When idols become rivals
FAMOUS retired American bodybuilders Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman have 12 Mr Olympia titles between them, with the latter’s eight wins making him the most successful of the two.
The dynamic bodybuilders were also known for their much-publicised rivalry. Although it was fierce, it never turned ugly. This made the Mr Olympia competitions some of the must-see shows between 1999 and 2005. Locally, the career paths of Aaron Musarurwa and James Tashera similarly mirror the Cutler and Coleman rivalry.
Musarurwa appears to have an upper hand after making the men’s junior bodybuilding category his own.
Tashera, on the other hand, is the hungry young Turk, much like Cutler.
Last weekend, the Kadoma-based bodybuilder even had his own 2000 Mr Olympia moment — where Cutler first pipped Coleman to the title, sparking the rivalry that has since become the stuff of legend — after he emerged a surprise winner of the 2023 Marume Classic in Harare.
By winning, he broke his friend and mentor’s stranglehold on the category.
By his own admission, the 23-year-old Tashera did not even fancy his chances going into the event.
“To be really honest, I did not expect to win and actually went into the contest aiming for the second-place finish,” he said.
“I have the utmost respect for Aaron (Musarurwa) and figured he had it in the bag after winning at the IFBB Pro show in South Africa a few weeks ago.
“Everyone thought he would win, and I was as shocked as everyone when they announced my name.
“I was like ‘wow’, and it felt really awesome.” Tashera has had a few days to let the win sink in. He even treated himself to a special meal a day after the show.
“I was so happy and I am still very much elated it happened.”
He also paid tribute to both Lynette Tom and Musarurwa, as he considers them instrumental to his debut and biggest win of his short career.
“Aaron is a close friend of mine and he really helped during my preparations for this event.
“He is like a big brother and gave me tips on what to eat and how to train.
“I also got help from Lynette Tom, who approached me some time ago and offered to assist me after a disappointing show.
“She offered to lend a hand when it comes to diet tips, and even gave me a training programme, which I followed religiously during my preparations for this event.”
Incidentally, Tashera lists Coleman and Cutler as his international idols because of their unrivalled work ethic.
“I follow Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler and would list them as my role models on the international stage.
“I like the way they train and (I) try to have the same work ethic as these two guys had during their prime.”
Coleman was a keen advocate of strength work and regularly trained with low reps and high weights, pushing his maximum strength to the limit during preparations.
Cutler, on his part, preferred to focus on high-volume, low-rest training with longevity in mind. Tashera has been trying to emulate this kind of dedication and spent no more than four hours in the gym daily right up to last weekend’s event.
He has even put his name in the hat for the Harare Classic, scheduled for October 21, in Harare.
Musarurwa is also expected to compete at the event. This could be the last time the duo shares the stage at this level.