The lineup is fierce and the table is set for an unforgettable showdown atop the Men’s Open division. In a recent Old School Labs podcast published on August 24, 2024, Samir Bannout predicted Derek Lunsford will repeat as champion, Andrew Jacked will finish second, and Nick Walker will carve out a top-five placing.
After closing out last year’s Olympia contest with an unbeatable back double biceps pose, Derek Lunsford dethroned Hadi Choopan. Questions continue to surround Lunsford’s abilities and potential to defend his Mr. Olympia title, especially after ‘The Persian Wolf’ picked up statement victories at the 2024 Arnold Classic Ohio and UK contests.
Aside from the on-paper top two contenders, Andrew Jacked has made a significant leap this season, having dominantly won the 2024 Texas Pro for a three-peat performance. In May, Nick Walker, who was unable to perform on the Olympia stage last year due to injuries, was back in action. He triumphed over Martin Fitzwater at the recent New York Pro, setting the stage for an epic showdown in Las Vegas, Nevada later this year.
With so many promising contenders on deck for the show’s 60th anniversary, figuring out which athletes will stand on the podium is a tall order. But former 1983 Olympia winner Samir Bannout did his best below.
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Samir Bannout Backs Derek Lunsford to Win 2024 Mr. Olympia, Reveals Where Andrew Jacked and Nick Walker Will Place
Bannout anticipates Andrew Jacked ‘doing a lot of damages’ on the Mr. Olympia stage.
“I think he’s incredible. I honestly believe that he can do a lot of damages at the Olympia. That’s all I can say. He’s great. He’s really good,” said Samir Bannout. “Look, he looks good as is, but of course, it’s never enough when you enter the Mr. Olympia. That goes also to Derek. He [Andrew] looks good to me he looks fantastic, I don’t know who said he wasn’t hard enough.”
“If he can get more ripped, why not? It’s going to help him be up at the very top hopefully.”
Initially, Bannout thought Jacked was a slam dunk for the top three, before elevating the Nigerian native to second place.
“I honestly believe it’s a slam dunk top three. I put him in the top three right now as is,” said Bannout. “The guy’s body is beautiful and this is what bodybuilding is all about. When you want a Mr. Olympia, you want to have a pretty body along with a big muscular hard body. I love his physique.”
He is confident Derek Lunsford will repeat as champion in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“If all four or five comes in the same condition, and I’m going to tell you how it’s going to work,” shares Samir Bannout. “Derek is going to repeat. Why? Derek has the package. We don’t want to forget that blah blah blah.
Honestly for me, whoever wins, I’m happy for them, doesn’t matter who. But we have to be truthful here. Derek have incredible combo but again, he needs to stop looking after being massive, he’s already beyond massive.”
Ultimately, Bannout believes Jacked will be the biggest surprise at the 2024 Mr. Olympia.
“Derek will repeat. Now, again, all four or five in top same condition… the biggest surprise, Andrew Jacked is going to jump into second place.”
“Second place is going to be Andrew or Samson for second. Why? I’m talking about balanced physiques, harmony, beautiful small hips, balanced body.”
He also refused to dismiss the chances of Samson Dauda, but said he’s yet to reach the hardness displayed by Andrew Jacked.
“Listen, and also I have to be truthful here, when we talk about the body of Samson, Samson has a beautiful body as well. Samson is massive, arms and shoulders to waist ratio is incredible. Samson is not as hard as [Andrew]. He needs to be hard, the hardness does matter.”
“He is pretty to look at, this is the bottom line. I’m telling you, the guy is deadly dangerous [Andrew Jacked]. He can pose like you said. Some modifications can be done in positioning, but if he improves another five percent, honestly, who is going to beat that?” asks Bannout.
If Dauda wants to win Olympia, Bannout says he needs to achieve ‘etchy-looking hardness’ to attain gold.
“He needs to find out exactly what works 100 percent to attain that etchy looking hardness. If he gets that, guess what? If he gets that, he’s going to be the one to beat. I’m telling you, he’s going to be the one to beat because he’s really lacking nothing. Samson has a beautiful body.”
“Hadi is winning because he’s popping and hard muscle. Hardness, you see, the hardness. He’s hard and I think Derek needs to be harder than he was last year. I still think Derek is probably the still the most dangerous but I’d like to see him harder.”
Lastly, Bannout envisions Nick Walker cracking the top five and offers him advice on ‘creating lines’ to hide his weaknesses on stage.
“Nick Walker is in the top five. Nick Walker is going to be outstanding quality-wise but I would love for him to learn how to create lines. He needs to learn how to create lines. Believe me, if he learns how to create lines he can hide a lot of things, he would hide some of the weaknesses. He would make his body less blocky. It would look more pretty. Please Nick, do that,” he shared.
Who do you have standing on the podium at this year’s Mr. Olympia contest? Let us know in the comment section!
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