As a four-time Mr. Olympia champion, Jay Cutler is no stranger to what is expected on bodybuilding’s biggest stage. After the unforgettable 2023 Mr. Olympia weekend, Cutler reflects on the event in a recent YouTube video and offers advice to the new champ Derek Lunsford.
This year the 2023 Mr. Olympia etched its mark in history. Last weekend overflowed with extraordinary talent and charm as fans saw seven titles exchange hands while four champions successfully defended. Meanwhile, the Men’s Open wrapped up the finals for the weekend with a bang.
Hadi Choopan, Derek Lunsford, and Samson Dauda stood out as obvious contenders for the evening, but it’s important to note that all athletes in the Men’s Open displayed phenomenal physiques. After a grueling pose-off Hadi Choopan would ultimately relinquish the title to the new Mr. Olympia champion Derek Lunsford.
Derek Lunsford is the first bodybuilder to be a two-division champion in the Open. Lunsford previously earned the title for the 212 category and is now the reigning champion for the Men’s Open. Going as far as Lunsford and his family receiving threats, the situation became increasingly tense.
Jay Cutler Discusses Angry Fans And What The Mr. Olympia Title Means To Him
Many fans as well as prominent figures in the sport believe that Hadi Choopan shouldn’t have lost. Jay Cutler knows exactly what the judges expect considering he has won the Mr. Olympia title four times. In a recent YouTube video, Cutler goes over the Olympia weekend and gives his take on the event.
“Lots of fortunate and unfortunate things happened. Most turnaround of divisions there is. Yup. So Derek Lunsford I believe is the 18th [Olympia winner]. Damn, I was the 11th.”
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“He looked good. You know, everyone looked – I thought a few of the guys, the top three, four, five, I mean, everyone looked good man. Regan made a good impact. But yeah, man Derek wins.”
In addition, Cicherillo acknowledged that Choopan probably wasn’t knocked out on stage despite being defeated. As for Samson Dauda, Cutler acknowledged he looked amazing but not as full.
“Hadi definitely he made a strong position to retain the title. You know, going by the old standards Dave, I don’t know… I don’t know if he got knocked out enough to be defeated. But it was, you know a lot of the scores when the were released, a lot of the scores should that it wasn’t a slam slam dunk, not everyone voted first for the same.”
“Samson looked good. Brandon had a lot of adversity to get there, he looked amazing for that, not as full but he looked good.”
Cutler also discusses how significant earning the Mr. Olympia title is and what it will do for Derek Lunsford following his victory.
“I did [talk to Derek] I handed out the award and got to say a few words on stage. He texted me the next morning, just how surreal, how unbelievable it was, I told him he’s not going to sleep for a week dude. Remember when I won, I couldn’t believe it a week later, two weeks later, dude you won the biggest title in the world.
Listen, I won 55, $200,000, dude he won $400,000. That’s life-changing. He’s having a child. There’s a lot of good things going on in his life” Jay Cutler reveals.
“You’re on top of the world. His bookings are going to go through the roof. All his merch stuff, his media, good guy you know.”
There was a lot of backlash when Lunsford dethroned Choopan and Cutler doesn’t understand the hysteria considering he will have the opportunity to come back and try to reclaim the title.
“Hadi was also a great champion. I know people are kind of questioning there’s a lot of irate fans about it, but you know, it’s just bodybuilding. He won it last year. He’s just going to come back and try to win it back. The question is, can anybody do what I did and come back and win it? It’s not easy.”
“The Olympia has changed hands a lot since Phil Heath gave up the title.
“There’s a lot going on.”
Cutler reflects on what the title means to him and gives some advice to Lunsford for maintaining his title.
“Winning the Mr. Olympia… oh man. It’s the pinnacle! The pinnacle of bodybuilding.”
“I actually thought I didn’t have to do anything else in my life, that was like, you know you put all your mind, your effort, your thoughts into I’m going to become the best bodybuilder in the world.”
“The best advice I can give to Derek and I hope he watches this, you’ve got to pace yourself. Because you don’t want to risk burn-out, listen, you plan to win it again. It’s not like I can only hold this and I’m going to lose this next year or next October.
So he needs to pace himself. So what I would suggest is just be careful not booking every single weekend of the month, especially since he’s got a child coming.”
Not only has Derek Lunsford’s win been called into question but so has Hadi Choopan’s behavior following his loss on November 4. Soon after being dethroned by Lunsford, Choopan stormed off stage before photos could be taken of the top five Men’s Open bodybuilders. This has stirred rumors that Choopan could be suspended for his behavior. Meanwhile, Samir Bannout thinks he should just receive a warning for how he behaved on stage.
Bodybuilding certainly has been swirling in drama following the 2023 Mr. Olympia. The negativity has caught the attention of the number three bodybuilder in the world, Samson Dauda.
Having an appreciation for the sport that changed his life, Dauda is frustrated with all the pessimism and scrutiny surrounding the athletes who sacrifice so much to compete. Samson Dauda hopes everyone can come together to make the sport better rather than ripping it apart from the inside out. As for Jay Cutler, he believes Lunsford should keep his obligations to a minimum or risk burnout.
To watch Jay Cutler’s full video click the link below:
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