I’m not going to lie, size alone doesn’t win shows, but it sure does matter in the sport of bodybuilding. When you have a competitor with a former Olympia title under his belt, who has also won the Arnold Classic, and who has more size than you can shake a stick at, you cannot ignore the obvious. Samson is coming ready to the Olympia. He’s even doing a contest before the big dance (the 2026 Europa Pro, which he won 9/13/2026). This is not a competitor that is about to rest on his laurels or let his past dictate what his future entails. He is somebody that has turned a new leaf. His preparations for this year’s event have solidified his claim to the title. This is not to throw shade at Derek, or Andrew or any of the other top competitors. This is about Dauda coming back to settle the score.
Samson’s not coming into this against any, one athlete. He understands that the competition is deep. You would have to be a fool to think otherwise. You are going to the biggest, most respected, most prestigious show in the sport. The entire world looks at this contest to determine who is going to be the best in each respective division. It’s no cake walk and anybody who thinks it is – is going to wind up in 15th place. Samson is going there with a mission. He’s put the work in and this prep has been far more transparent that any other of his career. He’s put it all out there for the fans to see. He’s hidden nothing at all.
It’s not just about size. There’s a lot of competitors out there that have tremendous amounts of muscle. Some of them have the aesthetics of a refrigerator. Samson does not. Samson has a beautiful physique. He has beautiful lines; he has artistic shape. That in my opinion counts for a lot. That’s not just size, but that almost brings back memories of Lee Haney. It was Lee who coined the term “mass with class.” That’s exactly what Samson is all about. You have competitors that are racing to get to be the biggest, but they don’t take the time to remember that this is an art form. It’s not supposed to be a freak show. A lot of people don’t see the difference. And that I would say is what separates the champions from the wannabes. Because if you just slap on muscle, and more muscle, and more muscle, you start to look like a cartoon character. Nobody that looks like that is going to win the Olympia title. The judges aren’t going to put up with it. and this is because they hold the bar very high.
Whoever wins the Olympia is going to represent the sport throughout the world. A lot of people take issue with that because they think it’s a bunch of hot air. They don’t want to recognize the very real responsibility that comes with being the best in the world. I happen to believe it. I have always believed that, and I have always said that it is a major part of the title. It isn’t just about promoting the sport, but it’s about being the face of it. When you’re Mr. Olympia or Miss Olympia, you are the first thing most competitors, most fans, and most people that are new to the sport look at. You are the poster boy or the poster girl for the entire sport of bodybuilding. Whether you compete in a Bikini or Physique it doesn’t matter. People look at Olympia champions and hold them in extremely high regard. And Samson is one of the best.
Everybody is talking about the fact that he has filled out a 5xl t-shirt and even with a shirt that big people can still see his lines and his separation. I’m not that impressed by that to be honest with you because I know that this is a competitor who truly values the physique and truly understands what’s necessary in order to win. It isn’t simply about size but it’s about self-confidence and this is a competitor that really has it. When you’re up there on stage in front of the judges, in front of the lights, you have to give it all. You only have a limited amount of time to present the physique and as I’ve often said – if the judges can’t see it, you’re not getting scored favorably. It’s not about looking your best on Instagram or TikTok, either. That’s a mistake a lot of competitors make. The judges don’t have the interest, nor do they have the time, to scroll through athletes’ social media feeds to see what they did last week, or last month. They are only concerned with what they bring to the stage on the given day. That’s all that matters. Everything else is for the birds. You could have gone viral 20 times! You could have millions of followers, tens of millions of likes, tens of thousands of comments – none of that shit means anything unless you bring it on game day.
I wish more competitors were privy to this. I see so many athletes giving their best to Instagram or giving their best on their YouTube videos and when they come to the stage they look like trash. I have also had to make startling realizations when I go to expos and see these competitors in real life and notice that they are substantially smaller or substantially less gifted than the videos or photos I liked of them on their socials.
There are so many tricks of the trade and with artificial intelligence practically at every corner, it’s so important to be able to differentiate the athletes that really build the quality physiques from the pretenders. You would think that at the Olympia stage the wannabes would be weeded out. Who could possibly get to that prestigious stage and not be about the business? Well, unfortunately there are still some people who slipped through the cracks. That or they looked their best for their qualifying event and then they just dropped the ball for the Olympia. And that goes back to self-confidence and it also has to do with respect for the stage. A lot of these guys aren’t scared of much, but they sure are scared of the O. They might qualify, but they really don’t belong there.
We have heard this argument made by guys like Shawn Ray and Bob Cicerillo. Just because you are qualified doesn’t mean you should be there. Samson definitely belongs there. Samson owns that stage. He lives it, he breathes it, he sleeps it, that is his life. But most competitors, or I should say a lot of competitors that are at the Olympia are not mature enough to be there. And I don’t just mean muscle maturity. I mean their mindset isn’t there. They wouldn’t even dream of standing next to Samson, much less defeating him. So, like I said it’s not all about size, size is just one of many factors – and Samson has them all.
It’s going to be interesting to see what transpires in Las Vegas, Nevada. Derek looks phenomenal, Martin looks great, Andrew has a beautiful look, but are they going to be able to go toe to toe with Samson? I guess we will have to wait and see, but I’m going to tell you when you have a competitor that looks ripped to shreds in a 5xl t-shirt, you have got to worry. You cannot overlook this man. You cannot underestimate his potential. We may very well be looking at the comeback of Samson Dauda. The return to the winner’s circle in Las Vegas Nevada. I don’t know about you, but this is an exciting time to be a fan of the sport of bodybuilding.
As always, 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 for 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.
