Sylvester Stallone is looking back at the fierce rivalry that once defined his relationship with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Stallone, 80, said the two action stars were “antagonistic” toward each other from the beginning as they competed to lead the genre, as reported by Page Six.

During Thursday’s episode of “The Rest Is Entertainment” podcast, Stallone described how that competition quickly became personal. Schwarzenegger, 79, was pursuing the same action movie dominance, placing the actors in direct opposition both professionally and socially.

Stallone remembered realizing Schwarzenegger was “going to be a problem” after the “Terminator” star gave him dirty looks at the Golden Globes one year. By their next encounter, Stallone was ready to respond and threw a bowl of flowers at his rival.

Sylvester Stallone on his 20-year feud with Arnold Schwarzenegger:

"We couldn't get on the same stage together."Says it ended when Arnold ran for Governor in 2003: "I said, enough of this. We're not in competition. Thank you for lighting a fire under me." https://t.co/AblvIvaq75— Filmaesthete (@filmaesthetetw) November 5, 2026

He said he pretended the gesture was part of a celebration. What followed was an unmistakable declaration that their battle had officially begun.

“And the gauntlet was thrown, and it was on.”

According to Stallone, Schwarzenegger was naturally antagonistic, while both men were physical and eager to challenge each other. Their conflict intensified as movies including “Rambo” and “Commando” competed at the box office, while their hostility continued away from the screen.

Stallone said the tension ultimately drove both stars to make increasingly extravagant action movies. He described the feud as deeply contentious but admitted that he enjoyed the constant pressure it created.

“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.”

The father of five said their competitiveness became so extreme that even a major shared business venture could not bring them together comfortably. Stallone and Schwarzenegger were among the celebrity founders and investors who launched the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain in 1991.

Despite their involvement in the same company, the actors could not stand appearing on the same stage while promoting it. Their movie rivalry had become strong enough to complicate their public work together.

The conflict finally ended about 20 years later, after Schwarzenegger entered politics. He ran for governor of California in 2003 and won, removing the two men from direct competition in the movie business.

Stallone recalled meeting Schwarzenegger at a cigar shop and deciding it was time to bury the hatchet. With Schwarzenegger pursuing politics, Stallone said they were no longer fighting over the same Hollywood territory.

The two shared a cigar and moved beyond the hostility that had fueled their earlier encounters. Stallone said they remain very good friends today, although their instinct to compete has not completely disappeared.

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

Stallone also acknowledged that the financial stakes between them have faded. “We’re not as financially competitive anymore … that’s long gone.”

Reflecting on the scale of their rivalry, Stallone said the dynamic was unlikely to be repeated. He described two actors working within the same genre and aggressively competing both on screen and away from it.

His recollections arrived as he also discussed the punishing physical consequences of his Hollywood career while promoting the fourth season of “Tulsa King.” In an interview with Fox News Digital, Stallone detailed the serious injuries he suffered while working on the 2010 film “The Expendables.”

Stallone said the movie left him needing nine back operations and three neck fusions. He also said both shoulders were ripped out, describing the experience as brutal.

The actor admitted that his long practice of performing movie stunts had taken a devastating toll. Rather than celebrating the damage, Stallone questioned the wisdom of having pushed his body until he had broken himself into pieces.

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