After an impressive showdown across 11 divisions at the 2023 Mr. Olympia, the event has gained some negative attention in the bodybuilding community. Samson Dauda, who just competed on the Olympia stage, has taken to Instagram to express his disdain for the negativity surrounding the sport.
“We have got to come together in a positive way or we are going to see less and less people who want to be a part of this sport and less people who want to be interested in this sport,” Dauda shared.
The 2023 Mr. Olympia was a show-stopping performance of talent and skill that resulted in seven divisions seeing the title change hands. While most of these were impressive feats that were taken in stride, one, in particular, has been plagued with malcontent from connoisseurs of the sport.
November 4th made history as Derek Lunsford not only was crowned the new Mr. Olympia champion but also became the first two-division champion having earned the title in 212 and now Men’s Open. While Lunsford should be able to sit back and soak up the fruits of his labor following his victory, he is instead faced with an onslaught of criticism and even threats to his family.
Samson Dauda, also a Men’s Open competitor, performed at the 2023 Mr. Olympia. After bringing a much-improved package from his last Olympia where he placed sixth, Dauda made a three-spot leap to secure third place and walked away with the bronze medal.
Samson Dauda Makes Plea To Stop The Negativity Surrounding Bodybuilding
Dauda is speaking out on the negativity that has seized the sport. In a recent Instagram post, Samson Dauda reveals how much bodybuilding means to him and how incredible it felt to take third this past weekend.
“I’m so excited and I’m just taking in all the experience I’ve had this past weekend and earning this (bronze medal) this past weekend and how amazing this feels to be crowned number three in the world. This is an achievement that honestly is beyond belief man, I remember very well watching my first Olympia in 2013 and seeing Shawn Rhoden getting this same place and how I was watching and how excited I felt about bodybuilding and this sport and how much he drew me to want to be apart of it and how special this has been and how special this sport has become to my heart.”
Samson Dauda holds bodybuilding to a high standard when it comes to respecting the athletes and their achievements.
“It’s changed my life man. It’s made me appreciate everything about what we do. I love this sport. I love bodybuilding. I love what we do. It hurts me when I come home after a crazy weekend and a crazy achievement like this to just look around and see and hear so much negativity about this sport and what we do. Come on guys we can do better. We can do better!”
“We say we love bodybuilding, we love what we do but we are so quick to jump on the negativity about everything. About the physique we see, about the show promotion, about the times, and everything that’s wrong with the industry but we never stop to think about the platform that we have and how good we have it, and how special this is.”
Dauda has continued to improve with each competition he has participated in. As the reigning Arnold Classic champion, he is no stranger to the dedication required to succeed in the sport.
“Believe me, the guys that walk up on that stage have sacrificed a lot to do this. We have all sacrificed a lot to be on that stage. We are the best in the world at what we do. It doesn’t come by chance it comes by a lot of hard work and sacrifice and to have them on stage and being criticized and ripped apart, you know there’s a difference between criticizing a physique and criticizing it and ripping it apart. It’s sad to see.”
“I just think there was just so much negativity about it” added Dauda.
Dauda highlights the negative impact on the sport and the unappreciated sacrifices of those behind the scenes.
“I say this: we say we love the sport and want to show the sport to the world but how can we possibly do that when the rest of the world sees us ripping ourselves apart? We don’t grow in the sport this way, we’re destroying it. We have to do better. There’s a whole different ball game between criticizing a physique and criticizing a show then to bashing it. We need to know the difference. The negativity has to stop, it has to slow down.”
“The show promoters they do a lot, they give up a lot to make this happen and they get criticized left right and everywhere for them giving their best? Guys can we please do better. The negativity is going too far.”
Not only is there controversy surrounding Derek Lunsford’s win, but Hadi Choopan’s actions have also been put under a microscope. According to King Kamali, there are even whispers that Choopan could be suspended from the sport. While this is all speculation as of now, many believe the former reigning champion could have handled himself better.
Moving forward from the 2023 Mr. Olympia, Samson Dauda intends to compete at the Romania Muscle Fest Pro on November 11-12. Dauda will go up against big names such as Nathan De Asha and Behrooz Tabani who were both missing from the Olympia stage due to visa issues.
RELATED: Milos Sarcev Talks 2023 Olympia Chances of Derek Lunsford, Nick Walker, Hadi Choopan & Samson Dauda
As per the new IFBB Pro’s new rules, having taken third place Duada is already qualified for the Olympia which is set to take place in October in Las Vegas, Nevada. If he loses this could hurt his standing heading into 2024. Regardless of why he chose to compete, Dauda is staying active following a statement-making Olympia performance.
Experience the excitement of the 2023 Mr. Olympia with our comprehensive coverage! From pre-judging and event recaps to in-depth analysis and final results, find everything you need at our Olympia coverage hub: FitnessVolt.com/olympia. Don’t miss out on the action!
Published: 9 November, 2023 | 8:49 AM EDT
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