You have to beat me to be my rival: D. J. can spin it any way he likes, but he's not my competition - Christhe Real Spiel

When you read this, it will be after the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic in Columbus, Ohio, and I am confident that I will have beaten Dennis James again. With that in mind, I have to respond to comments he made in his column (D.J.'s Spin, March 2002), where he said that he thinks he may have seen the best of me. My response is that anybody who thinks they've seen the best of Chris Cormier is out of touch with reality. It's great that these young guys are talking their trash, but comments like this make me think they're psychotic, and I'll prove that in Columbus.

Dennis James is like a chameleon. When you see him in person, he's laughing and joking, making you believe he's thinking one way about you, but it's clear from these comments that he thinks totally different from the way he acts. I'm used to it in bodybuilding. Most of the guys in professional bodybuilding are cool--we spend time together on the road, hang out and do this and that. But I always have to keep in mind that they're my direct competitors. They have a hidden agenda about me, no matter what.

I also want to state that I don't have a rivalry with Dennis James. Dennis James has a rivalry with me. I'm not trying to beat Dennis James. Dennis James is trying to beat me. Dennis James is trying to make the top six at the Mr. Olympia. I am the top six. I was top six my rookie year in 1994; I was there my second year. Dennis James needs to wait until he beats the guys between him and me before he starts talking about me. I may not have done well at the 2001 Olympia, but I still beat most of these guys, including him. Fifth place is disappointing for Chris Cormier. But for guys like Dennis James, that would be a great showing--like he won the contest.

Comments like Dennis James' get me going because I have a body that Dennis James just can't beat when we're both at our best. I have bodyparts that Dennis James doesn't have. He'll say he beat me one time, but anybody in the pro ranks can beat anybody else on any given day based on conditioning. Just because you beat me at one show doesn't mean you're better than me. I have genetics that most of these guys can't touch. I can't be on 100% of the time, but my percentage is very high. I'm in the 90s. And when I'm on, I can beat these guys every time.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group