Since the advent of streamed video, I’ve 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 critiques of the athletes, usually with a grain of salt, because in many cases, the guys doing the talking are seeing the show on anything from the screen on their phone, to their 4K Dolby Atomos theater room and not in person. It makes a difference no matter how may Ks you have.  This contrasts with my view because I’m there—press pit seat, backstage access—I’m standing literally right next to the competitors. So, whether I’m backstage or in my seat, I have a very direct and very clear view of what’s going on. And I can tell you I’m not always going to agree with the online community.

I will say this though, they’re not too far off and in some cases right on. It’s a testament,. I suppose, to the refinements made to the iPhone.

So, here’s what I’m gonna do–just for fun. I’ve pulled the online community’s consensus of the top four—Derek, Hadi, Andrew and Samson—from the 2025 Mr. Olympia Open division. Following is a paragraph for each of the top four, anchored in what fans and commenters are talking about online. Then I will either correct them, or agree with them. Let’s see how this goes…

Derek Lunsford: Mr. Olympia (1st place)

The consensus among fans: Derek pulled off a clean, no-drama win. His proportions, balance and fullness made fewer people talk about “what he needs to fix” and more “this dude was just locked in.” On Reddit one top comment: “Derek has much better lines than anyone else 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. Nobody looks and says, ‘Oh gosh gee I wish I looked like Derek.”  So, for next year, the community says Derek must maintain his balance and inject a bit more personality—maybe more dramatic separation, a more memorable pose set, or a slight tweak (“edge”) in his conditioning or side-shots that gives fans something to talk about beyond just “very good.” A better mental game and stage show could elevate Lunsford from great to legendary.

Commentary:

First of all, I’m going to assign this same preface to each competitor—no one lit up. The top 10 contained more disappointments than a contraceptive salesman in a convent.  Having said that, you can’t say that Derek, from the back, isn’t a freak. He has probably the best back in the biz right now. And, as they say, shows are won and lost from the back.

But, “locked in”? I disagree. Locked in would mean he’s figured out how to add the much needed detail to his chest, shoulders and biceps and nails the condition he’d need to carve in those details. Until then, he’s not “locked in.” Was he the best man on stage that Saturday night in October? By the ever slightest of margins I would have to say yes. But I mean wafer thin. It could easily have gone another way. What Derek has to do moving forward is come in with a much wider gap between himself and the next guy. His is not the physique that shines when margins are thin. He’s much better received when winning by a mile.

Hadi Choopan: Former Mr. Olympia (runner-up)

Hadi continues to be 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 under-dog story. But many say he came up just a notch short of Derek in the all-around package: “He had the legs and back detail; upper chest and arms weren’t quite at the same level in certain angles.” (community paraphrase).

So, what do they want to see next year: Hadi needs to bring equal upper-body pop to match the lower body, perhaps refine some of his posing transitions, & pick a theme or moment in his routine that slams home “this is the best version of Hadi yet.”

Commentary:

Okay, this is totally wrong, except that I agree with the assessment of his legs. All the rest, no. While, like I said, no one was 100%, Hadi, and for that matter Andrew and Martin Fitzwater, were the most conditioned on the stage. However, as good as it was, Hadi’s condition was not his best condition. That “pop” for which he’s famous was not bright enough to drown out what he lacked next to Derek. Again, by a razor’s edge. The judges were not only 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, it was the tossiest of toss-ups.

Andrew Jacked (3rd place)

On forums Reddit etc: there was a lot of, “wow, he showed up” threads. Example:  “Andrew brought an all time best package this year… He definitely deserves one Mr. O at some point, bro is like sculpted marble.” People love his size, modern look, and upward trajectory. But the most repeated “criticism” in community commentary: his posing and his legs/back detail from certain angles: “His legs don’t look great from the back especially… I see no hamstring detail and they just look watery overall.” So if Andrew wants to be a winner next year, the discussion says: he should sharpen his hamstring/glute tie-in, improve posing transitions (especially side chest, back double) and maintain his newly found conditioning. That could take him from “top three for sure” to “top one contender”.

Commentary:

I pretty much agree with this in the long run. I’ll admit I actually had him winning after I saw him back stage Saturday night, his skin looked like tissue paper. His advantage next to Hadi is that Andrew has some available real estate to fill up – especially in his legs and back, Hadi is maxed out. What Andrew has 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 mean time, he should take some ballet lessons or something and learn how to move his body from one pose to another—not just transitioning, but moving around gracefully to another spot on stage to hit his shot. His poses are fine, getting in and out of them is where he needs work.

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

The forum mood: “Samson was massive and present, but his conditioning/back fullness weren’t quite on the level of Derek/Hadi this year.” Some thread posts: “Samson brought improved conditioning but sacrificed some back fullness.” The consensus: He still has the mass, but the fine detail (striations/separation) and the balance (particularly in the back and glutes) need dialing in. The community expects next year he should sharpen that back package, maybe pull a bit more mid-section “hardness” and get a routine that positions him to show his strengths most effectively (mass + presence) while minimizing any weaker sight lines. If he does that, he could challenge hard.

Commentary:

This is just a lot of hyperbole for the mere fact that Sampson tried to come in tighter and in better condition than last year and screwed up. His condition was okay, but his skin wasn’t tight. He looked like he lost muscle—like a slightly deflated version of his Mr. O physique. He’s got to gain all that back, and some, and he will be on a path to regain his title. But it’s not going to be easy. Andrew is coming in next year another year better. 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 to hoe. And he’s capable of doing it. My prediction is that next year the battle for first and second will be between Sampson and Andrew.

Added Bonus

Fifth and sixth I think need mention because they were both so disappointing in two distinct and opposite ways. It was very disappointing that Martin was so glaringly overlooked. He clearly upset the apple cart and it seemed the judges just didn’t know what to do with him. He was big, round dense, separated, symmetrical  and shredded. What more could you ask for?  If he made the podium no one would have argued.

At the other end of the disappointment spectrum is the blunder Nick Walker made. Never mind his self aggrandizing posture online leading up to the show, including the little scuffle he had with Bob Chic,  what’s truly disappointing is that Walker posted a pic five weeks out that looked like Chic would be eating his words with hot sauce on them. As it turned out, a few seconds after Nick was introduced at the open of prejudging, there was a plaintive gasp that shuddered through the audience after they all realized that the Nick in the pic was not the guy on stage. Four seconds later Nick folded.  It was written all over him, his gaze could have frozen brandy. He was done. His only solace was that Bob announced him in seventh place and not eighth as he had predicted. Be that as it may, Nick’s cheat meal is going to have to be crow.