Is this the end of the rivalry?

Let’s face it, the Kai Greene/Phil Heath rivalry has been one of the major backbones of the bodybuilding community ever since the 2012 Mr. Olympia competition. It’s a rivalry that has sparked a tremendous amount of buzz for the sport and brought about a renewed interest in competitive bodybuilding. It’s no surprise as the story between these two talented men is a classic case. The blue collar challenger hoping to topple the confident reigning champion. It’s what makes their story so compelling.

But now that Kai won’t be competing at Olympia this year it seems like a major part of the show has been effectively ruined. Now people are already wondering if they will ever compete against one another again. It’s not too far fetched a question. There’s a reason why Kai didn’t sign the contract and at this point in time anything is possible.

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Phil Heath’s response to the whole ordeal was one of disappointment and indifference. Sure, Kai not competing makes his chances of winning this years event all the more smoother, but it also takes away a major element to what made his reign so memorable. Phil believes Kai let the fans down and to an extent that made be correct. But you can tell Phil is a bit let down as well. He likely wanted to prove the doubters wrong about his showing last year. He could still show his improvements, but not against the man that many thought had beaten him the year before.

Many have viewed Phil’s response to the whole ordeal as childish and negative while praising Kai’s honesty and optimistic attitude. Kai realizes he let many of the fans down, but he remained positive and even encouraged fans to support the event and the IFBB themselves. But hasn’t that always been the dynamic between these two competitors.

Kai has always been a glass half full kind of guy, while Phil is more of a glass half empty. Kai believes in looking past the negative while Phil is man that believes there’s consequences for your actions. Both men are right in their own way and it’s the reason why potentially losing out on their rivalry will be a major blow for the sport. Nevertheless, Heath has a ton of contenders to deal with this year and he’ll likely be focused on taking them all down. Kai will have to regroup, recover, and move forward to hopefully a more positive future. If anyone can, it’s Kai Greene.

Could losing the Phil/Kai rivalry hurt the sport? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

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