Victor Martinez and the Generation Iron crew take a deep dive into the stacked Olympia 2022 lineup and make official predictions
Generation Iron takes the GI Podcast on the road this week – as director Vlad Yudin and producer Edwin Mejia Jr. head to Columbia to work on a new documentary film. Victor Martinez checks in via video call to talk in-depth about what might be one of the most impressive Olympia lineups in quite some time. With the 2022 Olympia only a week away, the team talk shop about which athletes to keep an eye on and what to expect when these titans step on stage. In our latest episode of the Generation Iron Podcast, Victor Martinez and team GI make official predictions for the 2022 Olympia – and place a friendly bet on each division to add some stakes.
The 2022 Mr. Olympia has been touted as one of the best lineups in the history of the prestigious competition. This is likely thanks in no small part to the deluge of new competitors who have risen up into popularity within the sport. After a period of time dominated by veteran bodybuilders of the previous era – a new crop of competitors have taken hold. Not only that, but they are truly brining jaw-dropping physiques.
With that in mind, the 2022 Mr. Olympia might become unpredictable. Big Ramy is still looking incredible and bringing a mass monster size that is unmatched. But for the first time in quite a while, his victory does not look clear cut. There are many wild cards, both new and old, who can truly shake up the division.
That’s why Victor Martinez has called into the GI Podcast as we film in Columbia to do a special 2022 Mr. Olympia preview episode. We break down the lineup, analyze latest physique updates, and make official predictions for this truly epic show for the ages. Let’s jump into it.
Victor Martinez’s Top 5 2022 Mr. Olympia Predictions
Victor Martinez jumps right into it breaking down his favorite competitors going into the Mr. Olympia this year. The only problem is, there are so many impressive athletes that he doesn’t know where to start. Whenever one standout name is mentioned – a dozen others come to mind. He doesn’t want to leave anyone out but ultimately he breaks it down to an official top five list.
Victor Martinez’s predictions for the top five placings at the 2022 Mr. Olympia are:
Notably, Victor Martinez keeps Big Ramy and Brandon Curry in the top two places – which is an exact recreation of last year. While the newcomers are bringing heat, Martinez still has faith in both Ramy and Curry. The two are seasoned athletes who are not past their prime. In fact, each year they have been improving (with exception to Ramy’s slight slip up last year). The latest photo updates from both athletes have Martinez confident that they can place in the top two.
Also of note is Victor Martinez bumping Hadi Choopan from the top five. Choopan kept pace in the top five at Mr. Olympia for the past three years. Some even believe he could inch his way to an Olympia win if the cards fall right. However, Martinez finds that the improvements of Nick Walker and the explosive entry of Andrew Jacked will shake things up and bump Choopan lower this year.
As for Akim Williams, Martinez thinks that Williams has always showed incredible promise and has been taking his contest prep more seriously than ever. He’s made it into the top five before and thinks that this year he will break through again.
Battle For Second Place?
After the Generation Iron team break down the entire lineup with Victor Martinez, it seems that everyone is confident that Big Ramy will reclaim his title for a third year. With that in mind, the GI crew and Martinez decide to place a friendly wager on the results. If Big Ramy is first place – who will challenge right behind him in the second place spot?
Vlad Yudin places his bets on Nick Walker, who has had more hype than any other athlete this year. Known by most as an up-and-coming phenom, his win at the Arnold Classic last year cemented him as a true threat to the Olympia throne.
Edwin Mejia places his bets on Hadi Choopan, going against Victor Martinez’s theory that the new guys will bump him out. Instead, Mejia believes that Choopan’s incredible conditioning will continue to be rewarded.
As for Victor, we already know that he’s playing safe with Brandon Curry. There’s no reason to believe that Curry will bring anything short of an improvement from last year’s physique. This will keep him firmly as the biggest threat to Big Ramy.
Wrap Up
Victor Matinez and the GI crew also break down the other major divisions that will be competing at the 2022 Olympia. We couldn’t break it all down in this one article – so make sure to check out the latest episode of the Generation Iron Podcast above. Also don’t forget to check back every Tuesday for new episodes only on the Generation Iron Fitness Network or wherever podcasts are downloaded.
