Bodybuilding icons Flex Wheeler, Chris Cormier, Dennis James, and Milos Sarcev recently sat down for an unfiltered roundtable, heavily dissecting the intense battle between Samson Dauda and Hadi Choopan at the 2023 Arnold Classic UK.
The veterans unanimously agreed that the margin between Dauda and eventual winner Choopan was razor-thin. Dennis James stated he had Dauda winning for “60% of the show” before Choopan pulled ahead late in the prejudging.
Chris Cormier, who was in attendance, shared his first-hand perspective: “I thought Samson edged it out, but I’m not upset Hadi looked amazing.” He cited Dauda’s improved conditioning helping showcase his superior lines and aesthetic. However, Cormier thought Dauda still needed to bring more ab control to his posing.
Flex Wheeler felt Dauda’s back double biceps was a key edge, arguably winning that pose against Choopan’s typically strong execution. But Wheeler questioned whether Dauda was consistently opening up to his full potential in the lat spread.
The scores reflected just how tight the battle was, with 3 of the 9 judges scoring Dauda as the overall winner according to Milos Sarcev’s analysis. “That’s how close it is – you erased the highs and lows. Three gave him victory over nine.”
While they diverged on who should have won, the legends criticized inconsistencies in Dauda’s conditioning from one pose to the next. There was praise for improvements, but a shared feeling he still left something in the tank.
The roundtable showcased the keen eyes of bodybuilding’s elite, breaking down the minute details that decided one of the most hotly-contested pro shows of the year so far. It provided a rare insiders’ perspective on high-level judging criteria beyond mere size and mass.
