Attention is quickly shifting to the next major bodybuilding event on the calendar. In a September 30 video, head judge Steve Weinberger shared that Samson Dauda could beat Nick Walker if they square off at the 2027 Arnold Classic next March.
The 2026 Mr. Olympia will go down in history as one of the most unpredictable events the IFBB Pro League has hosted. Nick Walker claimed his first Sandow trophy with granite muscle hardness and flawless posing. He kept his waist tight throughout prejudging and finals, helping him earn the win over contenders Samson Dauda, Derek Lunsford, and Andrew Jacked (Chinedu Andrew Obiekea).
He didn’t waste any time after the triumph and teased his entry for the 2027 Arnold Classic. Jacked also confirmed that he’ll be in Columbus aiming to earn his second title. While we don’t have confirmation that Dauda will compete, Weinberger expects that he will, and isn’t discounting his chances against the reigning Mr. Olympia.
Steve Weinberger Recaps Walker’s 2026 Mr. Olympia Win, Talks His Chances at 2027 Arnold Classic
In the video, Weinberger reflected on the 2026 Mr. Olympia results. He believes Tonio Burton was close to fourth place and almost defeated Jacked.
“No one had Tonio in there [top five]. People probably early morning would have said Martin over Tonio. But look, it wasn’t even close. That’s what’s so great about the show and that’s what I’m trying to explain. It doesn’t matter what you do on Thursday, what you do on Sunday; it’s on that day. That’s what we judge. We don’t judge names. We don’t judge favorites. Nobody we like or dislike; it’s the body we are judging, and that’s all we care about.”
“That was close. Tonio and Andrew were very close. I can’t argue that,” said Weinberger. “It’s hard, but it makes it more competitive. It was nice as a one-day, but it’s very, very exciting for a two-day show.”
Looking ahead, ‘Big Steve’ predicted that Dauda can beat Walker at the 2027 Arnold Classic:
“Possibly [Samson Dauda can beat Nick Walker at 2027 Arnold Classic]. Samson had a great routine, but you know, Nick posed very well too. Nick did his homework. He improved tremendously from the previous Nicks we’ve seen. No one picked Nick, honestly. He believed in himself and he was saying I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it. You know what? Hats off to him; he did it,” shared Steve Weinberger.
After the Mr. Olympia wrapped up, bodybuilding veteran Samir Bannout discussed what’s next for Jacked and Dauda. Bannout urged Dauda to improve his upper body conditioning. Meanwhile, he noted that water retention might have prevented Jacked from bringing his all-time best in Vegas.
The 2027 Arnold Classic is shaping up into a mini Mr. Olympia lineup. The event is scheduled for March 4-7 in Columbus, Ohio.
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