On June 23, 2023, in one of the latest episodes of his podcast, Cutler broke down where he believes the current Men’s Open division stands before the onset of the 2023 Olympia this early November. To say the least, in a conversation with his manager Matthew M. Daniels, the icon maintained he has his eyes on a few familiar names and didn’t mince words about potential upstarts.

While Cutler didn’t offer specific thoughts on every prime Mr. Olympia competitor  — Nick Walker was mentioned in passing but not expanded upon — he did mostly touch every corner of the elite bodybuilders of the Men’s Open class. Here are some of Cutler’s thoughts on what’s sure to be a loaded Mr. Olympia stage in Orlando, FL:

Michal “Križo” Križánek

Cutler was impressed by Michal Križánek’s recent progress but still felt he hadn’t closed the gap enough on the other athletes.

“He [Križánek] was looking so paper thin, especially in the upper body,” Cutler said. “The arms are some of the best in the business, and it’s looked like he made improvements, which, I think he did improve from his prior showings. But I don’t know if he came down in size a little bit to gather the condition. I still feel like he’s still going to have trouble pushing the top spots at the [2023] Olympia.”

Derek Lunsford and Samson Dauda

To some, after his runner-up Mr. Olympia finish in 2022, Derek Lunsford is the next heir-apparent superstar in bodybuilding. Cutler seems to be one of those people. However, after a recent mutual training session, Cutler ensured he talked up 2023 Arnold Classic (AC) winner Samson Dauda as a possible Olympia champion in his own right.

“We just saw Derek [Lunsford] and Samson [Dauda], too,” Cutler said. “They trained together a couple days ago and Derek looks tremendous, which he always has, and Samson looks tremendous, which he has for the past few years. Obviously, he’s the Arnold [Classic] winner. The question is if Derek would’ve done the Arnold [Classic], and we could keep talking about that.”

Hadi Choopan and Brandon Curry

Cutler believes that two established titans, Hadi Choopan and Brandon Curry, have somewhat been overlooked in the popular conversation. That might be a mistake for the defending Olympia champion (Choopan) and the 2019 victor (Curry).

“Contention-wise, Hadi’s [Choopan] been kind of shouting out ‘don’t forget about me,'” Cutler explained. “We’re also forgetting Brandon Curry.”

Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay

After falling short of a “three-peat” in his Olympia title defense, there have been rumblings that Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay could take a break from bodybuilding to recharge. The Egyptian dynamo has quelled these conversations, maintaining that he’s training “angry” for Olympia redemption in the fall. Cutler believes this is the right mentality to have because:

1. Elssbiay doesn’t have time to waste as he nears the age of 40 and
2. Cutler thinks that Elssbiay, at his best, can still win the Olympia.

“Ramy [Elssbiay] sounds like he’s going to come back and compete, which I’m all for,” Cutler said ” … The point is he [Elssbiay] just needs to regroup and do what he does best and come in the best of his ability. There’s no real timeline on that. He’s 38, he can’t take a few years off. I hear his health is really great. I hear his training is really great. He’s had some atrophy compared to years prior on the arms, triceps, I think he’s admitted to having some downsizing there. But he looked great at the [2023] Arnold [Classic].”

Chinedu Obiekea aka “Andrew Jacked” and Hunter Labrada

Andrew Jacked finished on the podium at the 2023 AC and has already mapped out ambitious summer competitive plans as a way to qualify for the 2023 Olympia. Meanwhile, Hunter Labrada is in hot pursuit of his own Olympia redemption with a streamlined training plan.

Cutler said he liked the duo’s talent but colored his commentary as if he still needed to see more from both athletes.

“I hear great things about Andrew [Jacked], too,” Cutler stated. “The big showdown is going to be Texas [the 2023 Texas Pro]. There’s going to be other guys, too. I know there’s a lot of international shows, but that’s going to be, like, who’s not going to qualify there [in Texas]. Those two guys [Andrew Jacked and Hunter Labrada] need to be in the [Olympia] lineup because they’re people we’re talking about. The question is, can Andrew come and win the [2023] Olympia and shock the world?”

More than most years, the 2023 Mr. Olympia is starting to resemble a relentless gauntlet from which only a true champion of champions will come out victorious. If an icon like Cutler professes so, such a competitive reality feels inevitable.

Featured image: @hadi_choopan on Instagram

The post Jay Cutler Names 8 of His Favorite 2023 Mr. Olympia Contenders appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Mar. 26. 2023, during a YouTube episode of the Cutler Cast, Cutler discussed the state of the Men’s Open with his talent manager Matthew M. Daniels. The discussion saw the four-time Mr. Olympia (2006-2007, 2009-2010) express that he believes the current cadre of Men’s Open competitors is the best shape it’s been in since the 1990s.

Cutler’s thoughts about the 2020s Men’s Open compared to the 1990s are high praise. Some would find it challenging to see similarities to an era that featured eight-time Mr. Olympia (1998-2005) Ronnie Coleman, six-time Olympia winner (1992-1997) Dorian Yates and four-time Arnold Classic (AC) Champion (1993, 1997, 1998, 2000) Ken “Flex” Wheeler.

