Mario vs. Nick: Battle of the Broadway hunks rages on...

I just cannot top this lede from the New York Post: What started as a battle of the biceps has turned into the battle of the bulges between stars of Broadway's "A Chorus Line."

The paper's PAGE SIX column reported last month that Mario Lopez and co-star Nick Adams clashed when the very buff Mario refused to wear his character Zach's trademark costume of a long-sleeve tan sweater because he wanted to show off his biceps, Who could blame him? If I had those guns, I'd have a xleeveless tuxedo made, OK? So Mario instead wore a short-sleeve shirt on stage.

But apparently Mario wanted tp be the top guns on stage so asked that the also very buff Nick cover up his tank top with a baggy hoodie whenever he danced next to Mario! But payback is a bitch: The Post is now reporting that men's-underwear company 2(x)ist has passed over Mario and wants Adams front and center in a shirtless ad.

Jason Scarlatti, 2(x)ist's creative director, gave final approval and told The Post: "Nick's very masculine, sexy, modern. It's totally all about his body. Mario is a good-looking guy, but Nick had it. He's up and coming, the new face of sexy. He's original. He's hot."

The ad campaign was shot in one day at Via Della Pace restaurant in the East Village. It will appear in Out's August issue first and then in other magazines.