Judge Terrick El Guindy is sharing his thoughts on some of the biggest storylines heading into this year’s bodybuilding season. On February 19, 2025, he discussed the winning strategies of Samson Dauda, Derek Lunsford, and Brandon Curry at the 2025 Arnold Classic. In addition, he reflected on Sam Sulek claiming a victory in his amateur debut.
“We are about 10 days off and we have three Mr. Olympias in the Open Bodybuilding. I want to talk to you guys about all of them and their strategy to win this event.”
Last year, Samson Dauda secured the prestigious Mr. Olympia title with his best physique to date by far. En route to gold, he defeated former champions Derek Lunsford and Hadi Choopan. While most athletes who win the Mr. Olympia sit out until their title defenses, that’s not the case for Dauda. He’s diving straight into another contest at the 2025 Arnold Classic, where a $500,000 cash prize will be on the line.
He’ll face a daunting lineup of contenders if he hopes to clinch a second AC title, including Lunsford, and Brandon Curry, who won the Mr. Olympia back in 2019. With so many contenders heading to this invite-only event, fans expect an intense showdown on stage.
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The sport has been full of surprises as of late. After years of preparation, Sam Sulek finally made his amateur debut at the 2025 Legends Classic, winning the Overall Classic Physique title. This triumph qualified him for the nearing 2025 Arnold Amateur event.
Terrick El Guindy Talks Winning Strategies for 3 Mr. Olympias at 2025 Arnold Classic, Discusses Sam Sulek’s Potential
In a recent YouTube video, El Guindy discussed Duada’s decision to enter the 2025 Arnold Classic.
“It’s the current Mr. Olympia, the 19th man, that’s how he likes to be called, Samson Dauda. Traditionally, a lot of the Mr. Olympias once they win the Mr. Olympia they usually only return to the Mr. Olympia but Samson is different. A lot of people love that.”
He believes Dauda’s improved back detail could help him find success on stage.
“He likes to compete. That’s good for business because he makes a lot of money and it seems like he is on the rise. He is one of those guys that every time he competes, he seems like his body is getting better.
The back is better, the conditioning is better so a lot of people predict and speculate that Samson might be the guy to retain the title at the 2025 Mr. Olympia.”
As for Derek Lunsford, El Guindy made it clear that this event won’t be a make-or-break moment for his career.
“Derek Lunsford, I hear a lot of people talking oh this is a make or break show for Derek Lunsford. Whoever is saying that you are absolutely wrong,” he shared. “If Derek wins this event, great. If he places second, third, or fourth, his career will not be over. His title of Mr. Olympia will not be taken away.”
He also believes Brandon Curry is going to shock a lot of people in Columbus when he takes to the stage.
“Brandon Curry, the 2019 Mr. Olympia. A lot of people are saying well, he’s not as good as he was in the past. And there’s something to say about this because his latest results have not been significant. But if you look at Brandon Curry, he won the Olympia in 2019, he took second in 2020, and second in 2021. I don’t believe he’s far removed from his best.”
“I think Brandon can be the surprise of this show,” he adds.
Looking at Sulek’s debut, El Guindy was quite impressed. He believes his conditioning was stellar, especially since it was his first time competing.
“Sam Sulek, man, what a debut! He goes to Las Vegas, he competes for the first time, and he wins the title. I’ve been judging amateur competitors for 20 years. I’ll tell you his level of conditioning was stellar, absolutely stellar. One of the first things we see as first-time NPC competitors is the conditioning is not there, which is perfectly normal.”
He emphasized that Sulek did his homework and told him to refine his posing skills because he doesn’t have a small waist like Chris Bumstead.
“Sam Sulek, he did his homework. He got on a diet and he delivered a powerful performance. He’s got the mass.
I was surprised by how much mass he has. He poses well. He’s going to have to continue to work on the posing because he doesn’t have a small waist like Chris Bumstead.”
The sport is full of surprises and Terrick El Guindy suggests the upcoming Arnold Classic will be no different. Don’t miss the prestigious event from February 27 to March 1 in Columbus, Ohio!
Watch the full video from the OlympiaTV YouTube channel below:
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