After the conclusion of the 2023 Mr. Olympia show in November, talks about the future of the Men’s Open division have reignited. The latest to assess the memorable event was bodybuilding veteran Branch Warren, who took to a recent interview with Dave Palumbo from RxMuscle.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Branch Warren separated himself from the rest of his contemporaries with granite muscle and some of the freakiest quads of his generation. Competing at Mr. Olympia shows for over a decade, Warren was considered one of the best athletes to never win the prestigious title.
Boasting a pair of Arnold Classic victories (2011,2012), Warren is widely respected in the sport, especially since his retirement. Having regularly assessed talent from the Men’s Open, fans always tune in when Warren takes to a microphone. In his latest endeavor, he analyzed the aftermath of 2023 Mr. Olympia, which was won by Derek Lunsford last month in Orlando, Florida.
Branch Warren Reviews 2023 Olympia, Says He Could Have Won w/ Physique from 2000s
Warren believes the only two athletes who competed “in shape” at the 2023 Mr. Olympia were Derek Lunsford and Hadi Choopan, adding that “the other guys were soft.”
Level Up Your Fitness: Join our 💪 strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!
“There was two guys in that show that were really in shape and that was first and second place. I think Derek was in good shape and I think Hadi was in good shape.
Beyond that, Samson was soft, and you just go down the line, everybody was soft. The only two guys that had shredded glutes were Derek and Hadi. The other guys were soft.”
In light of the unfolding events, Warren is confident that had he showcased the physique he presented on stage in previous years, he ‘would have’ won.
“He has everything he just has to get his condition down. You know, I think the condition is definitely a big factor. If I – that physique you just put on the screen there, I say I would have won.”
While he credited Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford for their performances, he highlighted the danger of taller competitors like Samson Dauda and Andrew Jacked should they bring up their conditioning.
“Hadi and Derek both they hit it perfect. I said this in some interviews previously before the Olympia, they said what do you think? I said it’d be Hadi and Derek unless the big guys are in shape. What I meant by that, if Samson is off, Andrew Jacked, even Hunter Labrada who is a big guy, if they are off, they are not 100% and that leaves the door open for someone like Hadi and Derek to win.”
“The reason I lost in 2009 was Jay was bigger. He was taller. Size matters, plain and simple. I’ve known that going into it, before then, and since then. Size matters. Was I in better shape than Jay? 100%. He brought his all-time best that year. He had just lost to Dexter the year before so he was hungry. He brought his all-time best conditioning and look to that Olympia in 2009.”
As for Nick Walker, Warren was unsure where he would have finished but refused to count him out from possibly winning the show.
“Hadi and Derek the past years hit it perfect. None of the bigger guys really brought it. I think Nick Walker would have been the hardest one in the show. Going against the way Derek looked this year, you never know, maybe Nick would have shown up and showed us something we haven’t seen before and win the whole thing.”
“If I could have hit it like that back in the day, I could have won one or two too. But it’s just you know, that’s if you’re 5’6, 5’7, the same size of Derek and Hadi, somebody like Samson shows up hard, you can be harder than them, they just gotta be hard,” shared Branch Warren.
If Samson Dauda hopes to win the Sandow trophy, Warren underlined that he’ll need to tinker with his diet.
“The guy is a mountain of a man. He’s huge. Almost 300 pounds on stage right? He’s gigantic. Got great shape for that size, he’s still got a small waist, all the body parts are there.”
“If Samson would get hard, he beats everybody for years. Nobody can match him if he comes in ripped,” said Branch Warren.
I don’t know anything about his training and nutrition but I would speculate he needs to make some adjustments to the nutrition plan to come in a little bit tighter.”
Looking ahead, Warren labeled Samson Dauda as the number one contender for 2024 Mr. Olympia.
“He’s the hottest guy out there right now I think. Obviously, Derek is the champ. He’s the hottest guy. He won the Arnold, he got third at the Olympia. He is in my opinion the number one contender for the title next year.”
In a hypothetical 2024 Arnold Classic battle between Nick Walker, Hadi Choopan, and Samson Dauda, Warren favored “The Mutant” most.
“Talk about apples and oranges and pears, you have three totally different physiques. I don’t know. Nick has won it before, Samson won it last year. I don’t know… everything being equal, Nick will probably be the hardest one at the contest with his conditioning and you got Hadi.
He kid of has a combination of size, shape, hardness, everything, and Samson, the massive presence on stage because of the size, I don’t know man. That’s a tough one.”
“If Nick comes in at his absolute best, I think he could win [2024 Arnold Classic].”
This wasn’t Branch Warren’s first attempt at breaking down the 2023 Mr. Olympia competition. Days after the show concluded, Warren stated that Lunsford won the event ‘by the skin of his teeth.‘ Other fans and bodybuilding veterans have also deemed the results controversial.
Fans and Branch Warren alike have already set their sights on the sport’s next massive competition, which will see competitors gather in Columbus, Ohio at the 2024 Arnold Classic. Luckily for fans, Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed the pay-per-view will be free of charge.
Watch the full video from the RxMuscle YouTube channel below:
RELATED: Branch Warren Names His Fav Bodybuilders, Reflects on Training: “I Wouldn’t Change Nothing”
Experience the thrill of the 2024 Mr. Olympia with our complete coverage! From prejudging highlights and event recaps to expert analysis and results, find it all at our Olympia hub: FitnessVolt.com/olympia. Follow our Live Blog for real-time event updates. Stay tuned for every moment of the action!
You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and
YouTube for even more content.
