“I Wouldn’t Be Either”: Bodybuilding Champ Jay Cutler Empathizes With Hadi Choopan for Being Angry After His Loss to Derek Lunsford

The 2023 Mr. Olympia ended in a controversy, much to the dismay of bodybuilding fans. As Derek Lunsford lifted the Sandow trophy, Hadi Choopan’s fans were devastated by their icon’s loss. Further, the Persian wolf storming off the stage during the celebrations fueled their anger. In the pre-judging, many believed Choopan would win the title given his extreme conditioning.

But Lunsford claimed it with his monstrous back. Now, Jay Cutler also empathizes with the wounded wolf, given the tough competition between Hany Rambod’s trainees. 

Jay Cutler sides with Persian Wolf after Mr. Olympia’s aggression

While bodybuilding experts like Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler gave out their predictions, placing Lunsford on the top, Choopan stunned the community by bringing top-notch conditioning to 2023 Mr. Olympia. This made Lunsford’s journey to the Mr. Olympia crown a bit difficult. So, when the soon-to-be-dad was announced as the new Mr. Olympia champion, Choopan wasn’t happy, and many empathized with him.

In a recent YouTube video on his channel JayCutlerTV, the 4x Mr. Olympia resonated with the same. While speaking about the recent Mr. Olympia, Cutler noted, “Derek Lunsford won his first, and he was second last year, a lot had first-place votes. Hadi wasn’t too happy about the decision. I wouldn’t be either, you know, he was very very close. It was neck and neck.”

Read More: 4-Time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler Gets Nostalgic Over a Memory From His Early Bodybuilding Days

But the storm has passed, as Hadi Choopan later took to his Instagram to congratulate the winners and started training with the Pro Creator for next year’s Mr. Olympia. Rambod also cleared the air by stating one cannot undermine the efforts put in by his disciples and credited the two finalists of Mr. Olympia 2023 for their achievements. This was not the first time that there was a similar rivalry at the Olympia stage. In the past, Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler went neck-to-neck.

The unparallel rivalry in the bodybuilding arena

The bodybuilding stage in the 2000s witnessed the greatest battle between two legends of the sport, Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler. The Quad Stomp was placed second to The King on the Mr. Olympia stage four times before dethroning Coleman in 2006.

Cutler focused his career on defeating Ronnie Coleman more than winning Mr. Olympia and trained till his nose bled at times. Eventually, the 4x Mr. Olympia’s efforts established him as the bodybuilder who defeated the King. 

The bodybuilding arena is not free from controversies, and the subjective nature of the sport makes it more prone to contention. But often terrific rivalries bring excitement to the show, and bodybuilding events thrive on fans’ enthusiasm to witness their icons flexing on the Mr. Olympia stage.

Watch this story | Strongest Bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman’s Reason for Lifting Weights in College Was Beyond Any Desire To Win 8 Mr. Olympia Titles