# Sylvester Stallone Details Decades-Long Competitive Rivalry With Arnold Schwarzenegger Stallone reveals how intense professional friction fueled the evolution of the action movie genre. - **Source:** [Us Weekly](https://www.usmagazine.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-06 - **Topic:** [entertainment](https://brifing.si/c/entertainment) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/c5b6e677-a475-4977-bdec-5e96abe5128f ## Origins of Antagonism Sylvester Stallone, 80, recently discussed his long-standing rivalry with Arnold Schwarzenegger, 79, on the podcast The Rest Is Entertainment. Stallone noted that their conflict began at the 1977 Golden Globes, where they both vied for dominance in the emerging action genre. He felt immediately that Schwarzenegger would challenge his career aspirations. ## The Flower Incident At the 1977 ceremony, Schwarzenegger won Best Newcomer for Stay Hungry, while Stallone’s Rocky won Best Motion Picture. Stallone recalled throwing a bowl of flowers at Schwarzenegger during the celebration, marking the start of their public feud. Schwarzenegger later described this moment as the official beginning of their intense professional battle. ## Financial Disparity Schwarzenegger admitted in November 2025 that he initially trailed Stallone significantly in earnings. When Stallone earned two million dollars for a project, Schwarzenegger received only two hundred thousand dollars, representing ten percent of his rival's salary. This gap served as a primary motivation for Schwarzenegger to catch up and compete. ## Escalating Action Standards The rivalry pushed both actors to continuously elevate their work. Stallone explained that their mutual anger fueled a cycle of bigger knives, louder guns, and higher body counts in their films. This competition forced them to constantly improve locations and production quality, effectively shaping the modern mythology of the action genre. ## Public Tensions The animosity was so profound that it impacted their business ventures. When they became celebrity founders of the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain in 1991, they refused to share the same stage for promotional events. Their off-screen hostility mirrored the intense competition they displayed while headlining hits like Rambo and Commando. ## Reconciliation in Politics The feud lasted two decades before ending when Schwarzenegger entered politics to run for Governor of California in 2003. Stallone encountered him at a cigar shop and decided to bury the hatchet, acknowledging that they were no longer direct competitors in the film industry. They shared a cigar and became friends. ## Physical Career Toll Beyond his rivalry, Stallone recently reflected on the physical consequences of his action-heavy career. While promoting Tulsa King, he revealed that filming 2010's The Expendables resulted in nine back operations and three neck fusions. He also suffered severe injuries to both shoulders, describing the long-term impact of performing his own stunts. ## Legacy of Competition Stallone believes their specific dynamic is unlikely to be repeated in Hollywood. While they remain competitive by nature, they are no longer financially pitted against each other. Stallone expressed gratitude for the rivalry, noting that Schwarzenegger’s presence served to light a fire under him during their most active years in cinema. ## Sources covering this story - [Us Weekly — Sylvester Stallone Recalls Contentious Rivalry With Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/sylvester-stallone-recalls-arnold-schwarzenegger-feud/) - [Page Six — Sylvester Stallone Reflects on Decades-Long Feud with Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://pagesix.com/2026/11/05/celebrity-news/sylvester-stallone-reflects-on-very-contentious-arnold-schwarzenegger-feud/) --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._