The 2024 Arnold Classic, hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger, showcased unforgettable action, promising an epic year in bodybuilding. Nathan De Asha recently discussed Hadi Choopan and Wesley Vissers victories in a YouTube video.
At the 36th annual Arnold Sports Festival, held from February 29 to March 3, seven champions were crowned. Moreover, a standout moment was Wesley Vissers’ victory over reigning Classic Physique titleholder Ramon Rocha Queiroz. Furthermore, Vissers displayed striated delts, chest, and overall muscle separation, standing tall at 6 feet and 3 inches. His golden-era aesthetic presents a distinct challenge for reigning five-time Classic Physique Olympia Chris Bumstead.
In the Men’s Open division, fans witnessed a fierce battle between reigning champion Samson Dauda and Hadi Choopan. However, despite Dauda’s efforts, Choopan secured a decisive victory, surpassing ‘The Nigerian Lion’ by ten points on the scorecards. This win positions Choopan as the clear number-one contender for Derek Lunsford’s Olympia title in October.
View this post on Instagram
Nathan De Asha, who previously placed fourth to Samson Dauda at the 2023 Romania Muscle Fest Pro, provided a recap of the 2024 Arnold Classic’s Classic Physique and Men’s Open divisions in his latest online appearance.
Nathan De Asha Analyzes Choopan & Vissers Victories In The 2024 Arnold Classic
Even though he lost money betting on Samson Dauda to win in Ohio, Nathan De Asha acknowledged that Hadi Choopan brought one of his best physiques to date.
“The last Olympia, he wasn’t his best, the one before that he wasn’t his best as well but this Hadi bro, it was crazy. I had Samson to win so I lost money. I got to get some money back. I lost a lot of money in the gym in regard to Samson. I got to walk in the gym tomorrow with my head held high.”
De Asha admitted that his predictions leading up to the event were largely inaccurate.
“Yeah man, Hadi again, Hadi was showing off. Samson was out there posing and posing, I had Samson, Hadi, Ramon, then I had James, and then, I thought Akim would have been fifth, I did not have Delarosa in it, no way. But John shocked everyone bro.”
Despite Dauda’s likely weight advantage of 30-40 pounds over Choopan, De Asha noted that Choopan still matched him in size.
“The condition was that far ahead [with Hadi Choopan] it was just crazy. He had, you know, Samson is like what 30-40 pounds heavier than him… he looked the same size as Samson.
So, you know, it’s crazy, and then you think to yourself, imagine Samson got the condition that Hadi got, suffer how Hadi suffered, bro, Samson would be unbeatable, he would be fucking unbeatable it’s just Samson’s issue is a condition issue.”
According to De Asha, Dauda appeared fuller and heavier in the finals. However, Choopan was ‘miles ahead’ due to added size and dry conditioning.
“In the evening he came back a lot fuller. I didn’t like the finals look. I think he went for fullness, of course the prejudging look was better for Samson. He looked about 10-15 pounds heavier the next day but I still… Hadi was again, miles ahead. Complete, complete. I think Steve and the guys gave the audience a show of what they wanted.”
Before discussing Classic Physique, De Asha emphasized that Akim Williams, who finished sixth, was overlooked.
“I also thought Akim was overlooked, to be honest,” adds Nathan De Asha. “I thought Akim got fourth and he got sixth. Not sure what was going on there in the judges’ minds. Akim looked crazy.”
Regarding Classic Physique, De Asha expected a battle between Urs Kalecinski and Rocha Queiroz. However, Wesley Vissers, his teammate, surprised everyone with a career-best performance, shaking up the bodybuilding world.
“I, in my heart of hearts, thought it was going to be a two-man show with Urs and Ramon. I think everyone thought that. But then, the second Wesley got called out, he hasn’t been given his fair chance in a lineup, he just hasn’t right. He always gets put aside for no reason. I think when he got up there and this increased weight cap… bro, he just looked like a man mountain next to these guys.”
De Asha envisions Vissers challenging Chris Bumstead for the Classic Physique Olympia title if he can add tissue to his hamstrings.
“He needs to get the hamstrings a little bigger and keep the legs in that pose. I believe he’s the best man to give Chris a run for his money, bro, I honestly do. Chris has not met someone this big. He always out-sizes the guys but no way will he out-size Wesley, no way.”
“Give Wesley his due bro, he deserved that. I don’t think anyone could take that away from him, no one.”
View this post on Instagram
De Asha isn’t the only notable voice in the bodybuilding community analyzing the results. Judge Terrick El Guindy recently assessed the aftermath, emphasizing Choopan’s dominant victory in Ohio as a clear message to Derek Lunsford. El Guindy specified that this was one of ‘The Persian Wolf’s’ best physiques ever.
Now, with the 2024 Arnold Classic recorded in the history books, fans shift their attention to the biggest bodybuilding event of the year — the 2024 Mr. Olympia competition. Set for October 10-13 in Las Vegas, Nevada, it promises to be the highlight of the year for bodybuilding enthusiasts.
View the full video from the Desktop Bodybuilding YouTube channel here:
For comprehensive coverage of the 2024 Arnold Classic, including pre-judging, event recaps, analyses, and complete Arnold Classic results, visit our Arnold Classic coverage hub at Colosseumstrength.com.
Overview
The 2024 Arnold Classic, hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger, showcased remarkable action in bodybuilding. Nathan De Asha recently discussed Hadi Choopan’s and Wesley Vissers’ victories. Moreover, with seven champions crowned at the event, notable highlights included Vissers’ upset over reigning Classic Physique titleholder Ramon Rocha Queiroz and Choopan’s dominant win in the Men’s Open division. Despite De Asha’s inaccurate predictions, he noted Choopan’s impressive size matching Dauda’s. The event also saw Terrick El Guindy highlighting Choopan’s victory as a message to Derek Lunsford. Looking ahead, fans anticipate the 2024 Mr. Olympia competition in October. For comprehensive coverage of the Arnold Classic, visit Colosseumstrength.com.
Featured Image @Nathan De Asha, @arnoldsports(Instagram), Nathan De Asha (Youtube)
