The sport is set to welcome back the Mr. Olympia contest in just under five weeks and bodybuilding veterans are breaking down how the event might unfold. In a recent YouTube video shared on September 4, 2024, athletes rep Bob Cicherillo gave his top six picks for the biggest show of the year and provided analysis on those competing in the Men’s Open division.
Last year, the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest couldn’t have been much closer. Ultimately, Derek Lunsford prevailed as the first two-division Olympia winner, having narrowly bested his teammate Hadi Choopan en route to claiming a controversial victory.
Since that night, Choopan has gone on to win back-to-back titles at the 2024 Arnold Classic Ohio and UK contests, defeating rising Open star Samson Dauda in both outings. The lineup for this year’s Olympia looks to be even more stacked as fans await the comeback of Nick Walker, who was forced to bow out of the show last season after suffering a hamstring and calf tear. To get back into the winner’s circle, Walker earned his Olympia qualification by winning a second ring at the 2024 New York Pro.
Andrew Jacked will add to the stiff lineup. He picked up a dominant three-peat victory at the 2024 Texas Pro, showcasing next-level size and detail. With the show approaching, Bob Cicherillo gave his opinion on who might make the top six and offered up a dark horse pick.
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Bob Cicherillo Gives Top 6 Predictions for the 2024 Mr. Olympia, Shares Dark Horse Pick
Find his picks in no particular order below:
- Derek Lunsford
- Hadi Choopan
- Samson Dauda
- Andrew Jacked
- Nick Walker
- Brandon Curry
- Behrooz Tabani
Cicherillo was firm with his top five but emphasized that ‘anything can happen’ looking ahead.
“Let’s go with no particular order because we’re not close enough yet but anything can happen. Top six, almost indisputably, Derek, Hadi, Samson, Andrew Jacked, Nick, Brandon Curry,” shares Cicherillo. “No I don’t have Martin in the top, again we’re going with top six. I just want to make sure I’m not forgetting anybody.”
“That leaves three spots up for grabs, which is going to be Andrew Jacked, Nick, and it could be Labrada, it could be Brandao,” says Cicherillo. “I have a tough time putting Behrooz because I don’t even know if the guy is going to be in the Olympia.
While he’s unsure if Behrooz Tabani will make it to the Olympia after visa issues plagued him last year, if he does, Cicherillo believes the Iranian star could make the top six ahead of Nick Walker or Brandon Curry.
“Assuming he’s in, and I’m also assuming Ramy is out because I haven’t heard anything from Ramy to indicate that he’s competing, so let’s just say he’s out and let’s say Behrooz is in. If Behrooz is in he kicks one of those guys out of the top six.”
“He [Behrooz Tabani] will absolutely either kick out Nick or Brandon Curry in my opinion.”
Cicherillo’s Dark Horse: Mohamed Foda
He named 2024 Chicago Pro champion Mohamed Foda as his dark horse.
“I’m going to give you a dark horse pick for a guy that’s going to place higher than most people think and could even be a six or a seventh in Mohamed Foda.”
According to Cicherillo, Walker lacks symmetry, proportion, and shape, which he believes will hold him back from winning the 2024 Mr. Olympia.
“He lacks in symmetry, proportion, and shape and I think there will always be two, three, or four guys that have those qualities at that level. Now, can he [Nick Walker] win shows? Yeah, absolutely, he’s proven that. He’s a hell of a bodybuilder.
He’s as muscular as they get, he’s a freak, he’s all that stuff but when you get to the Olympia level and you got to stand next to Hadi, Derek, Samson, Andrew Jacked now has established himself up in there, Brandon Curry and everyone else I’m leaving out, he’s going to have a very difficult time.”
As for Samson Dauda, Cicherillo considers him a frontrunner and contends that he has ‘the best physique out of all of them’
“I think he’s absolutely on track [to win] he looks as good as he did this far out last year if not a little bit better which is good.
As much as I love Samson because I’ve been a huge advocate of his since I met him in the UK years ago before he was the Samson everyone knows, I could see the talent coming through very quickly and he did. He’s got the best physique out of all of them, bar none. He has the best physique just overall.”
Considering Dauda’s and Jacked’s structure and shape, they have unique weapons that could give shorter bodybuilders like Lunsford, Choopan, and Walker a hard time on stage. However, taller competitors tend to lack density from side poses, making it difficult to distinguish who truly has the edge heading into this year’s Olympia.
Cicherillo has watched the Mr. Olympia unfold for decades, making his picks for this year all the more interesting. Do you agree with his top six predictions? Don’t miss full coverage of the 2024 Mr. Olympia October 10-13 next month.
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Watch the full video from the Muscle Discord YouTube channel below:
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