Ray, Cicherillo shared different predictions and why Nick Walker might be in danger.
The 2024 Olympia is slowly creeping up on us and that means different predictions floating in and out of the bodybuilding world. Recently, Bob Cicherillo and Shawn Ray discussed who could appear in the first callout this year.
First Callout Predictions
Shawn Ray
“I wouldn’t want to look at seven. I don’t even think the judges should put themselves in a box where their first call-out is any less than five guys, which doesn’t indicate it’s the top five. I think the fewer is the better to get a really good look.”
Bob Cicherillo
- Derek Lunsford
- Hadi Choopan
- Samson Dauda
- Brandon Curry
- Andrew Jacked
- Behrooz Tabani
Ray, Cicherillo Discuss Top Competitors
There has been much speculation around who will round out the top five but Lunsford and Choopan have remained at the top of discussions. This has been the major battle over the last two years and could be once again.
“Derek and Hadi, these smaller bodybuilders like myself. They are former 212-pound bodybuilders, who somehow or another have found a way to sandwich 30-40 pounds on their frames, which makes them look a little more squatty and they don’t look as long and as x-framed.”
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Andrew Jacked impressed during his victory at the 2024 Texas Pro. He finished fifth at the 2023 Olympia and might have a chance to climb higher.
“The big, long, lengthy x-frame athletic look, Andrew Jacked is bringing it. I had to kind of give him some perspective, I said ‘look, yeah, he looked like Mr. Olympia in Texas but you’re only as good as the people you stand next to.'”
The situation surrounding Nick Walker has also gained much attention. After not competing at the Olympia last year with a hamstring injury, Walker returned and won the New York Pro despite an underwhelming performance, according to many.
“The one that has to worry while we start talking about the Olympia is Nick Walker because no one talked about the gut that finished in second place to Andrew Jacked. When Nick Walker eeked out a very controversial victory against the little known Martin Fitzwater, that raised a lot of question marks because Nick is of the opinion that he’s one of the top five bodybuilders on the planet.”
The 2024 Olympia has a chance to be exciting once again with a lot of depth at the top of the division. Lunsford and Choopan will be considered the favorites once again but it will be interesting to see if any competitor can catapult into the top three.
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