Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler watched Samson Dauda earn the biggest win of his career at the 2024 Mr. Olympia. In a recent YouTube video shared on October 14, 2024, Cutler discussed Dauda’s victory, Derek Lunsford missing his peak, and Martin Fitzwater establishing himself as an Open star in his debut at the prestigious show.
The 2024 Mr. Olympia Weekend was filled with shocking moments and unpredictable outcomes. Derek Lunsford slid to third place on the blockbuster stage while Samson Dauda went on to secure the Sandow trophy. Meanwhile, former 2022 champion, Hadi Choopan, took second place to Dauda by three points on the scorecards.
One of the biggest takeaways from the night was Martin Fitzwater’s performance. He earned fourth place in an unbelievable display on his first Olympia attempt. With the Men’s Open pecking order completely rearranged, a new landscape awaits fans who follow the sport closely, including former four-time Mr. Olympia winner Jay Cutler.
Jay Cutler Breaks Down 2024 Mr. Olympia Results, Discusses Derek Lunsford Losing His Title
According to Cutler, Derek Lunsford missed his peak and was unable to catch up during the finals despite bringing an improved look compared to prejudging.
“The Sandow trophy now has a new home from the last couple of years. Derek Lunsford gave the title up, unfortunately, for him to Samson but Samson now has the hold of the Mr. Olympia title for this year.
Derek went out. Listen, he missed the peak a little bit. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to make up ground Saturday. I think everyone was better Saturday, although I did not see the prejudging in person on Friday.”
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Cutler underlined that Hadi Choopan wasn’t able to win back the Sandow trophy as he did during his iconic 2009 Olympia comeback.
“He wasn’t strong enough to hold it and Hadi actually wasn’t able to come back and gain the title back like my 2009 comeback story. I think it was, you know, I think potentially, the top five or six of this show including Martin and Andrew Jacked, Hunter, it was such a close battle and that’s what made it really exciting.
Aside from Martin Fitzwater, who took fourth place in his debut, Cutler didn’t think anyone else brought their ‘100 percent’ to the stage.
“I don’t think anyone was 100 percent, maybe Martin was to finish fourth in his first Olympia. I always brag about Phil Heath getting third in his first one, Martin just came and got fourth in a very very competitive lineup. My hat goes off to him.”
Cutler believes the show came down to a three-man battle between Lunsford, Choopan, and Dauda. He also mentioned that Fitzwater and Andrew Jacked held their own as well.
“It was so close and for the first time ever going into Saturday night, it was a really hard decision in people’s mind whether it was going to be Hadi, Derek, or Samson. It was like a three-man battle pretty much.
To be honest, sitting in the front row man, there were some shots that Martin was comparable to, there were some shots Andrew Jacked was comparable to. Hunter Labrada, Akim Williams looked great up there,” he said.
Although he believes Choopan’s conditioning can often make a difference, it didn’t at the 2024 Mr. Olympia. Nevertheless, Cutler enjoyed his time during the finals and received a special Olympia ring for his accolades.
“Hadi had his trademark splintering conditioning and I think sometimes that’s something that can really be beneficial. All in all, great experience. Dan Solomon, Jake Wood, all you guys put on an amazing show.”
The reigning Mr. Olympia Samson Dauda doesn’t plan to sit out and enjoy the fruits of his labor. During the winners seminar for the Mr. Olympia, Dauda announced that he planned to enter the nearing 2025 Arnold Classic, which is set to award $500,000 to its Open winner. He invited Lunsford and Choopan to join him in Ohio.
The Men’s Open division has a new king on the throne. Although the competitors lineup for the 2025 Arnold Classic hasn’t been revealed, fan discussions are swirling around who will enter it and compete against Dauda in the months to come.
Watch the full video from the Cutler Nutrition YouTube channel below:
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