Mat Fraser had just won his second consecutive CrossFit Games title in the most dominant win in Games history. Fraser, an intense and focused competitor, could finally relax and enjoy the result of all his hard work in Madison, Wisconsin. 

This is what I've been training for.

But just minutes into his reign, he could sense where his post-event interview was going.


The shadow of Rich Froning still towers over the CrossFit Games. The four-time CrossFit Games Champion changed the way people train for and compete at the Games, and he's the most successful CrossFit Games Champion ever.

Simply put, Games competitors want to be like Rich Froning. Except Mat Fraser.

His Own Path

The 2014 CrossFit Games were a significant milestone for this growing sport: Mat Fraser made an impressive second place debut and Rich Froning cemented his legacy. But for many people, the question of Rich vs. Mat still stands.

Their first and only head-to-head competition ended in a narrow victory for Rich Froning, and they've both moved on even if the fans haven't. Froning has become a mainstay in the Affiliate Cup with Mayhem, and Fraser has become the most dominant CrossFit Games champion ever.

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The reality of the matter is Rich isn't competing as an individual and Fraser's dominance is essentially unstoppable. Fans of the sport want to see the best of the best compete against each other, but this isn't boxing where a big purse will draw in the biggest names.

Fraser's accomplishments are incredible and are a sign of his hard work. Constantly barraging him with "what about Rich!" and asking how he feels he compares to Froning is insulting to what he's been able to do in this sport.

A Different Legacy

Rich Froning holds a soft spot in many CrossFitters' hearts because of how pervasive and dominant he was during his reign. His effect on the sport of CrossFit are wide reaching, and nearly all competitive CrossFitters have had some version of their training modeled after his approach.

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