The 2023 Arnold Classic has dominated bodybuilding discussions since taking place earlier this month. In the latest Muscle Maturity Podcast, Samir Bannout addressed the controversial scorecards and reasoned why Nick Walker should have defeated Samson Dauda in the finals.
From March 2-5, in Columbus, Ohio, the Arnold Sports Festival saw seven champions crowned. In the Men’s Open headliner, debutant Andrew Jacked, Samson Dauda, and Nick Walker battled for gold. While many labeled Walker’s package as one of his most conditioned, Dauda pulled off the upset with an aesthetic blend of balance, proportions, and symmetry.
Walker, who entered the contest in Columbus, Ohio as the highest-ranked Olympian, failed to secure a second Arnold Classic title. In the aftermath, plenty of notable coaches gave their take on the outcome. Dauda’s trainer, Milos Sarcev, suggested ‘The Nigerian Lion’ won because Walker’s quads lacked the volume displayed at his last Mr. Olympia.
Chris Aceto, on the other hand, clapped back at the controversial judging in Ohio. He said the scores were dubious and added that Walker would have overwhelmed Dauda in a one-on-one comparison. The latest bodybuilding veteran to offer his opinion on the matter is Samir Bannout.
Samir Bannout Opens Up on 2023 AC Judging: “You Need to Have Qualified, Extremely Knowledgeable Judges”
According to Bannout, the IFBB Pro League judging criteria needs a revamp.
“Symmetry, muscularity, presentation. That’s what bodybuilding is all about. Three rounds. Now, Nick Walker for an example, had he had a little bit better symmetry, he would have won the show, for sure. They went for Samson.”
“You can’t just go look at a bodybuilding score and be like, ‘oh, this is why he won.’ It’s just a bunch of numbers,” Nick Trigili added.
Bannout believes judges with more bodybuilding experience would do a better job at major events like the Mr. Olympia and Arnold Classic.
“This is another thing. We need to also narrow it down to great judges and that’s where you need to put experienced judges that actually competed at some time and they understand the sport; they are passionate about bodies. They understand harmony and balance and the whole nine yards. You put someone who doesn’t understand, you need to put some judges who are honest and understand the game. This is what Jim Manion needed to do.”
“You need to call guys. For example, call Tom Platz, call Frank Zane, whoever, but someone that’s been there, done that, who are deep in the game. Especially in a show like Olympia,” explained Bannout. “Look, Jim Manion is so heavily experienced, and he needs to call the shot by making these changes. I think that would be the greatest thing that happened to the NPC and the pro league. You need to have qualified, extremely knowledgeable judges”
Bannout on Nick Walker Losing to Samson Dauda at 2023 AC: “Regardless, On Conditioning, He Should Have Had It.”
Samson Dauda beat Nick Walker with better ‘body flow,’ but Bannout thought Nick Walker’s conditioning levels should have won him the show.
“He’s got to do the right things. We need to go back to the drawing board and find the different play to win the game. Because Samson has a better overall physique, let’s not bullshit ourselves. It’s what you show on that day.”
“He beat him on body flow, come on Nick, let’s not bullshit on each other here. He has overall body flow. I’ll tell you what, Nick has to work in that area and he’ll be able to get it back and he’ll be able to improve physically and you know – doing that extra masterful posing. He’ll do great. He needs to make some adjustments on that.”
He added that Nick looked depleted but brought the best condition of anyone at the contest.
“I noticed something about Nick. I was following things he was doing and he depleted way too much. He didn’t fill up to perfectly fill up, he filled up good, but – he still looked good, still had the best muscularity in my opinion, most ripped, but had he loaded up slighly earlier or a little bit more – instead of being 95% full be like 99% full, he’ll be more plumpy-looking. Regardless, on conditioning, he should have had it.”
“I bet you Nick looked even better the morning after, I guarantee you, he was more fuller. It’s my opinion because I saw the severity of his depletion. I don’t know if you saw that, Nick. He was way too depleted at some points, even his mom was saying, ‘wait until he loads up.’ This is a problem, most people don’t understand, loading is necessary. If you’re super shredded, you’re not going to look bad if you load up the right way. I know Arnold would eat just about anything when he loaded up and he would look unbelievable.”
Samir Bannout said ‘The Mutant’ looked more ready than Dauda in Columbus, Ohio.
“Samson, you know, he looked good, let’s not bullshit ourselves,” said Samir Bannout. “Nick’s skin was like paper thin. I can tell you, Nick was more ready – he was the most ready for sure. Whether he filled up completely or not, I don’t think he looked bad, worse than the Olympia. I don’t think so. Even if he was a bit fuller.”
With a week to process his performance, Nick Walker appeared on a recent Mutant & The Mouth Podcast to talk about finishing second. Looking back, Walker believes he wasn’t defeated soundly given his status as a former Arnold Classic champion.
RELATED: “How Did Samson Dauda Get A Perfect Score?’: Samir Bannout Talks 2023 Arnold Classic
The next Mr. Olympia contest kicks off this November, where Walker and Dauda will both aim to take out the reigning and defending champion Hadi Choopan. As for Bannout, he advises Walker to practice posing to compensate for any weaknesses on stage the next time he competes.
You can watch the full video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTiSUGy1iWk&t=2728s
Catch comprehensive coverage of the 2025 Arnold Classic, including pre-judging, event recaps, analyses, and complete Arnold Classic results at our Arnold Classic coverage hub: FitnessVolt.com/arnold-classic
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
