The year was 1980, and one of the world’s greatest boxers had just announced he was stepping out of his retirement after a year. Muhammad Ali stepped inside the ring on October 2, 1980, to fight against world heavyweight champ Larry Holmes. It did not end well for the veteran. So naturally, when another sporting legend was thinking of making his comeback, his then-girlfriend Maria Shriver wasn’t necessarily thrilled at the idea. This is the story of how Arnold Schwarzenegger made a comeback in bodybuilding and unlike Ali, he shocked many, including Shriver.

Ted Kennedy had just lost the Democratic presidential nomination around then, and Maria Shriver, a Kennedy family member, didn’t want another upsetting news. She believed her then-boyfriend, Schwarzenegger’s bodybuilding days were behind him, and getting back on the stage would only taint his established name. But Schwarzenegger just couldn’t let go of his yearning to compete one final time.

Despite Maria Shriver’s worries, Schwarzenegger couldn’t let go of the idea of returning to the stage

In his autobiography Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story, Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote, “But I just couldn’t let it go. The more I thought about it, the more I dug in on the idea.” Shriver was initially hell-bent on the idea that it would not end well for him. Taking cues from Muhammad Ali’s return, she thought that the newer bunch of bodybuilders would have the edge over him.

Schwarzenegger knew that she wasn’t wrong. But he could see other bodybuilders around him who were performing exceptionally well on stage. Frank Zane had won the competition three times in a row. And Mike Mentzer was a 5’8″ Pennsylvanian bodybuilding who was roaring to go. But all this only exacerbated Schwarzenegger’s wish to compete.

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So, he finally decided to get back out there one last time.  Shriver, although dead set against it, knew Arnie quite well. So, she supported him, as she did years later during Schwarzenegger’s stint as the Governor of California. She was a true pillar besides Schwarzenegger.

Defying all odds, Schwarzenegger won his 7th Olympia title

Shriver turned around in bed one night and told Schwarzenegger, that if he still wanted to compete, she was in on it. “She became an extraordinary partner”, wrote Schwarzenegger in the book. And so, he did. The 1980 Mr. Olympia took place in Sydney, Australia, and Schwarzenegger thought that it could be a good preparation for his role as Conan (which he was set to do next). However, all he ever wanted was to feel the adulation of the crowd as he flexed in various poses. It was the same adulation he felt for years before he retired.

Ali was 38 years old and he lost to 31-year-old Larry Holmes in 1980. But Schwarzenegger defied the odds to bring home his 7th Mr. Olympia title. Ali’s loss didn’t take away anything from his achievements, and neither did Schwarzenegger have anything left to prove with his 7th title victory. But it goes to show, what makes a true champion isn’t all the titles and records, but the unquenchable yearning to get back out there one final time and show the world who’s who.

WATCH THIS STORY: A Quick Look At The Dating History of Bodybuilding Legend Arnold Schwarzenegger