With the Arnold Classic Ohio and Arnold Classic UK shows in the books, fans were thrilled to witness bodybuilding at its finest. In a recent YouTube video, bodybuilder Nathan De Asha gave his thoughts on what went down at the Arnolds Sports Festival UK including the looks of Hadi Choopan, Samson Dauda, and Wesley Vissers.
March started strong with Arnold Schwarzenegger hosting the 2024 Arnold Classic that took place in Columbus, Ohio from February 29 to March 3. Showcasing seven divisions, the event was chockfull of talented bodybuilders who were all vying for the crown. However, a few divisions stood out from the rest which included Classic Physique, where Wesley Vissers dominated the stage and dethroned the former champion Ramon Rocha Queiroz.
Ultimately, it was the Men’s Open category that drew the most attention as fans were eager to watch the former Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan go up against the 2023 Arnold Classic champion Samson Dauda. Both men brought striking physiques but it was Choopan’s marble hard conditioning that earned him the win and secured the gold at his debut Arnold Classic event.
Just weeks later, these top contenders faced off once again in Birmingham, England at the Arnold Classic UK from March 15 to March 17. It was no surprise that Wesley Vissers, for the second time in a row, displayed his classic golden-era look boasting striated muscles across his chest and delts, earning him the win.
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In the Men’s Open, it was once again the Choopan-Samson show as these two were locked in a fierce battle looking to lay claim to the prestigious title. While Samson was determined to put on a show for his family in his own backyard, Choopan brought the same granite conditioning as before which was enough to claim gold in the UK.
Nathan De Asha Talks Men’s Open and Classic Physique At The Arnold Classic UK
Even though Samson Dauda came in second place, it wasn’t unnoticed that he brought a better look to the UK than he had in Ohio. Just days before taking the UK stage, it was revealed that Samson and his coach Milos Sarcev went their separate ways.
After previously breaking down the Arnold Classic Ohio, bodybuilder Nathan De Asha was aware of the changes to Samson’s physique since letting go of his previous coach.
“It’s Samson’s job he can do what he wants to do. If you guys change your job [or coach] no one moans, right? I think he looked better as well. He looked better today with his misses prepping him, from Milos. Milos has talked the truth with people when he coaches people and I tell the truth in general with people.”
“Samson looked better today and harder than when Milos coached him. That being said, I don’t think Samson has won it. Because, the gap between Samson’s and Hadi’s conditioning is still there, it’s still big. Hadi is a freak right? Samson came in good. I think he faded in that last round a lot. You could see the water coming out of him.”
While Nathan De Asha can acknowledge the improvements in Samson Dauda, he still can’t deny the lead that Hadi Choopan had over him.
“That wasn’t in his best interest. I think one more round and it would have been game over. But, you know, he came, he looked good, and Hadi came out… the crowd you guys, hear in the video with him, the crowd went wild when Hadi come.”
He said the crowd’s roar for Hadi Choopan was overwhelming in Birmingham but mentioned neither contender looked better than what they presented in Ohio.
“Everyone was screaming Hadi, Hadi, even Samson, got a large roar, Hadi got the roar. Hadi wasn’t as good as the Ohio. It wasn’t. You guys who might see the last year might thing Samson won it or Hadi was good but these guys weren’t as good as Ohio. Sadly enough, they weren’t” added Nathan De Asha.
De Asha encourages more athletes to participate at the Arnold Classic and reveals who surprised him on the Men’s Open stage.
“Again, with the Men’s Open, we should have more men doing this show because at the Arnold, you get a fair judging man. You get your fair shot. So, get down there, apply, do what needs to be done, make an uproar, get 12 athletes in there because there was only eight I think.”
“The person who shocked me when they came out was Akim. I don’t know why he Akim got overlooked. I do know, but I think it’s his back, right. Akim’s back lets him down. No one is perfect.”
Classic Physique didn’t escape Nathan De Asha’s attention. He was genuinely impressed with the refinements Wesley Vissers made to his physique between the prejudging and the final rounds. When it came to second place, De Asha could have seen it go to either competitor.
“Different looks, that’s what Classic is all about right? In regard to the show itself, I think Wesley came in tonight a lot harder than this morning. He improved a hell of a lot. I didn’t think he could but obviously, he showed that he did. Him and Stefan done the homework this afternoon, done what needed to be done. He won that, congratulations to him. Another nice payday for Wesley.”
“Second was a toss in the air, I believe In Breon. It’s tomatoes tomatos, right, you like that you like.”
The Arnold Classic competitions continue to garner massive attention from the bodybuilding community. In a groundbreaking announcement, Arnold Schwarzenegger raised the prize money for next year to $500,000 which is now $100,000 more than the Mr. Olympia. This leaves fans pondering whether the biggest bodybuilding event will follow suit.
Anticipation builds as the 2024 Mr. Olympia creeps closer, taking place this October 10 through 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Connoisseurs of the sport eagerly await the rematch of Hadi Choopan and the two-division champion Derek Lunsford certain to make bodybuilding history as the battle of a lifetime.
RELATED: Chris Aceto Discusses If Hadi Choopan Is Unbeatable at 2024 Mr. Olympia After Recent Wins
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