Bob Smith is not just a past Mr Olympia and 2x Arnold Classic champion but he’s also a very dangerous bodybuilder in contemporary times. If one thing has been established is that you cannot sleep on this individual. He takes his training very seriously, he understands how the sport works, and he understands the value of experience. Anytime you’re talking about bodybuilding you’re talking about a variety of different components that go into forming a champion. It’s not just about physique. To think that way is to think in a very limited fashion because countless competitors have brought the best physique to the stage but don’t know how to show it to the judges. It’s very much a strategy game. Many competitors fall for the trap of being big on social media but letting the competition know what they’re bringing. Anybody who tells you that the sport is not a competition against the other competitors is either naive or wants to be politically correct.
There is a certain level of political correctness in advocating the position that if you bring the best version of yourself possible, you will win the contest. This is a very high ground approach that removes any possibility of negativity from the equation. Such an outlook is often applauded by the press and the Federation, but I have to say that’s outlook is shortsighted. It isn’t just about bringing your best but also understanding who you’re up against and what you need to do to beat those guys as well. Brandon understands all of that. He understands the place that social media plays, but he also understands how important it is to be strategic and calculating as you come up to contest day. These are things that are not easily learned unless you have the experience. When you’re dealing with a season veteran like The Prodigy you’re dealing with somebody that understands all of the complexities of an otherwise seemingly primitive sport.
Why would I call bodybuilding a primitive sport? Because to onlookers, to the posers, to those that are weekend fans, it might look like nothing more than a bunch of guys oiled up and in Speedos masquerading around the stage. That might be what a hater sees but that’s not what a veteran bodybuilder sees. There’s a lot more that goes into it. And even though the docudrama Pumping Iron was essentially a lot of acting, there is a psychological component that is undeniable to physique-based sports. That component a lot of times gets mixed up with negativity. I mean we’ve all seen the footage of the old school days of Men’s Physique. Those guys were basically at the point of going to fisticuffs at the drop of a hat. And yes, that is one aspect of the psychology of the sport, but there are many other components. One such component is being overlooked. A guy like Brandon gets overlooked a lot more than you would think. Even though he has an Olympia to his name and even though he has two Arnold Classics on his mantle, some of the lesser-seasoned guys might see him as being passed as prime. They might see him as essentially competing for the nostalgia effect. Little do they know how dangerous he actually is. One look at his contest record even from as recent as last year proves this point.
Nonetheless, we’re not talking about mere psychology here and we’re not talking about the mistakes of others that could lead Brandon to victory. Brandon can very much win against anybody that he’s up against. This includes Krizzo, this includes Patrick Moore, this of course includes Blessing Awodibu, who had a pitiful placing at this past weekend’s Arnold Classic South America. Now of course there’s always the possibility that Nick Walker will jump in at the 11th hour. This is a very strong possibility because of the fact that last year he was supposed to go into Pittsburgh and win everything in sight and at the 11th hour, out of nowhere, former Mr Olympia Derek Lunsford jumped into the mix. It was a nail biter to the very end, but Derek emerged victorious. Perhaps Nick Walker wants to make sure that there’s not going to be another Top 6 Olympian at this show. But if he thinks that he can be a late addition and come into the contest and beat a guy like Brandon Curry who probably is going into this contest to win, then Nick Walker will be sadly mistaken. Not only can Brandon beat Nick Walker, Nick should be very careful about underestimating The Prodigy.
Brandon knows bodybuilding and he has the self-confidence to stand up against any man and emerge victorious. That psychological wherewithal is something that Nick Walker is missing. He’s missing it because he lost last year’s Pittsburgh, because he came short at last year’s Olympia, and most especially because he came up short at this year’s Arnold Classic. While there is a chance that Walker will jump in at the last minute, it’s not a foregone conclusion that he would beat Brandon Curry.
I also think it’s important for Brandon to win this contest because of the fact that it will provide him a much-needed boost going into the 2026 Mr Olympia. As a past Olympia champion he’s automatically qualified, but you have to respect him for still competing and wanting to earn his way to the Super Bowl of Bodybuilding just like everybody else. That’s because Brandon has always been a working man’s body builder. Very few bodybuilders outwork him and no bodybuilder can ever claim that he had a silver spoon in his mouth. Even though he has a very impressive resume, he sees himself just like everybody else and that right there also makes him incredibly dangerous because guys with a resume like his would probably expect the doors to open for them, automatically. They would probably expect the red carpet treatment. Brandon is the last of The Mohicans. Very much like William Bonac and guys from that era, Brandon is going to come firing on all cylinders wanting nothing short of victory. You will never see Brandon Curry get into a contest with anything but first place on his mind. And this is also old school.
I don’t have a doubt in my mind that if Brandon Curry comes in at 100%, he can beat anybody in that lineup. I also believe that Brandon may have another Olympia under his belt. It is a very big possibility, especially if we’re talking about an Olympia where aesthetics will be rewarded like they used to be. We had some weird years over the last half decade, but now we’re seeing guys like Andrew win the Arnold Classic and the possibility of Andrew and Samson in a top three could very well include Brandon Curry or William Bonac or maybe even both. We could see a top four with these two veterans up against the two towering bodybuilders. But for now, let’s focus on the Pittsburgh Pro.
The Pittsburgh is very important because of the fact that the president will be there. This is the president’s show. Brandon Curry is very well-liked by Pittsburgh and the Federation. He has shown exemplary good sportsmanship throughout the years, he’s a family man, and although he only held the Olympia title for one year, he truly grew the sport of bodybuilding to the best of his abilities. And I suspect that there would be no greater Pittsburgh Pro champion than Brandon Curry. Not only would he grow that title but he would show future Pittsburgh Pro champions how to truly act as an ambassador for the sport and for the title. Again, I can’t say enough good things about Brandon Curry.
As always, I leave the most important opinion for the very end. What say you? Can 2019 Mr Olympia Brandon Curry win the 2026 Pittsburgh Pro?
I hope you enjoyed reading my article, here, at IronMag. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. It’s bound to generate lively conversation.
Author Bio:
Christian I. Duque is the owner of StrengthAddicts.com, a physique and strength website founded in 2008. He has worked for a number of bodybuilding websites, including RX Muscle and Muscular Development. Christian has written nearly 1,000 published articles for IronMag Blog, as well as articles for StrengthAddicts, RX Muscle, and others. By day, he is also a licensed attorney practicing in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal defense.
