"He wins the Olympia this year" - Bob Cicherillo believes a near '100%' Samson Dauda will win the 2023 Olympia

Cicherillo has been an avid critic of people disagreeing with judges at the Arnold Classic, where Samson Dauda etched his name in history. Dauda claimed the title by showcasing a monstrous yet aesthetically pleasing physique at the show.

At the Olympia last year, Dauda finished in sixth position behind both Nick Walker and Big Ramy. Despite this, he managed to beat both bodybuilders in the Classic this year. The improvements Dauda made to his physique were nothing short of exceptional. On a recent episode of The Menace podcast, Bob Cicherillo, a significant commentator in the game, stated that Dauda can beat Hadi Choopan at the Olympia as long as he is close to his full potential.

"Even though I liked Samson to win the Arnold, I actually had to pick Nick Walker because Samson wasn’t proven at that point. Nick had taken third place at the Olympia, so you had to give him his respect. If Samson Dauda is anywhere close to 100%, he wins the Olympia this year."

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Cicherillo on how the the Olympia needs to have a 'cut round' because of the sheer number of contestants

The qualification system for Olympia has changed for this year's show, with invites being sent to many athletes not meeting very strict criteria. Samir Bannout has previously criticized the decision.

Palumbo shares this sentiment and believes a 'cut round' needs to be introduced to make sure the best athletes get on stage for the main show.

"You got to remember now, going back to last year, we didn’t have 12 months, we had 15. There was proportionately more shows and therefore more people qualifying. I’ve got no issue with 10 million people qualifying. Everybody and their mother can qualify – what I have an issue for, and have been for years, is not [having] a simple cut round, like every other sport on this earth has."

Cicherillo also took issue with the financial predicament the current system presents.

"Have a cut round, bring it down, those are the people that should pay, I wouldn’t be paying for everybody, God bless Jake Wood for showing out, but that was a pretty hefty check he had to cut for all those people qualify."

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Cicherillo on Brandon Curry's problem with proportions

Curry is a former Olympia champion but has fallen off the top ranks in the last few years.

After losing his title to Big Ramy in 2020 and finishing second in 2021, Curry fell to fourth-place last year. Cicherillo believes there's a significant disparity between Curry's legs and his shoulders, which is preventing him from being a front-runner this year.

"Yeah, listen, if you got a former Mr. Olympia, he’s automatically – if you’re good enough to win the Olympia, you always have to be in the conversation. I don’t know if there’s anything Brandon can do at this point. He still has that pretty physique, but he’s spent a lifetime trying to bring his legs up to his arms. His arms and shoulders are so big, that I don’t think he’ll ever quite match. He’s been damn close."

Earlier this year, Curry, like Derek Lunsford, decided not to participate in the Arnold Classic in preparation for the Olympia. It remains to be seen if this will pay-off later this year.