In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Jean-Claude Van Damme revealed that Steven Seagal once declined a lucrative offer to engage in a physical showdown with him. The two martial artists, aged 63 and 71 respectively, have maintained a long-standing feud dating back to the 1990s.
According to Van Damme, film producer and executive Peter Guber had a unique idea to promote a fight between the two action stars, with the proposed battle taking place at The Mirage in Las Vegas. Each combatant was offered a substantial sum of $20 million, but Seagal turned down the opportunity.
Notably, a representative for Steven Seagal has yet to respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the matter.
Van Damme discussed his enduring rivalry with Seagal in the interview, touching on the roots of their discord. The feud appears to have originated from Seagal’s comments in the early 1990s, in which he questioned the legitimacy of Van Damme’s fighting credentials.
When questioned about a claim by Sylvester Stallone that Seagal had refused to participate in a fight at a 1997 party hosted by Stallone, Van Damme brushed it off as “kids’ stuff.” He noted that people had informed him of Seagal speaking unfavorably about him, though he remained unsure of the exact reasons behind Seagal’s comments.
Despite their feud, Van Damme did acknowledge Seagal’s contributions to the world of action films. While Van Damme rose to fame with 1988’s “Bloodsport” and recently lent his voice to the 2022 animated film “Minions: Rise of Gru,” Seagal’s most recent movie release was in 2019.
“The first time I saw one of his movies, I thought, ‘This guy’s got real charisma, he’s going to make it,'” Jean-Claude Van Damme remarked about Steven Seagal. “Even today, with his weight gain over the years, he still has that distinctive Steven Seagal way of speaking.”
During his interview with The Independent, Van Damme also offered a playful notion of how he would handle a fight with Seagal, should the opportunity ever arise. He quipped, “If the two of us were to square off, I can outpace him by a significant margin. I’d run away, and he’d struggle to catch up, getting winded. Then, I’d return to face him in combat. What do you think of that strategy?”
Jean-Claude Van Damme Says Steven Seagal Once Turned Down $20M Offer to Fight Him https://t.co/ZURhxOb0H2
— People (@people) October 23, 2023