales in bodybuilding. They have been competitors back then, but now they remain on cordial terms.

Looking back at the bodybuilding career of Arnold Schwarzenegger 

Arnold’s love for bodybuilding travels back to his teenage days. The ex-army man has always been passionate about the sport and wanted to make himself a name. Thus, when he got the opportunity to portray his talent, he grabbed the opportunity.

Apart from winning seven Mr. Olympia titles, he also won five Mr. Universe titles. His record remained unbroken till Lee Haney, and Ronnie Coleman came into the picture. To date, Arnold remains the youngest winner of Mr. Olympia. To commemorate his contribution to the sport, every year Arnold Sports Festival is organized.

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