Rich Gaspari Talks ‘300-Lb’ Samson Dauda’s 2024 Mr. Olympia Win: “I Believe He’ll Have That Title for Many Years to Come”

The 60th anniversary of the Mr. Olympia was teeming with excitement, upsets, and unexpected announcements that have left veterans of the sport talking. In a recent Instagram post shared on October 16, 2024, Rich Gaspari gave his thoughts on the event, including Chris Bumstead’s retirement and Samson Dauda’s Olympia-winning physique, which he said reminded him of Lee Haney.  

Last weekend’s event showcased top athletes across 11 bodybuilding divisions at the 2024 Mr. Olympia. Each category truly shined on stage. Starting with Men’s 212, Keone Pearson earned his second consecutive title, boasting insane conditioning, aesthetics, and mass. 

In Men’s Physique, reigning champion Ryan Terry left nothing to chance. He presented his rock-hard physique to the judges, which was enough to earn him the win. Having successfully defended the title, Terry established himself as the new standard in the Men’s Physique category. It will prove challenging for competitors in the future to match his dryness and complete look. 

As for Classic Physique, Chris Bumstead brought his absolute best and delivered the performance of a lifetime. In the end, he secured his sixth title win and then retired on top. However, Bumstead intends to remain an influential figure within the category, with plans to increase the prize money next year in Classic. 

Last but not least, the main attraction, the Men’s Open, delivered an intense battle between former titleholder Hadi Choopan, former Olympia champion Derek Lunsford, and Samson Dauda. Leading up to the event, many believed it would be the Choopan-Lunsford show. However, Dauda came out looking sharper than ever and ultimately emerged as the new Mr. Olympia.

Rich Gaspari Discusses Biggest Moments at 2024 Mr. Olympia, Says Samson Dauda Reminds Him of Lee Haney

After such an eventful weekend, many bodybuilding veterans are breaking down the action and sharing their thoughts. Among them was Rich Gaspari, who gave his thoughts on the competition. 

“The 2024 Olympia was one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time. It was the 60th anniversary. Really exciting show. Overall, the Men’s divisions, all of them were really exciting. You had the 212 class with Keone taking it again, two years in a row. Ryan Terry winning the Physique two years in a row as well. Both of them look phenomenal.”

Gaspari said he was impressed with Keone Pearson’s genetics as well as Ryan Terry’s overall shape. 

“Keone has some of the best genetics I’ve ever seen when it comes to bodybuilding with that small waist and wide back. Ryan Terry great shape, really took it on again to take the show. Really, really impressed.”

Gaspari is looking forward to seeing new Classic Physique athletes emerge as potential champions following ‘Cbum’s’ retirement. 

“Then it came to the Classic Olympia, and of course, Chris Bumstead won six now and he announced his retirement. So it was a really, really exciting show overall to see him win that show again and look for the future for some new guys that are going to take that show” Gaspari said.

He also gave his opinion on the Men’s Open showdown, describing it as a neck-and-neck contest between Samson Dauda and Hadi Choopan. 

“The Open show, which is more exciting to me was a really great show. There was a battle between Samson Dauda, you had Hadi Choopan, and Derek Lunsford.

Both of those guys fought for first, second, and third. The prejudging actually had Hadi and Samson tied. So, those two guys were basically neck and neck tied and then in the end, Samson took the show.”

Gaspari shared that Samson Dauda reminds him of his rival Lee Haney. 

“Now let me tell you something. Samson is a great champion. He’s almost 300 pounds, over six foot tall. So, really impressive.

He kind of reminds me of Lee Haney. When I competed, and he just has that, I believe he’ll have that title for many years to come if he wants it. Which is a great thing to see a new, you know, great champion like we haven’t seen in a while. Great aesthetics, great shape.” 

Rich Gaspari isn’t the only one giving his opinions on the 2024 Mr. Olympia. Chris Cormier and Milos Sarcev revealed their thoughts on Samson Dauda’s improvements from last year, expressing that he was the only one to return better. They believe that as long as Dauda continues to bring this level of conditioning to the stage, no one will beat him. 

With the biggest event of the year behind us, fans can look forward to the second most prestigious contest, the 2025 Arnold Classic. Samson Dauda has already stated that he intends to compete at the Arnold, revealing that he will never be a one-show champion. When it comes to the sport that never sleeps, bodybuilding fans always have something to look forward to. Be sure to follow us here at Fitness Volt so you never miss any of the action! 

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