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The title of this article was inspired by the title of a recent video on RX Muscle where Dave Palumbo raised the question regarding the recent spat between IFBB Pro Bodybuilders Justin Compton and Kai Greene. I wouldn\u2019t call it a feud, rather, Compton was simply expressing an opinion. It\u2019s not a novel opinion, either. That said, Greene hasn\u2019t actively competed in a decade. The major issue deals with some of Kai\u2019s past work not being in line with what would be expected of a Mr Olympia. The Olympia has always been viewed as the Superbowl of Bodybuilding. In addition to being the most coveted title, whomsoever wins it is considered to be the sport\u2019s ambassador to the world. This has always ringed true. Some years the titleholder may be a hermit, other times they might really pound the pavement. For the most part, Mr. O\u2019s are expected to hold a certain level of decorum. They shouldn\u2019t engage in anything embarrassing or that could lead to any sort of black eye for the sport. Guys like Ronnie, Jay, and Phil embodied this vibe. Before them, guys from Dorian to Haney to Arnold did the same. Compton\u2019s point spoke about this concept, but it earned Greene\u2019s wrath. So, what exactly was said?<\/p>\n
Justin pointed out that if Greene had won the Sandow (the statue given to every Mr. Olympia) and if a teenager had Googled Kai, he\/she might find some of Greene\u2019s muscle worship work. There was one gig that Compton and others tend to focus on. It involves Kai and a grapefruit. We won\u2019t expound because our loyal readers here at IronMag know exactly what I\u2019m talking about. For those who don\u2019t, a simple web search will enlighten them. It\u2019s not a good look for any pro, but as I pointed out a few articles ago in an article about muscle worship, this kind of side hustle is very common with competitors trying to make their way who may not have the luxury of being backed by a sponsor with deep pockets. This is an extremely expensive sport, and the money has to come from somewhere. At the end of the day, these photo and\/or video sessions could be argued to be art. Others might say they\u2019re obscene. Everyone has an opinion and that\u2019s fine, but it\u2019s one thing for a random bodybuilder to be involved with this kind of work, and it\u2019s quite another for the top bodybuilder in the world. That was Justin\u2019s point.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s a valid point. Palumbo\u2019s rebuttal was that that was in Kai\u2019s past. Dave argued that Justin humiliated The Predator by highlighting it and pointing to that as the reason he never beat Phil Heath. Ever since Kai walked away from the stage, there have been constant comparisons on the message boards, Facebook groups, Reddits and elsewhere. Many fans believe that Kai had the physique, the condition, and the posing abilities to dethrone Heath. Many Greene diehards, including possibly Greene himself, attribute the fact that Kai never won to politics of some sort. But it\u2019s beyond just the photo session with the orange in my opinion.<\/p>\n
Kai was no stranger to the eccentric. Many times, his posing routines involved stage masks, bondage gear, and somewhat questionable posing. Some argue that bodybuilding is a family sport and others have a less restricted approach. The bottom line is that Kai would oftentimes push the limit. Even his artwork, featured on RX and MD, was beyond the scope of what even the mainstream fitness community was ready for. He was an artist and very eccentric, but that\u2019s not necessarily what the sport may have wanted to be the face of physique-based sports. This may or may not be politics, but it might explain why Kai always came up short in Las Vegas. That said, he was able to win big in Columbus for the 2nd<\/sup> biggest title in bodybuilding, The Arnold Classic. Greene also won several other top contests and received top honors at many other shows. His highest placing at the Olympia was that of runner-up, but he just never was able to defeat Heath.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n