Results Mr. Olympia 2025: Expert Analysis from Derek Lunsford, Hadi Choopan, Andrew Jacked and Samson Dauda – Muscle and Fitness

Since the advent of streaming video, I have always enjoyed, and in many cases been thoroughly entertained by, the post-Olympia commentary of the online community (forums, Reddit, social media). I look at their criticism of the athletes, usually with a grain of salt, because in many cases the guys speaking are seeing the show on everything from the screen on their phone to their 4K Dolby Atomos theater room and not in person. It makes a difference no matter how many Ks you have. This is in contrast to my vision because I am there – press pit seat, access to the backstage – I am literally right next to the competitors. So whether I’m backstage or sitting in my seat, I have a very direct and very clear view of what’s going on. And I can tell you that I don’t always agree with the online community.

I will say this though: they are not far off and in some cases just right. It’s a will. I suppose, from the refinements made to the iPhone.

So this is what I’m going to do, just for fun. I have the online community’s consensus on the top four – Derek, Hadi, Andrew and Samson – from the Mr. Made the 2025 Olympia Open division. Below is a paragraph for each of the top four, anchored by what fans and commentators are talking about online. Then I correct them or agree with them. Let’s see how this goes…

Derek Lunsford: Mr. Olympia (1st place)

The fan consensus: Derek got a clean win with no drama. Its proportions, poise, and fullness meant less people talking about “what he needs to fix” and more “this guy was just locked up.” On Reddit, one top comment: “Derek has way better lines than anyone in the top 5…” That said, some voices in the community say he lacks a distinct “freak factor” or memorable highlight of his physique: “He’s as boring as vanilla for a bodybuilder. No one looks and says, ‘Oh god, I wish I looked like Derek.’ So for next year, the community says Derek needs to keep his balance and inject a little more personality – perhaps a more dramatic parting, a more memorable pose set, or a small adjustment (“edge”) in his conditioning or side shots that will give fans something to talk about beyond just “very good.” A better mental game and showing could elevate Lunsford from great to legendary.

Commentary:

First of all, I’m going to give the same preface to every competitor: no one stood up. The top 10 contained more disappointments than a contraceptive seller in a monastery. That said, you can’t say that Derek, looking from behind, isn’t a freak. He probably has the best back in the biz right now. And, as they say, shows are won and lost from behind.

But “locked up”? I don’t agree with that. Locked up would mean he’s figured out how to add much-needed detail to his chest, shoulders, biceps and nails, the fitness he needs to carve into those details. Until then he is not ‘locked up’. Was he the best man on stage that Saturday night in October? By the narrowest margin I would have to say yes. But I mean paper thin. It could easily have ended differently. What Derek needs to do going forward is come in with a much bigger gap between himself and the next guy. He doesn’t have the body that excels when the margins are thin. He will be much better received if he wins by a mile.

Hadi Choopan: former Mr. Olympia (second place)

Hadi remains the crowd favorite. One comment read: “His conditioning was excellent, and that signature ‘Persian Wolf’ intensity…” (paraphrased from a Facebook thread) Fans love his charisma, back development and his underdog story. But many say he was just a notch behind Derek in terms of all-round package: “He had the legs and the back detail; the upper chest and arms were not quite at the same level in certain angles.” (paraphrase from community).

So what do they want to see next year: Hadi needs to deliver equal upper-body pop to match the lower body, maybe refine some of his posing transitions, and choose a theme or moment in his routine that makes it clear, “This is the best version of Hadi yet.”

Commentary:

Okay, this is completely wrong, except I agree with the assessment of his legs. Everything else, no. Although, as I said, no one was 100%, Hadi, and for that matter Andrew and Martin Fitzwater, were the most conditioned on stage. As good as it was, Hadi’s condition was not his best. That “pop” he is famous for wasn’t bright enough to drown out what he was missing next to Derek. Again with a sharp razor. The judges weren’t just splitting hairs, the hairs were growing on an atom – it was that close. That said, Hadi could just as easily have won and the exact same commentary would have raged. In my experience, this was the most toss-up.

Andrew Jacked (3rd place)

On forums Reddit etc: there were a lot of “wow, he showed up” threads. Example: “Andrew brought the best package of all time this year… He definitely deserves a Mr. Oh, bro is like carved marble.” People love its size, modern look and upward trajectory. But the most repeated “criticism” in community comments: his pose and his legs/back details from certain angles: “His legs don’t look great, especially from the back… I don’t see any hamstring details and they just look watery overall.” So if Andrew wants to be a winner next year, the discussion goes: he needs to tighten his hamstring/glutes, improve pose transitions (particularly side chest, double back), and maintain his new-found fitness. That could take him from “definitely in the top three” to “top one contender.”

Commentary:

In the long run, I pretty much agree with this. I have to admit I really let him win after I saw him backstage on Saturday night, his skin looked like tissue paper. His advantage next to Hadi is that Andrew has some available real estate to fill – especially in his legs and back, Hadi is used to the maximum. What Andrew needs to do is recognize that the trend is his friend. If his current trajectory of improvement continues, he will win the Olympia; I just don’t know which one. In the meantime, he should take some ballet lessons or something and learn how to move his body from one position to another – not just step over, but move gracefully around to another spot on the stage to hit his shot. His postures are fine, getting in and out is where he needs work.

Samson Dauda: 2024 Mr.Olympia (4th place)

The mood of the forum: “Samson was huge and present, but his conditioning/back fullness wasn’t quite up to Derek/Hadi levels this year.” Some thread messages: “Samson improved his fitness, but sacrificed some back fullness.” The consensus: He still has the mass, but the fine details (streaks/separation) and the balance (especially in the back and glutes) need to be adjusted. The community expects that next year he will need to tighten up that back package, perhaps pull a little more ‘toughness’ in the midsection and get into a routine that positions him to most effectively display his strengths (mass + presence) while minimizing weaker sight lines. If he does, he could face a tough challenge.

Commentary:

This is just an exaggeration for the simple fact that Sampson tried to come in tighter and in better shape than last year and messed up. His condition was okay, but his skin was not tight. He looked like he had lost muscle, like a slightly deflated version of his Mr. O body type. He needs to get all that back and then some, and he’ll be on his way to reclaiming his title. But it won’t be easy. Andrew will be coming in another year better next year. That’s going to be a huge mountain for Sampson, or anyone else, to climb. But if we’re going to compare apples to apples, Sampson, more than anyone else. Has the longest row for hoeing. And he is capable of that. My prediction is that the battle for first and second place next year will be between Sampson and Andrew.

Added bonus

I think fifth and sixth place need to be mentioned because they were both so disappointing in two different and opposite ways. It was very disappointing that Martin was so overlooked. He clearly upset the apple cart and it seemed like the judges just didn’t know what to do with him. It was large, round, dense, separated, symmetrical and fragmented. What more can you ask for? If he had made it to the podium, no one would have argued.

At the other end of the disappointment spectrum is the blunder that Nick Walker made. Regardless of his self-aggrandizing attitude online leading up to the show, including the little scuffle he had with Bob Chic, what’s really disappointing is that five weeks later Walker posted a photo that looked like Chic was about to eat his words with hot sauce on it. As it turns out, a few seconds after Nick was introduced during the opening of the preliminary round, a plaintive sigh went through the audience after they all realized that the Nick in the photo was not the man on stage. Four seconds later, Nick folded. It was written all over him, his look could have frozen the brandy. He was ready. His only consolation was that Bob had announced him in seventh place and not eighth as he had predicted. Either way, Nick’s cheat meal will have to be crow.