There have been rumors circulating all over the world of bodybuilding and fitness that two of its greatest current competitors do not actually have the best of ties. I wasn’t going to talk about it just because I don’t like to add fuel to the fire. I have always been someone that has prided myself on writing articles and trying to put out content that promotes positivity and harmony. But that being said, it’s difficult to ignore something that has been presented to me on a number of occasions by a number of my readers. After all, what I do here at IronMag is put my finger on the fitness industry pulse. The reason that a lot of people come here is because of the fact that we don’t cookie-coat stuff. We tell it like it is. I know that sometimes that will ruffle people’s feathers. As a result I have found myself blocked on social media by a number of competitors – including reigning Mr Olympia champions. That being said, if you want to be respected by your audience for your objectivity, you really can’t pick and choose what you want to write about and what you don’t. You can, however, err on the side of optimism. Optimism that whatever beef or whatever misunderstanding is a play will get resolved thus allowing you not to write about it. However, just today I watched the most popular YouTuber on the planet talk about this rivalry and unfortunately I can no longer ignore it. Unfortunately I must weigh in and when anyone weighs in on something from the outside there’s going to be speculation. There’s going to be a certain degree of bullshit, a certain degree of uncertainty, but in the end it’s what your gut instincts tell you. I’m going to share with you what my gut instinct tells me about this rivalry between the reigning Mr Olympia and the reigning Arnold Classic Champion in good ole 2026.
Now, one of the things that I think is interesting is the fact that both competitors have amassed a lion’s share of the bodybuilding audience. Wherever they go they get mobbed by screaming fans, who want them to sign autographs, give them high fives, and just talk about supplementation and nutrition. After all, we’re talking about the reigning champion of a contest known as the Super Bowl of Bodybuilding. But we’re also talking about a man who just recently won the second most important bodybuilding show in the world, in Columbus, Ohio. Jacked won a contest named after the most popular bodybuilder that ever lived.
You would think that these men would be on the same page. Both poised to growing the sport, both poised to growing the Olympia, both poised to leaving bodybuilding in a better place than they found it. But it seems like there’s tension. And it seems like perhaps Derek might be the one who is a little bit more to blame. Again we’re speculating. I don’t know for sure, but based on what I’ve heard, it seems perhaps as if the reigning Mr. O does not think that Andrew is good enough or maybe decorated enough to stand alongside him. We saw something very similar with Lunsford years ago with Nick Walker when he did not want to do a second training session with him. Ultimately, Derek is a yes-man and will do whatever his sponsor, or the federation, or the officials tell him to do. We’re not dealing with a Lee Priest type here, we’re not dealing with a Robbie Robinson type, either. We’re dealing with a company man. So at the end of the day he’s going to do what he’s told, but he may not do it with a smile.
The reason that I believe Nick Miller talked about this rivalry was because of the fact that there was some sort of a photo shoot that featured Derek and Andrew. and as it would happen with this photoshoot there was also a training component. And during this training component it seems like perhaps Derek was not super enthused to do a back workout or a leg workout with Andrew. It doesn’t really matter what they were training, but what does matter is the fact that Derek did not seem on board with working with Andrew. And that’s very suspect because of the fact that they are the winners of the two most important bodybuilding shows. What could the rivalry be about ? My guess would be fear and insecurity.
I have heard on a number of occasions that Derek likes to say that he is 5-0 with Jacked. All five of the times that he has faced Andrew, Derek has prevailed. I have also heard people say that Derek says – I mean talk about hearsay here lol – that Derek is going to make it 6-0. Again hearsay, bullshit, uncertainty, you roll that up and you have speculation. Unfortunately since nobody’s going to get this straight from the horse’s mouth, we have to look at a lot of circumstantial evidence and then we have to put that in the salad along with history and with our gut instincts. And there you have it. That said, I’ve been doing this now for over 20 years and I know Derek well. I don’t know Andrew very well, but I know Derek. I know him well enough to know that this sounds like something he would say.
I think that it goes back to fear and I think it goes back to insecurity. It goes back to fear of the fact that he cannot beat Andrew at 100%. Andrew is superior to him aesthetically, he’s taller than him, and his posing is also significantly better. The fact that Derek has to remind the public how many times he has defeated Andrew speaks to that fear factor and to the insecurity. The fear I think also goes back to the fact that Derek was not an overnight success. He had to cut his teeth and he had to digest placings that while respectable were not wins. And I think that once he won the Olympia and lost it, I think that the fear and insecurity within him became almost unbearable.
Now again, what does he have to complain about? He’s Mr Olympia! But can he repeat? He couldn’t do it last time, will he be able to do it this time? Because although he is the only Mr. Olympia in history to win his Olympia title back, alongside with Jay Cutler, he still lacks a lot of staying power. When Jay lost it he had one two in a row and was going for 3. But to win it and then lose it – that’s tough. It doesn’t happen often. Well it didn’t used to happen often, but it’s been happening a lot more in recent years. It happened with Brandon, it happened with Derek, it happened with Hadi, and it also happened to Samson. So maybe Derek wants to see if he can actually hold the title for more than a year this time and he sees Andrew as being the talk of the town. Andrew’s winning everything in sight. Andrew has solidified himself as the true #1 Contender and Derek is starting to show signs that he’s rattled by Andrew’s rise.
I would love to see Chris Aceto try to bridge the gap between his two clients. But Chris also has to protect his livelihood. He’s not a peacemaker, he’s a contest prep coach. If he gets involved in this he might come out losing not one client but both of them. So honestly, it’s not really Chris’s place, although, it would be pretty damn cool if he could put an end to what may very well be a simmering rivalry that’s only going to get worse now that the most popular YouTuber shined some light on it, not to mention the fact that you’re reading an article about it right here at IronMag. I’m not trying to fuel the flames of a rivalry, but I also can no longer ignore rumors that are circulating to the point of it being a feat of concentration to ignore. I’m possibly one of the last people to address this. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that there’s going to be rivalry amongst the top echelon of this sport or any other. These are highly competitive individuals. They don’t like to lose. Many of them have the mentality that second place is first place loser.
When you’re dealing with this level of competition you can hardly be surprised if there’s going to be a little bit of tension between the guys. So maybe that’s why Derek didn’t talk to Andrew backstage at this year’s Arnold Classic. But at the same time, if that’s the reason why, it’s kind of petty on Derek’s part because he wasn’t even competing at that particular contest. But then again, only Derek knows what he’s been through and only Andrew knows what he’s been through. Not everybody has to be buddies. No sport is like that. That being said, if you are the best of the best, you have every right to choose your friends, but you’re also under public scrutiny from the media. And forget the media, there’s some super fans that can notice subtle details better than any news outlet. Again bodybuilding is a sport that focuses, that hyper focuses, on the bodybuilder. You’re free to have your own way of thinking, but good luck keeping that shit a secret if you’re a top guy.
So who do you think is more to blame? Do you think there is anyone to blame? Do you think there’s even a rivalry?
As always, I leave the last word for you, the loyal readers of IronMag. I hope you enjoyed reading my article. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. It’s bound to generate lively conversation.
Author Bio:
Christian I. Duque is the owner of StrengthAddicts.com, a physique and strength website founded in 2008. He has worked for a number of bodybuilding websites, including RX Muscle and Muscular Development. Christian has written nearly 1,000 published articles for IronMag Blog, as well as articles for StrengthAddicts, RX Muscle, and others. By day, he is also a licensed attorney practicing in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal defense.
