Retired 212 Bodybuilding legend Flex Lewis raised some eyebrows during his recent interview with Steve Kuclo. In the latest Straight Outta the Lair podcast, Lewis teased a return to sport by laying out one condition: a seven-figure payday.
Building a career in the 2000s, Flex Lewis became the most dominant 212 Olympia champion of all time. Having attained his first title in 2012, Lewis’ hardness and grainy muscle maturity guided him to a total of seven 212 Olympia victories. His final title defense came in 2018, where he outlasted a crop of elite talents such as Derek Lunsford, Kamal Elgargni, and Jose Raymond.
While fans expected Lewis to test himself in the Open division, he decided to retire last May. Instead, Derek Lunsford received a special invitation for 2022 Mr. Olympia and capitalized on the opportunity by placing runner-up to Hadi Choopan.
Lewis, who has been enjoying retirement, has kept fans updated on his progress since stepping away from the sport. Showing off his physique post-bodybuilding, Lewis says his top priorities are health and wellness. However, in his latest admission to fans, it appears a comeback might be on the table as well.
Flex Lewis Says ‘7-Figure’ Payday Will Draw Him Out of Retirement: ‘If There’s a Monetary Draw, I’m All In’
According to Lewis, a seven-figure payday ($1M-9.9M) would entice him to compete as a bodybuilder in 2023.
“I don’t know if that’s something [Masters Olympia] that’s been thrown in your face. Obviously, my name has been thrown in the mix this year, and I said, ‘Eh!’ Let me dispel this right now, I’m on my own journey, it’s definitely back to the stage. I said this though, if there was a monetary draw for me – I’m all in. For me, it has to be a seven-figure monetary draw. It has to be because for me to walk away from what I’m doing right now… that’s what my sacrifice is, unfortunately,” said Flex Lewis.
Men’s Open standout Steve Kuclo credits Arnold Schwarzenegger for pushing bodybuilding into the mainstream but said no one has been able to ‘carry the torch’ to secure massive contracts/sponsorships worth seven figures.
“I truly with bodybuilding was as fruitful as many of the other sports in the world like golf and basketball and football. The contracts these guys are getting paid, it’s insane. You know. Yeah, backup quarterback [still gets paid] it doesn’t matter. It’s a shame that the sport never quite got to where it could be. I believe it’s had a lot of great – I mean Arnold was truly one of the greatest pioneers in our sport to take it to more of a public level,” said Steve Kuclo.
“Nobody was ever really able to carry the torch into the realm it could be to potentially be one of the sports that are getting huge contracts for sponsorships and stuff like that, where you’re able to win a show and it’s a seven-figure win for a show or you get seven-figure sponsorships because bodybuilding is if not, one of the hardest sports in the world because it’s 365 24/7 you’re always thinking about what you’re eating and what you’re training.”
Flex Lewis isn’t the only bodybuilding legend calling for a million-dollar comeback. Recently, seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath tackled the subject in the company of athletes rep Bob Cicherillo. ‘The Gift’ emphasized that a $100,000 price tag wouldn’t be worth his time but $1 million would incentivize him to return to either Masters Olympia or Mr. Olympia.
While Lewis did not reveal any specific plans or offers for his comeback, he made it clear he’s not ruling out the possibility of stepping on stage again. Whether any promoter/sponsor is willing to meet his demand remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Flex Lewis’ passion for bodybuilding remains strong.
Watch the full video below, courtesy of Flex Lewis’ YouTube channel:
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