Cutler doesn’t have such qualms.

He thinks a group led by defending Olympia champion Hadi Choopan, runner-up Derek Lunsford, third-place finisher Nick Walker, and rising star (2023 Arnold Classic winner) Samson Dauda is bound to have more than a few close battles. Especially at the 2023 Mr. Olympia.

“Hadi [Choopan] is going to be very difficult to beat [at the 2023 Olympia],” Cutler said. “People forget quick, man. You guys got to remember, he’s knocked at that door and he kicked that thing in. Not even, you know, a better overall look, but what he is capable of … I think Derek [Lunsford] is going to be tremendously better and Samson [Dauda] peaked once already this year … it’s tough. And Nick Walker is even more hungry now.” 

Choopan, Lunsford, Dauda, and Walker aren’t the only potential top contenders. There’s still former two-time Mr. Olympia Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay to consider, along with 2019 Mr. Olympia and 2022 Arnold Classic winner Brandon Curry. The list of stars capable of winning the sport’s biggest title seemingly never ends.

It’s why Cutler thinks these men are right on par with the time of athletes like Coleman, Yates, and Wheeler.

“We’re falling back into that ’90s era of competitive [bodybuilding],” Cutler said. “We’re still not talking about Hunter Labrada, who I feel could be in the mix … There’s a lot of excluded people that we’re still excited about … We’re excited about an Open class, which I think fell off for a minute because the old guard was going out, and now the new guard has come in and a lot of new guys are solidifying positions now. It’s making it exciting again.” 

The margins of victory can be so slim in a sport like bodybuilding. Every competitor in the Men’s Open division certainly understands that fact. Cutler’s analysis of the state of this class might only be the tip of the iceberg for the coming shows it’ll put on.

Featured image: @hadi_choopan on Instagram

The post Jay Cutler Believes Bodybuilding’s Men’s Open is Returning to Its Greatest Era appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Mar. 23, 2023, the National Physique Committee (NPC) organizers of the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro revealed who will be guest posing during this year’s competition the weekend of May 12-13. Here is an overview of big names who are expected to show off an early spring look at their physique with nothing tangible on the line:

2023 Pittsburgh Pro Guest Posing Athletes

• Derek Lunsford — 2022 Mr. Olympia runner-up
• Nick Walker — 2022 Olympia third-place finisher
• Samson Dauda — 2023 Arnold Classic (AC) winner
• Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay — Two-time Mr. Olympia (2020-2021)
• Shaun Clarida — Two-time 212 Olympia winner (2020, 2022)
• Hunter Labrada
• Rafael Brandao

Reigning four-time Classic Physique Olympia champion (2019-2022) Chris Bumstead has also been announced to make a special appearance, but he is not expected to guest pose.

Save for the defending Mr. Olympia, Hadi Choopan, this list of guest posers at the latest Pittsburgh Pro is arguably a laundry list of potential contenders for the next Mr. Olympia title. There could always be an unexpected dark horse making a run out of the blue, but one of these names (with Choopan included) will likely be the 2023 Olympia victor.

Assuredly, there is no shortage of storylines leading into this first look at most of the main 2023 Mr. Olympia slate.

For Lunsford, after successfully transitioning from the 212 division, the athlete will now likely be pulling out all the stops to win his first Mr. Olympia title. Taking home a runner-up in his first Men’s Open try might have only been the start of a fruitful career in the top bodybuilding class. When it comes to Walker, “The Mutant” has submitted relatively disappointing performances of late. Two consecutive podium results at the 2022 Olympia and 2023 AC are nothing to sneeze at, but Walker expected to win. That makes what he brings to the stage in Orlando potentially even more exciting.

Elssbiay returns to guest pose at the Pittsburgh Pro after skipping the 2022 iteration. The former two-time Olympia champion has recently dipped a bit, performance-wise, and could be using the Pittsburgh Pro as a way to build some momentum heading into another Olympia appearance in the fall. Dauda surprised the bodybuilding world with his new AC title, but some established icons don’t think any coming victories will be much of a shock anymore. He’s undoubtedly seemed to establish himself as a household name.

Finally, amongst the main pantheon featured at the Pittsburgh Pro, Clarida will likely just be moonlighting guest posing among Men’s Open contenders as he pushes for a 212 Olympia title record. It doesn’t appear “The Giant Killer” will be slaying any of the athletes on stage in a primary competition any time soon. As for Labrada, after finishing in seventh place at the 2022 Olympia, he didn’t seem to be contending well with the outside noise. The athlete has been planning a streamlined physique in 2023, which he might show a glimpse of in the early stages in May.

At the time of this article’s publication, it is unclear what role Bumstead plans to play at the Pittsburgh Pro given that he isn’t guest posing. However, having another superstar on hand is always welcome by fans.

From a competitive perspective, nothing meaningful is on the line for any of these dynamos at the 2023 Pittsburgh Pro. They are merely there to partly provide a public update on their training progress while fulfilling IFBB appearance “obligations” of sorts. That said, seeing the current elite mix of Men’s Open bodybuilders is one rousing way to stir up debate and draw attention before they actually duke it out on stage later this year.

