Bodybuilder Joan Pradells is one of the latest newcomers to shake up the Men’s Open roster. On Nov. 20, 2025, Jose Raymond, Dennis James, and Milos Sarcev predicted he could become a three-time Mr. Olympia and compared him to Jay Cutler.
It’s been non-stop action for Pradells throughout 2025. He claimed fifth place at the Prague Pro and didn’t flinch facing off against heavy hitters like Samson Dauda and champion Martin Fitzwater. At the Poland Pro a week later, Pradells secured second place behind Andrea Presti.
Putting in the rounds, he tested himself at the Romania Muscle Fest Pro, where he took on an all-time best Andrew Jacked. Though Pradells walked away with silver, the performance got the bodybuilding world talking about his potential in the category. Now, he’s set his sights on a win at the Japan Pro, set for Nov. 24.
Dennis James, Jose Raymond Talk Joan Pradells’ Future in the Sport
In the video, Raymond was the first to speak up about Pradells’ ceiling in the Men’s Open. He believes the rising talent has a better waist than Jay Cutler.
“I met him two years ago in person. He’s super wide,” said Jose Raymond. “That’s exactly what I said, I’m looking forward to the day your name explodes because I could tell, and he was off-season, he was huge but I could tell just by seeing a couple of shots that he was going to be special.”
“He’s got that Jay Cutler width with a better waist. He can hit a vacuum, huge quads,” adds Raymond. “He might have a prettier shape than Jay. He definitely does. He’s got a tighter waist,” said Jose Raymond.
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Sarcev agreed, noting that there’s a real resemblance between the two:
“Wide shoulders, thick legs, all that stuff, I’m telling you the first time I saw him in the gym, he was coming in Dragon’s Lair towards me, and it looked like Jay coming to me, like holy shit. Then, when I see him pose with his crazy shoulder width, tree trunk legs, of course, he has a different anatomy and shape, but there is a resemblance, I’m telling you.”
James argued that it’s not impossible for Pradells to win three Mr. Olympia titles eventually.
“Listen, Joan, maybe in six, seven years, we talk about Joan Pradells being a three-time Mr. Olympia, you never know. It’s definitely possible. What you did this year, what I see from you competing the last four shows… I think you have great potential. Listen, I’m not the only one who’s saying this. Milos has been saying this before you stepped onstage. Fouad is saying this. Everybody is saying this,” explained Dennis James.
Predictions for the upcoming Japan Pro are rolling in. Although former two-time 212 Olympia Shaun Clarida and James Hollingshead stand out as favorites, Iain Valliere is convinced Pradells will secure gold and his Olympia qualification in Tokyo.
With young blood making moves in the Men’s Open, we could have an entirely new landscape heading into 2026. Raymond, James, and Sarcev believe that with more time, Pradells could pose a future threat to the Mr. Olympia title.
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