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

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.

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.

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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.