Jean-Claude Van Damme once claimed that Steven Seagal once turned down a huge amount of money to square off in a physical fight with him. Van Damme, the famous martial artist and actor, spoke at length about his career and his infamous feud with Steven Seagal during a recent interview with The Telegraph.
The actor also recalled the time when film producer Peter Guber had even tried making a fight between the two, even though they had been in public feud since the 1990s. Van Damme also mentioned that there were plans to organize the fight at The Mirage in Las Vegas, with a $20 million prize for each of them. However, Seagal declined the opportunity.
Even $20 Million Couldn’t Convince Steven Seagal
While endorsing his new Irish whiskey brand, Old Oak, Jean-Claude Van Damme spoke about his rivalry with Seagal multiple times during the interview. According to the outlet, the feud started from Seagal’s claims in the early 1990s questioning Van Damme’s martial arts abilities.
When queried about Sylvester Stallone’s statement that Steven Seagal turned down a fighting opportunity at a party in 1997, Van Damme responded by saying, “Kids’ stuff, kids’ stuff.” He added, “People told me [Seagal] doesn’t speak so nice about me. I don’t know why.”
During an interview with with The Independent, he outlined his probable approach to taking on Seagal in a physical fight.
Van Damme said (via People):
“If him and I fight, I run faster than him – much faster. I would run away. He’s going to try to catch me, he’s going to get out of shape. I come back and fight. Do you like the technique?”
Jean-Claude Van Damme, famous for his role in the 1998 film Bloodsport and more recently by lending his voice to 2022’s Minions: Rise of Gru, also appreciated Seagal’s contribution to the industry.
Also Read: Mortal Kombat 1 FINALLY Gave Us What We Want with Jean Claude Van Damme Making an Appearance
Steven Seagal Did Not Join Expendables Because Of Jean-Claude Van Damme
Action movie fans would expect an action icon like Steven Seagal to appear in at least one of the Expendables film. However, Seagal did not want to join the ensemble due to his issues with certain people associated with the franchise.
He said, (via SlashFilm)
“I just didn’t like some of the people involved. Life is too short to work with funny people. Of course [I won’t name names]. There’s good and bad people everywhere and a lot of people in The Expendables I like too. So it’s okay.”
Many fans speculate that Seagal indirectly pointed towards his alleged cold war with Sylvester Stallone and possibly Jean-Claude Van Damme. Fans hoping to see Seagal making a mark on the franchise might not be happy to read this. Besides, the quality of the franchise has significantly declined, with the latest installment receiving underwhelming reviews.
