“Pulled a Houdini” – Sylvester Stallone Says Steven Seagal Ran From Jean-Claude Van Damme Fight

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In the late ’80s and early ’90s, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal were two of the hottest action stars on the planet. While it’s expected there would be natural competition between them, such as what existed between Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger for decades, their rivalry was far more fierce and extended beyond competing for parts and franchises. In fact, the two almost came to blows in the late ’90s.

“Please Tell Him Not To Put His Tongue In My Mouth” – Friends Stars Complained About Jean-Claude Van Damme

Unlike Stallone and Schwarzenegger, though, it doesn’t appear like they ever buried the hatchet. For some reason, there is still beef between them, and as more time passes, it seems like the world will never get the chance to see Seagal and JCVD share the screen together. The Expendables film series was the perfect vehicle to make this happen; however, Seagal turned down the overtures and missed out on an opportunity to make action fans’ dreams come true. With that said, let’s take a look at the time in which JCVD wanted a piece of Seagal – allegedly.

The drama between Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme can be traced back to 1991 when the former appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show. Asked what he thought of JCVD as a martial artist, Seagal questioned the legitimacy of the Bloodsport actor’s fighting background, suggesting the records and accolades were made-up. In a genre where they sold themselves as tough guys, these were fighting words.

JCVD responded to these comments years later, saying he had confronted Seagal about what he had said but they were all good now. However, Van Damme never missed a beat to poke fun at his rival whenever he was brought up, saying Seagal was uptight, unexciting as an actor, and not in the best physical shape. Clearly, there was still tension on Van Damme’s part, and he likely wanted to prove a point to his rival that he wasn’t going to let it go so easily.

“It’s the Best Action Film I’ve Ever Done” – Sylvester