Dennis James was joined by regular panelist Milos Sarcev and guest Jose Raymond for Episode 244 of The Menace Podcast, and they made early predictions on who will lift the 2025 Mr Olympia trophy in Las Vegas. They also discussed what Samson Dauda must do to hold onto his crown.
With bodybuilding’s biggest show around 8 weeks away, the boys put where their money where their mouth is to predict the all-out winner on October 9-12. “I just wanna get one name from both of you,” asked The Menace. “Who’s gonna win the Olympia, 2025. No explanation, just give me a name.”
“Hadi (Choopan),” predicted Raymond, needing little time to deliberate. Milos Sarcev agreed with his fellow guest. “Yeah, I would also go with Hadi,” he confirmed. “Because I think he’s bringing something special. Even though I’m a Samson (Dauda) fan.”
There’s no doubt that the field is stacked. Last year, Samson Dauda took home the trophy for the first time, while Hadi Choopan was runner up, and Derek Lunsford came in third. Still, Lunsford must be considered back in contention after winning the 2025 Arnold. Then there’s Nick Walker, who is perhaps in the best shape of his career.
“I’m gonna go out on a limb here,” said host Dennis James. “I’m gonna go with Derek (Lunsford),” he teased. “No, I’m gonna say, I believe that Samson is gonna nail the conditioning this time. “I hope so,” said Sarcev. “I would love that,” concurred Raymond.
What Must Samson Dauda do to Win the 2025 Mr Olympia?
Dennis James believes that conditioning is key for the Nigerian Lion to maintain his rule. “Maybe not one hundred percent, but he’s gonna be five percent better than he was, ever,” explained The Menace. “I think that, maybe this time, his skin won’t dry out the oil, and he comes in with a little shine to it, to make it look a little better. So, that’s what I see right now.” Of course, this is just the start of what could be many predictions on The Menace Podcast as the road to the Olympia draws ever closer.
Tickets are available now for what will be 2025’s biggest bodybuilding battle.
To watch the full episode where the boys also recapped the Tampa Pro, and previewed the Texas Pro, plus the usual breaking bodybuilding news, see below.
