Bodybuilding veteran Jose Raymond is torn over who might walk away with the big win at the Arnold Classic. On February 10, 2025, he previewed the rematch between Samson Dauda and Derek Lunsford, essentially calling the showdown a coin toss.
Jose Raymond was an exceptional talent in the 212 category, giving former seven-time 212 Olympia champion Flex Lewis a run for his money throughout the prime years of his career. This experience coupled with an expert eye for top-level physiques, gives his insights into the sport extra weight.
Derek Lunsford will make his debut at the 2025 Arnold Classic in less than four weeks. He dropped his Olympia title to Samson Dauda last October, setting the stage for this epic rematch. Dauda, meanwhile, has only improved his look despite the odds. He is now coached by his wife Marlena Dauda, who appears to be integral in how he’s managed to evolve over the last season.
Jose Raymond Torn Over Samson Dauda vs Derek Lunsford 2025 Arnold Classic Rematch: “They Are Both Very Capable of Winning”
Raymond posits that part of what makes Dauda such an imposing force in the Open is that he continues to practice his craft, mastering the peaking process.
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“I love it. I think he’s awesome. I think he puts it on the line and he’s been doing it consistently for the last few years doing a lot of shows and improving.
And I think that’s why he’s getting better because he’s practicing his craft and learning how to peak over and over again. I think it’s awesome and I’m not surprised [he’s doing the Arnold]. I think he’ll be his best, his all-time best.”
With that in mind, Raymond predicts we will see an ‘all-time sharpest version’ of Dauda on the Arnold stage.
“He’s not allowing himself to get out of shape. He doesn’t need to get any bigger, he just needs to nail the condition over and over again. It wouldn’t surprise me if we see an all-time sharpest version of him,” shares Jose Raymond.
He specified that Dauda is only missing one thing: paper-thin skin.
“He’s got everything. Proportions and symmetry and balance, even his presentation continues to get better. The only thing that he’s missing is that super thin paper skin and he’s getting closer.”
Although Dauda is thought to be a massive favorite, Raymond wouldn’t be surprised if Lunsford pulled off the win.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if he wins, one bit, not one bit. At the Olympia, his legs were down. I don’t know exactly what he was doing as far as cardio but Derek was kind of notorious for that the last few years. I would see him two months out and his legs were absolutely massive and they were striated and they were crazy.
Then the day of the show, I’m like what happened? Oh my goodness, his legs disappeared. I think he was just bombing himself with cardio and I think sometimes you get overexcited and train too hard, two, three-hour training sessions when all you need is an hour of hitting them hard. I think he might have been overdoing some things.”
Since Chris Aceto operates under a less is more approach, he believes that will help Lunsford perform at his best in Columbus.
“Chris is a minimalist when it comes to everything. If you can get away with doing zero cardio, then do it. I think that’s one of the things he’s changed with Derek is allowing him to relax. I know that he didn’t even really start dieting hard until like six weeks out.”
As for how Lunsford can win, Raymond pointed to his ability to get more conditioned than Dauda as well as some of his more powerful poses.
“I think Derek’s condition can be significantly better than Samson’s if Samson doesn’t improve upon his best. And I think his–he’s got certain shots that can beat Samson. He’s got a lot of shots that can beat Samson. I’m very curious, I’m excited to see it. I can’t make a prediction. They are both very capable of winning.”
“As far as I know, Samson has only beaten Derek once, and Derek has beaten Samson a handful of times or a few times anyway,” adds Jose Raymond.
With a new coach in his corner on top of his need to exact vengeance, Lunsford is in a unique position should he claim the victory at the Arnold. A win over the reigning Mr. Olympia would put him in the driver’s seat to reclaim glory on the Olympia stage in October. The 2025 Arnold Classic will take place in Columbus, Ohio from February 27 to March 1.
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