The 60th anniversary of the Mr. Olympia wrapped up and turned the bodybuilding world on its head. In a recent YouTube video shared on October 14, 2024, Chris Aceto gave his thoughts on Chris Bumstead’s retirement after winning a sixth Classic Physique Olympia title and whether Hadi Choopan will compete at the 2025 Arnold Classic. Chris Aceto also discussed the prize money rivalry between Mr. Olympia and the Arnold Classic.
Bodybuilding fans are still processing the historic 2024 Mr. Olympia competition. In the end, Samson Dauda became the 19th man to earn the Sandow trophy, having presented his all-time best physique with comparable conditioning to runner-up Hadi Choopan. Meanwhile, former two-division Olympia titleholder Derek Lunsford shockingly took third.
In the Classic Physique category, Chris Bumstead received his biggest challenge from an unlikely contender — Mike Sommerfeld. Shortly after winning a sixth title, Chris Bumstead announced his retirement from the sport. With a brand new IFBB Pro League landscape, Aceto broke down what’s on the horizon for many of the competitors who gave it their all on the marquee stage.
Chris Aceto Comments on ‘Cbum’s Retirement, Hadi Choopan’s Future, and Prize Money War Between Mr. Olympia vs Arnold Classic
According to Aceto, Chris Bumstead’s retirement speech was well-thought-out, describing it as a great moment for the sport.
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“I heard it was coming last year, right? So I just figured okay, maybe this will be his last year. The most impressive part or one of the most impressive, there were so many impressive parts of the production but as the promoters of the Mr. Olympia Weekend, you couldn’t ask for a better speech, an authentic, well-thought-out clear articulate reason why he was retiring.”
On top of that, the benefits that he got from bodybuilding, from being Classic Mr. Olympia on top of that, the values that he’s not only has learned along the way but encourages other people how to live their life. It just came across as such a great moment for the sport and the division. What he said was as classy in Classic as his physique.”
Looking at the Open division, Aceto wouldn’t be surprised if Hadi Choopan decides to enter the upcoming 2025 Arnold Classic.
“Yeah, I think it’s a great decision [Samson Dauda competing at 2025 Arnold Classic],” said Aceto. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Hadi puts his foot on the gas.”
While Choopan presented a solid package at the 2024 Mr. Olympia, Aceto doesn’t believe he was ‘1,000 percent on the money’ like he was at the Arnold Classic Ohio show.
“Here’s the problem, there’s different levels of being peaked. And I think we can all agree that Hadi was superbly and super and dynamite and a 1,000 percent on the money for the Arnold. When you come in 1,000 percent on the money, it’s incredibly hard to do that twice in a year let alone twice in a lifetime even when you’re Hadi.”
He argued Choopan peaking multiple times this year might have worked against him on the Olympia stage.
“So, to add to the Arnold, it takes so much effort to really hit, not that he didn’t put in all he had for this show, but sometimes, you put in all you can, I mean all of it, lay it on the table, condition-wise to get there for the Arnold, you are so spent for six weeks after and then you have to regroup and you try to replicate that and then you realize when you’re getting ready for the Olympia, I’m tired.”
Unlike previous contests, Aceto contends that Choopan’s side chest, side tricep, and back double biceps poses were vulnerable.
“I think he was very vulnerable in the side chest, side tricep, back double, like extremely vulnerable there. He looked small on the side chest, side tricep, and back double.”
He emphasized that third-place finisher Derek Lunsford received criticisms of his physique that weren’t problems last year.
“The judges judge what they see in that prejudging and finals, period. Some judges might have a preconceived idea of what Derek was going to bring or what Hadi was going to bring but once they see you on stage, they are still judging what’s right in front of them.
That’s where the chips fell. The bigger guy won. Hadi was not at his best. Derek had some, there were some criticisms against his physique this year versus last year.”
With Olympia boosting its Men’s Open prize money to $600,000, Aceto discussed the probability of the Arnold Classic once again raising the stakes.
“I predicted it. It was four and I said Dave they have to go to six. They are going to six. You can’t match it because then you just have two shows that are quote the biggest shows on earth. At the end of the day, the biggest show is the one that pays the most. That’s how the athletes will choose it.”
He predicts Arnold Schwarzenegger will increase the Men’s Open winner prize money to $700,000 in March.
“Money creates excitement,” said Aceto. “Whether they have a contract or not, first prize he’ll just hand them the check and surprise everybody and it’ll definitely be, I predict seven. If he’s supposed to do six, I don’t think he really cares and he’ll just hand you the check, here’s the check, ‘Oh sorry, we wrote seven on it, too late.'”
The Men’s Open and Classic Physique divisions have undergone immense changes following the 2024 Mr. Olympia. With Bumstead out of the picture, a new champion will emerge when the biggest contest of the year returns in 2025. As for the Men’s Open, Dauda has made it clear he won’t be a ‘one-show’ bodybuilder as he sets his sights on the $500,000 prize money at the Arnold Classic in March.
Watch the full video from the RxMuscle – The Truth in Bodybuilding YouTube channel below:
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