Featured image: @npcifbbpropittsburgh on Instagram

The post Derek Lunsford, Nick Walker, And Other Men’s Open Stars Will Guest Pose at 2023 Pittsburgh Pro appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Jan. 27, 2023, Lewis appeared in a podcast episode with Fouad Abiad Media to partly break down what might lie ahead in the 2023 AC on Mar. 2-5, 2023. The fitness icon seemingly spared few details, predicting his top 10 finishers for the major competition.

With the 2023 AC roughly five weeks away at the time of this writing, here is how Lewis sees the contest shaking out for some of bodybuilding’s elite:

Flex Lewis’s 2023 Arnold Classic Top 10 Prediction

1. Nick Walker | Champion
2. Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay
3. Andrew Jacked
4. Samson Dauda
5. William Bonac
6. Shaun Clarida
7. Akim Williams
8. Justin Rodriguez
9. Kamal Elgargni
10. Patrick Moore

Lewis viewed Walker as the odds-on favorite to capture his second career AC title in the last three years. However, he did clarify a few names — such as former two-time Mr. Olympia (2020-2021) Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay and rising star Chinedu Andrew Obiekea, a.k.a. “Andrew Jacked” — that he thinks could push Walker and keep the athlete from standing on top of the podium.

“I can’t wait to see if Ramy [Elssbiay] is able to bring a better look next to Nick [Walker],” said Lewis. “Andrew [Jacked] is my dark horse. Samson [Dauda] needs one to two years of added muscle in the right areas, and maturity, and then you’re talking about a completely different monster. I feel like Samson [Dauda] will be a threat in any [expletive] show he steps foot in in the future.”

Notably, Lewis asserted that two-time 212 victor (2020, 2022) Shaun Clarida could make some noise. However, it would seem to be a tall task for the 5’2″ athlete to topple lineup of Men’s Open competitors.

“If they judge and look at Shaun [Clarida] with [blinders] on, he’s [expletive] Ronnie Coleman in a 212 size,” Lewis explained. “He [Clarida] never misses. He comes in on point every time … It’s a hard one for me to see somebody who I have a vested interest in, as a 212 champion, but I just think that he’s going to be lost with the height of what’s there.”

As the AC rises in prominence and prestige as a contest, it’s hard not to imagine the spotlight growing bigger and getting more attention from established titans. Plus, if Lewis is giving Walker his blessing — the second former Olympia mainstay to do so recently — it seems the superstar might use the coming AC as another launching-off point in his young career.

Featured image: @nick_walker39 on Instagram

The post Seven-Time 212 Olympia Champ Flex Lewis Predicts Top 10 at 2023 Arnold Classic appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

On Dec. 12, 2022, eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman (1998-2005) appeared in a video on Muscular Development Magazine’s YouTube channel. In offering some pre-contest analysis of the field coming to Las Vegas, NV, Coleman maintained that he thinks former 212 champion (2021) Derek Lunsford is the most likely athlete to push Elssbiay for the title. Lunsford will make his first appearance as a Men’s Open competitor after transitioning from the 212 division in late Summer 2022.

Coleman didn’t mince words in his endorsement of Lunsford. Even while he ultimately believes Elssbiay will still retain his Olympia title, Coleman asserted Lunsford is the only competitor who can potentially match Elssbiay’s total package.

“Derek [Lunsford] is the only one that’s pretty close to him [Elssbiay] right now that’s got everything,” Coleman said. “He’s really complete; he’s got a lot of thickness and everything.”

Another prime contender for the Olympia, Hadi Choopan, was also someone Coleman highlighted. However, from his perspective, the all-time great noted that Lunsford’s physique is just more polished by comparison.

“I think height makes a difference, as well as conditioning and thickness, and I think Derek [Lunsford] is close to being complete,” Coleman explained. “Hadi Choopan is really good in some areas and not so good in some other areas. He’s not complete like Derek [Lunsford] is right now, but anything can change.”

As for how Coleman viewed the top five at the 2022 Olympia shaking out, he didn’t make a firm commitment to a prediction. To him, any number of Lunsford, William Bonac, Brandon Curry, and Choopan could be in line for a second-place result to Elssbiay.

“Man, it’s so hard right now, I know so many good guys, but I see ‘Big Ramy’ [Elssbiay] first, then second it could be [William] Bonac, he is looking real good,” Coleman said. “Then Brandon Curry always looks pretty good, and then these new guys coming in here Derek [Lunsford], and I don’t think Andrew [Jacked] can place that high … for the second, it’s going to be between [William] Bonac, Hadi [Choopan], Derek [Lunsford], and Brandon [Curry]. Four guys can place second, I think.”

The 2022 Mr. Olympia might be Elssbiay’s to lose. That said, if an icon like Coleman thinks Lunsford has the tools to topple the Egyptian giant, then a tight battle could be in store on the Las Vegas stage.

Featured image: @dereklunsford_ on Instagram

The post Ronnie Coleman Believes Derek Lunsford is Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay’s Top Challenger at the 2022 Mr. Olympia appeared first on Breaking Muscle.