They were an odd pair on paper. One was a fast-talking, poetic heavyweight from Louisville who changed the world with a glove and a rhyme. The other was a mountain of Austrian muscle with an accent so thick you could carve it. But honestly? Muhammad Ali and Arnold Schwarzenegger weren't just two famous guys who bumped into each other at a buffet. They were genuinely close.
It started in the 1970s. Think about that era for a second. Ali was the king of the world, promoting massive fights that felt like global events. Meanwhile, Arnold was the face of a niche sport called bodybuilding, trying to convince the public that Pumping Iron wasn't just about vanity.
They kept running into each other in the same green rooms. Same TV studios. Same talk show circuits.
Schwarzenegger has often said that Ali was one of his top five idols. Not because of the boxing, specifically, but because of the "it" factor. Ali had a way of commanding a room that Arnold desperately wanted to emulate as he moved from the gym to Hollywood.
The $100 Bill Secret
People always talk about Ali’s trash talk. But Arnold saw something else. He saw the generosity that the cameras didn't always catch. Arnold once recalled watching Ali walk through crowds and just hand out $100 bills to people who looked like they were struggling.
He didn't do it for a press release. He just did it.
"I've seen him firsthand," Arnold told reporters back in 2016. That kind of stuff sticks with you. It shaped how Arnold approached his own philanthropy later in life.
They weren't just "business friends" either. They actually hung out. In 1976, Ali even showed up at Gold's Gym in Venice Beach. Can you imagine that? The Greatest, standing in the middle of a bunch of meatheads, probably cracking jokes about how he was prettier than all of them combined. They even went up into the Santa Monica mountains together to shoot trap and skeet.
"Schwatzen-what?"
Ali loved to mess with people. It was his default setting. And Arnold's last name was basically a gift from the comedy gods for someone like Ali.
During a 1980 appearance on Good Morning America, Ali was finishing his segment just as Arnold was about to start his. Ali, never one to miss a beat, spent his final moments on air "struggling" to say Arnold's name. He’d look at the camera, tilt his head, and try a few variations that were... well, let's just say they weren't phonetically accurate.
He'd call him "Schwatza."
He'd look at Arnold and say, "This guy, he's one of us! Just look at his name!" It was a playful jab at the fact that Arnold's name sounded, to Ali's ears, like a mix of something familiar and something totally alien.
Arnold didn't care. He loved it. He knew that if Ali was making fun of you, he liked you.
The Workout Connection
There’s a famous story Arnold tells about Ali’s workout ethics. It’s basically become a staple of every motivational speech Arnold gives now.
He asked Ali once how many sit-ups he did.
Ali’s response? "I don't start counting until it starts hurting."
That’s a mindset. It’s the difference between a guy who goes to the gym to look good and a guy who goes to the gym to be the best in history. Arnold took that to heart. He realized that the physical pain was just the signal that the real work was starting.
A Friendship That Lasted Decades
As the years went by, the dynamic changed but the respect didn't.
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By the late 70s and early 80s, the Parkinson’s was starting to show in Ali’s speech. You can find rare interviews of them together from that time where the contrast is heartbreaking but beautiful. Arnold is this rising superstar, full of energy, and Ali is slowing down, yet his eyes are still full of that same spark.
In 2002, Ali presented Arnold with the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award in Phoenix.
Think about the journey there. From two guys joking around in a TV studio in the 70s to standing on a stage where the greatest boxer ever is honoring the "Austrian Oak" for his service to the community.
When Ali passed away in 2016, Arnold didn't just post a tweet. He flew to Louisville. He was there for the service, sitting among the likes of Bill Clinton and Billy Crystal. He was there to say goodbye to a guy who taught him that being a champion isn't just about the trophy—it's about what you do with the platform the trophy gives you.
What You Can Actually Learn From Them
If you're looking for the "secret sauce" behind why these two icons stayed relevant for so long, it's not the muscles or the boxing record. It's the mindset.
- The "Champion" Delusion: Both men believed they were the best before they actually were. It wasn't arrogance; it was a psychological requirement.
- Humor as a Shield: They both used wit to disarm critics. If you can make people laugh, you can make them listen.
- Philanthropy is the Goal: Arnold's biggest takeaway from Ali wasn't how to punch; it was how to give back.
If you want to dive deeper into this, look for the book Titans by Al Satterwhite. It’s full of candid photos of them from 1976 when they were just two guys hanging out in Venice. It captures a side of Muhammad Ali and Arnold Schwarzenegger that you won't see in their highlight reels.
Take a page from Ali's book today: don't start counting your "wins" until things actually get difficult. That's where the growth happens.