He was an idol of mine – When Arnold Schwarzenegger opened up about his relationship with Muhammad Ali × Follow Us Create Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Link Approve Reject & ban Delete Log in Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout Bodybuilding Feature

He was an idol of mine – When Arnold Schwarzenegger opened up about his relationship with Muhammad Ali

By Vishnu Mohan Modified 19 Sep 2022 Follow Us Comment Share Arnold Classic Sports Festival (Image via Getty) Arnold Schwarzenegger is arguably the most popular bodybuilder in history. Having started his career at 15, the Austrian climbed his way up to become one of the best bodybuilders of his time. He had one of the most illustrious careers in bodybuilding, following which he went on to become an actor and a politician. Schwarzenegger is an inspiration to millions. Gyms around the world continue to have the Austrian Oak’s posters on their walls to motivate the new generation. It is pertinent to note that the legendary bodybuilder himself has a few role models as well. Among the Austrian’s idols was Muhammad Ali. Boxing History@BoxingHistoryA young Arnold @Schwarzenegger with "The Greatest," Muhammad Ali.

#boxing #history20732A young Arnold @Schwarzenegger with "The Greatest," Muhammad Ali.#boxing #history https://t.co/E8IOQdzduq Everyone gets their inspiration from somewhere, and Arnold Schwarzenegger had boxing legend Muhammad Ali for it. The former governor of California religiously followed Ali’s speeches for motivation. Having grown up with the boxer as an idol, Schwarzenegger never thought that he would end up befriending the legend. The duo shared a healthy relationship until Ali passed away in 2016. Schwarzenegger recalls spending time with Muhammad Ali and revealed that the boxer’s generosity continues to move him. The Terminator actor was paying tribute to Ali at his funeral when he revealed that he always carried the boxing legend as a motivational figure throughout his career. Speaking at Muhammad Ali’s funeral in Louisville, Kentucky, Arnold Schwarzenegger said: “I just came here to honor Ali, because I think he was a great motivation for all of us, and he was an idol of mine… People ask me, ‘Who are some of your idols?’ He’s one of the five people that I always mention, because of his generosity and because of his great skills.” The 75-year-old actor-politician said that Ali inspired him with his philanthropy. He added: “I’ve seen him first-hand handing out USD 100 bills. He was just a great friend that I had a lot of fun hanging out with.” Arnold Schwarzenegger was joined by a long list of celebrities, including Billy Crystal, Will Smith, Dave Chappelle, and Spike Lee, at Ali’s funeral ceremony in Louisville.

Arnold Schwarzenegger lauds Ali s smile of superiority

In the past, Schwarzenegger revealed how he would tune into boxing events on the radio. The bodybuilder claimed that he grew close to Muhammad Ali in this way. He also revealed that he adored the legendary boxer’s smile as it showed “superiority.” Speaking about Ali in an interview with Men's Health, Schwarzenegger said: “In the old days, we posed every day for half an hour. To flex every muscle in your body is very strenuous and takes a lot of oxygen, but we trained ourselves to smile anyway. It says to the judges, ‘Look, I’m showing you the biggest muscles in the world, and I’m smiling while I do it.’ It’s like Ali used to laugh while he was boxing. It showed his superiority.” It is pertinent to note that Muhammad Ali was more than just a boxer. He was a global phenomenon. The boxer’s fast-paced moves inside the ring and his charismatic personality outside the ring made him a household name around the world. Arnold Schwarzenegger can proudly boast that the GOAT boxer was also a friend apart from an idol. Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Sabine Algur × Feedback Thank You! Be the first one to comment Follow Us Share Show More Comments GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout No Results Found Get the free App now Manage notifications Popular ‍ Sports (30+) CricketCricket HomeScheduleT20 World CupT20 warm upIND vs SAENG vs PAKAUS vs ENGLegends LeagueECS T10 CroatiaWBBL 2022ECC T10SMAT 2022Bukhatir LeagueNZ T20 Tri-SeriesWomen's Asia Cup 2022ECT10 FootballFootball HomeNewslettersSK Experts ScheduleEPLNations LeagueLa LigaLigue 1Champions LeagueFIFA WCMLS Bundesliga Serie A WWEWWE HomeNewslettersRumor RoundupRAWSmackDownResultsRosterChampionsWWE Crown Jewel 2022PPV ScheduleAEW EsportsEsports HomeMinecraftOverwatch 2RobloxGenshin ImpactFortniteGTAStreamersFree FirePUBGValorantBGMIPop CultureAnimeGaming TechWiki Guides TennisTennis HomeTennis calendarTennis Results TodayATP RankingsWTA RankingsRoger FedererRafael NadalNovak DjokovicSerena Williams MMAMMA HomeUFC NewsONE ChampionshipUFC Fight NightScheduleRankingsResultsUFC Fights TonightONE Championship ResultsONE Championship ScheduleONE Championship Rankings KabaddiKabaddi HomePKL 2022PKL SchedulePKL Points TableKabaddi Rules WikiWiki HomeMinecraft WikiNaruto WikiTikTok WikiYoutube WikiGTA WikiTerraria WikiOne Piece Wiki MoreSportsBasketballIndian FootballNFLMinecraftFormula 1NascarPop CultureCollege FootballHockeyGolfAthleticsBadmintonGymnasticsWrestlingSwimmingTennisShootingBoxingArcheryWinter SportsRobloxFree PicksSkateboardingKho KhoLifestyle LINKS About Us Write For Us Policies Editorial Standards Journalism Awards Fact Check Affiliate Program Careers CSR Privacy Policy Contact Us Edition: English हिन्दी