The 2023 Mr. Olympia contest shook the entire Men’s Open division, with Derek Lunsford emerging as the new champion. Recapping the aftermath is bodybuilding judge Terrick El Guindy, who gave his thoughts on the cream of the crop from the Open and Classic Physique categories.
Last weekend, the 2023 Mr. Olympia show took over Orlando, Florida, and delivered a memorable event. In the end, seven titles changed hands with four of the division’s champions retaining gold. Atop the headliner was former 212 Olympia Derek Lunsford who unseated Hadi Choopan to make history as the first-ever two-division Mr. Olympia champion.
Meanwhile, in Classic Physique, Chris Bumstead went on to cement himself as a five-time Olympia winner. Making his victory all the more impressive, ‘Cbum’ admits he got the job done despite a lat tear he suffered 10 weeks out from game day.
Reflecting on one of the most chaotic nights the sport has seen in years is Terrick El Guindy, who sat stageside to assess physiques throughout both nights of judging.
El Guindy on 2024 Mr. Olympia: “Watch Out for Samson Dauda”
“Derek Lunsford is the 2023 Mr. Olympia, what a battle against Hadi Choopan! Man, what do you have to say about Derek Lunsford’s back double biceps? Back lat spread? He improved vastly on the side poses. Side chest and side triceps, the hamstrings on the side, he was really good and he improved and maybe a little bit better.”
“Hadi Choopan, are you kidding me? The separation of the chest on the most muscular, the abs and thighs, the front lat spread, these guys are on the top of their games. We are talking about Kai Greene versus Phil Heath, we’re talking about Ronnie Coleman versus Jay Cutler and this battle Derek Lunsford prevailed. He won more poses and he was improved from the last year. Hadi Choopan can very well come back in 2024 and retake the title. But I have a message for both of them and all their fans: watch out for Samson Dauda.”
“If Samson Dauda comes in onion skin peeled to the bone my friends, he can very well overtake this title and take it away from Hadi and take it away from Derek. We are living a great age of bodybuilding with great rivalries.”
“A lot of people asked me what if Nick Walker was there… if he presented the same physique as he did in 2022, it would have been possibly a four-man call-out in the end. Because Nick Walker is the best side chest in the business, probably the best side triceps, and he would out-mass a lot of guys,” said El Guindy.
Terrick El Guindy on Classic Physique 2023 Olympia: ‘Ramon Dino & Chris Bumstead Is Getting Closer’
Watching the show live, Terrick El Guindy admitted the battle between Bumstead and Queiroz is getting closer. This was mainly due to the improvements Queiroz made to his back.
“The 2023 Mr. Olympia was epic, historical, emotional, and most of all, rivalries. Yes. I’m going to start with Classic Physique. Chris Bumstead versus Ramon Dino, yes, it’s getting closer. Ramon Dino improved his back. His back double biceps was very good. His posing is getting better. Is it close to Chris Bumstead’s posing? No. That’s one of the biggest challenges.”
“But I want to commend Ramon Dino on his conditioning. His conditioning was impeccable. You could very well say he was a little bit tighter than Chris, especially at prejudging. What does Ramon Dino have to do to beat Chris Bumstead? First and foremost, he needs to be a master of posing. Because that’s what Chris Bumstead is. Chris Bumstead’s side chest is one of the best in history. Guys, it might be the best side chest in the history of bodybuilding.”“He’s a master at presentation. He knows exactly what he’s doing on stage. The second thing is Chris Bumstead has large clavicle bones, he’s very wide, so on that front double biceps, on the side chest, he’s utilizing this strength against some of the guys that are a bit narrow. Ramon Dino has made improvements, his back improved makes him a little bit more balanced. If he can still fill up a little bit more, make his physique a little bit more balanced, he could very well challenge Chris Bumstead.”
Watch the full video from the Olympia TV YouTube channel below:
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 | 2:05 PM EDT
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