Sylvester Stallone recalls explosive first clash with Arnold Schwarzenegger: ‘Gauntlet was thrown’

Sylvester Stallone is looking back at the exact moment that started his feud with fellow action star Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Speaking on Thursday’s episode of The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, the Rocky star discussed the start of their “very contentious” relationship, noting that they were never friendly because both wanted to become the biggest star in the action movie genre.

It all began at the Golden Globes, as Stallone recalled that the Terminator star gave him dirty looks and he figured out that Schwarzenegger was “going to be a problem.”

And at the very next meeting, Stallone threw a bowl of flowers at him.

“I made like I was celebrating, like, ‘yay,” he explained. “And the gauntlet was thrown, and it was on.”

Their rivalry continued as they competed at the box office with films such as Rambo and Commando.

“It was very contentious, trust me, which I enjoyed,” Stallone stressed. “Because the madder i made him, the madder he made me, the more we fought to make the next action film — bigger knife, louder gun, more body count, this and that, better location. It just kept elevating.”

Their competition was so intense that they reportedly struggled to appear together during promotional events for Planet Hollywood, the restaurant chain they helped launch in 1991.

The feud finally ended around 2003, when Schwarzenegger entered politics and became California’s governor.

Stallone recalled meeting him at a cigar shop, where they put their differences aside and became friends.

“We’re always going to be competitive,” he said. “That’s the nature of the beast and I enjoy it.”

He added, “We’re not as financially competitive anymore … that’s long gone.”