Lee Priest Wants ‘Olympia-Themed’ Superhero Showdown with Kai Greene: ‘Come Back for an Encore’
Australian bodybuilding veteran Lee Priest has an undying passion for fitness and working out that he has kept up even in his later years. Since stepping away from professional competition years ago, he has become a revered analyst in the game. In a recent episode of Iron Rage, Priest called for an Olympia-themed superhero showdown with Kai Greene at an upcoming bodybuilding show.
Lee Priest rose to prominence for his insane arm muscle development along with his impressive muscle definition and conditioning as an IFBB Pro League’s Men’s Open contender in the 90s and early 2000s. He dominated the regional circuit before making his way to internationally renowned shows like the Arnold Classic.
Priest secured a qualification to the Mr. Olympia contest in 1997 and place sixth in his first outing under the banner. While he didn’t lay claim to the Sandow trophy, he was one of the most consistent athletes with six Mr. Olympia appearances. He took to the sidelines after a final showing at the 2013 NABBA Mr. Universe, where he dominated the competition to score gold.
With the anticipated return of the 2023 Masters Olympia set for August, Priest expressed his interest in potentially competing at the show. However, he would not be able to do so due to the atrophy in his chest and compromised arms. Earlier this year, he revealed the difference would be significant if he leaned out to step one stage.
The 50-year-old laid out some crucial bicep-focused tips on the preacher curl to maximize pump three months ago. He explained the reasons for using different rep ranges, equipment, and grip variations while offering his take on developing the bicep peak.
Two months ago, Lee Priest criticized the eligibility criteria for the 2023 Masters Olympia. He took issue with the show allowing athletes above age 40 and suggested raising the bar to 50 along with the condition they did not compete for at least two to three years.
American bodybuilder Kai Greene is regarded as one of the best Men’s Open contenders of all time to have never won Mr. Olympia. He displayed an impeccable blend of freakish muscle mass, size, and definition. He separated himself from the pack with his memorable posing routines.
Greene came close to winning the Mr. Olympia contest multiple times but kept falling short of legendary bodybuilder Phil Heath. He developed a fierce rivalry with the seven-time champion who kept knocking him down to second place from 2012 to 2014. After taking three silvers, Greene did not return to the Mr. Olympia stage again and stepped away with three Arnold Classic titles under his belt.
Greene teamed up with budding Men’s Open competitor Blessing Awodibu for a grueling arm workout in Jul. 2022. The duo forged a strong partnership as they regrouped for another brutal shoulder workout six weeks out from the 2022 Mr. Olympia. The veteran helped solidify Blessing’s prep for the show with a final hamstring and back training session where he stressed the importance of building neurological awareness.
Three months ago, Greene reflected on his career competing as a natural athlete for over 15 years. He encouraged his followers to avoid steroids and revealed he consumes anywhere between 2,500 and 6,000 calories daily. Then, he showered praises on his former rival Heath, and left the door open for a comeback. He followed up by showing off his massive delts in a workout update two months ago.
Related: 5 Superhero Workout and Diet Programs: From Hulk to Ant-Man
Lee Priest wants an Olympia-theme superhero showdown with Kai Greene
In a recent YouTube video, Lee Priest called for an Olympia-theme showdown with Kai Greene where they’d portray superheroes and villains for an entertaining skit.
Priest donned the prosthetic arm worn by Bucky(the Winter Soldier) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before suggesting the idea he plays a superhero against Greene’s villain.
“I’m getting ready, I can cover the bad arm [with the prosthetic arm]. I can come back for an encore,” said Priest. “We could do like a skit. Kai could be a villain. I could be Superman. It would be great. Kai could make a really good Venom character or something or Predator.
“I could do like the Bucky and then do something else but at the end the big Superman muscle suit.”
Dave Palumbo responded, “I’d like you to reenact the scene where Superman’s dead and then he comes back from the dead. I think that would be better if you could do that.”
“Can hit me on stage like a big bright light and then the cables raise me up off the stage. That would be amazing,” Priest said. “Then the music changes, the lightning flashes, and Kai comes out as the evil villain.
“They’re going to have a painted backdrop of Metropolis or something or just project Metropolis and then have scaffolding there because remember Kai did that routine once where he started climbing the scaffolding. He could be up on the scaffolding Venom hanging down.”
Lee Priest would like to incorporate the play into a bodybuilding show to entertain the fans.
Palumbo said, “I mean really you’re Superman. What about would you do Spider-Man or whatever? I would like to see actually I’d like to see Kai as octo. He gets in all those positions and yeah that would be Dr. Octavius versus Spider-Man. You could be Spider-Man.”
“Or the Punisher. The villains and the heroes together.”
“The whole show’s just going to be Lee and Kai. It’s Lee and Kai variety hour. It would be entertaining like Lee and Kai going to do three or four different skits throughout the show but they’re well-choreographed and all that sort of stuff. It would be entertaining. But then you could use some of the other bodybuilders too, just people on the stage that you’re working around like general public type thing.”
Palumbo: “It’d be nice to have an Olympia theme.”
“I think it would be good too because superheroes these days people associate whatever they are with the muscular characters in superheroes and that X-Men type things and stuff.”
Lee Priest detailed the difference in his diet and training routine from the time he was in his 20s to now that he’s his 50s last month. While a lot did not change, he modified his training due to injuries and believes burning body fat might have got more difficult.
Last week, Priest suggested doing a Golden Era seminar with bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler and facing the four-time Mr. Olympia in a guest-posing appearance after the conclusion of the 2023 Masters Olympia.
Priest’s idea of bringing Greene back to the stage in such an entertaining fashion would surely be a treat for the fans to enjoy. However, it remains to be seen whether it comes to fruition.
You can watch the full video below.
