Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler is already looking ahead to the upcoming 2023 Mr. Olympia contest scheduled to take place on November 2-5. During a recent episode of his Cutler Cast podcast, Cutler discussed the changes occurring in the Men’s Open division and who could potentially become the next Mr. Olympia.
After two major bodybuilding events, fans are starting to notice a new hierarchy in the Open class. At the 2022 Mr. Olympia competition, Hadi Choopan won his first Sandow thanks to his balance and conditioning. In a surprising turn of events, former Mr. Olympia Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay was dethroned and finished in fifth place. Derek Lunsford, who recently transitioned from the 212 class to the Open class, also impressed by earning a runner-up performance.
Less than three months later, the 35th edition of the Arnold Classic took place in Columbus, Ohio. In the end, Samson Dauda took home the gold, but fans were quick to criticize the outcome and scorecards. Even veteran bodybuilders such as Chris Aceto and former Mr. Olympia Samir Bannout expressed their dissatisfaction with the perfect scores awarded to Dauda in Ohio.
View this post on Instagram
In response to the controversy surrounding the 2023 Arnold Classic, Bob Cicherillo, the event announcer, has taken to a few episodes of the Voice of Bodybuilding podcast to provide more details on the judge’s decision to award Samson Dauda the win over Nick Walker. According to Cicherillo, Dauda had the best combination of factors, including shape, aesthetics, balanced proportions, conditioning, and symmetry.
Cicherillo even went as far as to say that he believes Dauda, at 100% capacity, would win the next Olympia contest. The latest to weigh in on the 2023 Olympia is bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler, who is convinced that it will take a massive effort to defeat current champion Hadi Choopan.
With two major bodybuilding events under their belt, fans are beginning to take stock of the new Open class hierarchy. At the 2022 Mr. Olympia competition, balance and conditioning prevailed as Hadi Choopan took home his first Sandow. Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay was dethroned in fifth place, and fans were surprised by 212-turned-Open standout Derek Lunsford’s runner-up performance.
Less than three months later, the 2023 Arnold Classic took place in Columbus, Ohio, for its 35th event. In the end, Samson Dauda won gold, though some fans were critical of the outcome and scorecards. Even some veterans of the sport, like Chris Aceto and former Mr. Olympia Samir Bannout, took issue with the perfect scores Dauda received in Ohio.
Jay Cutler Shares His Insights on Who Can Challenge Hadi Choopan for Mr. Olympia Title in 2023
According to former Mr. Olympia champion Jay Cutler, many are forgetting about Hadi Choopan and his dominant package that he brought to Vegas a few months ago. Despite this, Cutler expects that Big Ramy, Derek Lunsford, and Samson Dauda will pose viable threats to Choopan’s title in the near future.
Cutler stated, “Hadi is going to be very difficult to beat. People forget quick, you know. You guys got to remember, he’s knocked at that door and he kicked that thing in.” Cutler believes that Choopan has not yet shown his full potential, stating, “Not even – you know a better overall look, but not what he is capable of. Yeah, I think so too [he’ll be better]. I think Derek is going to be tremendously better and Samson peaked once already this year… it’s tough. And Nick Walker is even more hungry now.”
As someone who successfully made a bodybuilding comeback, Cutler believes that Ramy still has a chance at regaining his Mr. Olympia status. He also believes that Lunsford poses a significant threat due to his exceptional rear poses.
“Listen, I think Ramy can still come back and win this thing, you know. I mean, we forget about – where’s Brandon Curry fall in this? What if Brandon has time down and comes in. Remember, he was beating down the door for a couple of years straight.”
“Dude, Derek is very dangerous in that spot too. I mean, who’s going to beat him in the rear poses? Who’s going to be him in front double biceps. You think Samson can beat him in a front double? Derek has the lats and the small waist and that front double that’s just bananas,” Cutler shared. “He [Andrew Jacked] doesn’t have the lat taper that Derek has.”
View this post on Instagram
Jay Cutler Discusses Men’s Open Bodybuilding Division Changes and the Return of the 90s Era
Jay Cutler, former Mr. Olympia champion, believes that the Men’s Open division has become increasingly competitive, to the point where it is starting to resemble the bodybuilding scene of the 1990s. This era saw the rise of many aesthetic bodybuilders, such as Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray, and Chris Cormier, who made their name in the sport. Cutler feels that the current division is following a similar trend, as more excluded individuals are starting to solidify their position in the category.
Cutler stated, “We’re falling back into that 90s era of competitive [bodybuilding] – ‘oh this guy could be here,’ we’re still not talking about Hunter Labrada who I feel could be in the mix. I mean, these are people that we just – there’s a lot of excluded people that we’re still excited about. Is Sergio going to come back? Yeah. I mean, there’s so many guys.” He also mentioned that the Open class had lost its excitement for a while, but the new guard has come in and has started to make it thrilling again.
With approximately eight months until the next Mr. Olympia contest, fans are eagerly anticipating who will push into title contention. Jay Cutler is pleased to see the Men’s Open division thriving once more, similar to how it was in the 1990s.
Streaming Below:
Furthermore, Cutler is not the only one taking a closer look at how the Arnold Classic has affected the division. Nick Walker, a bodybuilder, recently joined Nick Trigili and Guy Cisternino to discuss judging and the controversial outcome in Ohio. Walker believes that conditioning wins contests, but he stressed that judges might be starting to favor shape and aesthetics over size and conditioning. The debate on what the judges look for in bodybuilding competitions is ongoing, and it will be interesting to see how the upcoming events play out.
Courtesy Image @JayCutler (Instagram)
Streaming @CutlerCast (Youtube)
