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The bodybuilding industry is visually captivating. Big, strong men lubricate their bodies to show off the years’ worth of work they have put into it. Arnold Schwarzenegger has solidified his status as one of the greatest bodybuilders in the history of the sport throughout his professional career. He was the winner of a record seven Mr. Olympia titles, six of which came in a row.
But when he entered the competition in 1969, Sergio Oliva, aka TheMyth—another prominent bodybuilder—won first place. Then Schwarzenegger worked very hard to refine his poses and techniques so that he could beat Oliva in the competition the following year, 1970.
However, are you aware of how the Austrian-American actor, 76, defeated Oliva to win the 1970 Mr. Olympia title? A hint: He tricked The Myth. Despite losing his first fight to a three-time Mr. Olympia winner, Schwarzenegger skillfully planned his revenge in their subsequent fight.
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HowArnold Schwarzenegger Tricked Sergio Oliva to Get His Revenge
Sergio Oliva took home the title in 1969 whenArnold Schwarzeneggerentered the Mr. Olympia competition.The latter returned in 1970 and took first place; however, winning the title was somewhat contentious and has long been debated.As perOOFA Fitness, after the two were standing against each other as finalists, the jury asked them to compete in a heated pose-down that lasted for several minutes.
Because he was about to give up, Schwarzenegger gestured to The Myth to simply leave the stage. The latter accepted, got up from his pose, and began to move. OOFA Fitness quoted theFUBARactor as:
“In 1969, that was my first Mr Olimpia. I competed against Sergio Oliva, I lost against him. He was better than me. I gave him a big kiss on stage and I said ‘enjoy it, because this is the last time.’”
“I don’t think I had a longer comparison round than that Mr. World contest – the judges could not make up their minds. We were pouring sweat hitting and holding our poses, and I finally had to pull the trick on Sergio and tell him I thought we should just leave the stage.”
Talking about his relationship with The Myth off-stage, theTotal Recallactor explained how soon after Oliva left the stage, Schwarzenegger returned to strike another pose. He shared:
“Once he walked off, I hit another pose, and from then on, I never lost again. Besides being an inspiration to me, I also just loved hanging out with the guy in Chicago.”
READ MORE:7 Time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger Doesn’t Regret Being Paid $750 after Winning the Title: “We didn’t do it for the money”
What Did Sergio Oliva Have to Say About It?
Known as The Myth, the late bodybuilderSergio Oliva, a Cuban, was regarded by Arnold Schwarzenegger as the most formidable opponent he had faced. The 1970 competition was contentious, with many believing that the Austrian Oak had conned Sergio to win. Regardless, the latter had nothing but positive things to say aboutThe Terminatoractor.
Bodybuildingquoted Oliva as saying:
“No, what happened was Arnold and I were competitors but we were friends; he came to Chicago one time, him and Franco Columbo and I took them under my wing and they stayed with me. We had dinner at my house and we trained together.”
“I think the answer has to be Sergio Oliva, who won Mr. Olympia twice in a row before he beat me for his 3-peat in 1969. He was the dragon I had to slay to get to the top.”
The actor continued by describing how the late bodybuilder, who stood five feet ten inches tall, had a remarkable body:
“His body was incredible. Really, take a second and go google him. Just a monster, and a sweetheart of a guy. It took everything I had to beat him at the Mr. World and then the Mr. Olympia in 1970. I mean everything.”
Oliva died of apparent kidney failure on July 31, 2025.
It is difficult to imagine everyone’s favorite former California governor tricking his way through anything, let alone a bodybuilding competition.On the work front, he was recently seen inFUBAR, a Netflix original series by Nick Santora.
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Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
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With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
