Speculation about potential competitors for the 2025 Arnold Classic is growing. In a YouTube video released on December 5, 2024, Dennis James and Martin Fitzwater argued that Derek Lunsford should compete at the event to redeem himself after losing his Mr. Olympia title.
Derek Lunsford’s rise in the Open class has been swift and difficult to see coming. He received a special invite to compete at the 2022 Mr. Olympia, and exceeded expectations in his Open debut, earning second place behind his teammate Hadi Choopan.
He used the 2023 off-season to grow and it paid off with the Mr. Olympia title. Not only did he etch his name into the Sandow trophy, but Lunsford made history as the sport’s first two-division Mr. Olympia, having claimed 212 gold in 2021. However, his title defense in 2024 did not go according to plan. He missed the mark and took third place, behind Choopan and the newly crowned champion Samson Dauda.
Previously expressing interest in the 2025 Arnold Classic prize money, fans and bodybuilders alike are curious if Lunsford will go after his first title in Columbus, Ohio. With an opportunity at redemption, James and Fitzwater made their case for why he should enter the prestigious event.
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Dennis James & Martin Fitzwater Believe Derek Lunsford Could ‘Redeem Himself’ at 2025 Arnold Classic, Says It Would Be ‘Smart Move’
Fitzwater said an Arnold Classic event is on his bucket list, but didn’t commit to entering.
“That’s a show that’s on my bucket list for sure, I want to check that one off. You never know what will happen. I got like 12 weeks till it right now,” said Fitzwater.
Dennis James shared that he knows ‘for a fact’ Nick Walker and Hadi Choopan won’t be competing in Columbus, Ohio. According to James, Derek Lunsford has a chance to redeem himself by entering the upcoming competition.
We know for a fact that Nick Walker is not doing it, Hadi is not doing it. Derek?” asks James.
“I don’t know, he looks pretty good right now. He’s in shape,” replied Fitzwater.
“I think he wants to redeem himself a little bit,” shares James.
Fitzwater adds that Lunsford entering the 2025 Arnold Classic ‘would be a smart move.’
“I think he could throw his hat in there. I think that would be a smart move for Derek to be honest,” says Fitzwater. “It’s the money that he missed out on the Olympia.”
Should he decide to throw his name into the mix, Lunsford will have to contend with Samson Dauda and Andrew Jacked, who have both declared their entries.
“Samson is throwing his title in the mix [at the 2025 Arnold Classic]. You know what I’m saying? He said ‘Fuck it, I’m Mr. Olympia.’ Usually, the Mr. Olympia stays his ass home. He’s throwing his name in the mix,” shares Dennis James.
With Dauda at the helm of the Open class, time will tell who might challenge him in Columbus, Ohio. If Lunsford managed to pull off the win, he’d have considerable momentum going into the 2025 Mr. Olympia contest.
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