One of the most-anticipated bodybuilding contests of the year, the Arnold Classic concluded earlier today. After two days of competition, the judges chose Samson Dauda as the winner of the Arnold Classic 2023. While Nick Walker was confident he would win the show, Dauda pulled off an unexpected upset. Chinedu Andrew Obiekea, aka Andrew Jacked, was also in the mix but had to settle for a third-place finish. However, Walker and Jacked walked away with an additional $10,000 each.

Neither Nick Walker nor Andrew jacked could beat Samson Dauda in the run for the title. However, the competitors won two prestigious titles and the additional prize money that came with the titles.

Samson Dauda couldn’t trump Walker and Jacked in all aspects

Samson Dauda emerged victorious at the Arnold Classic 2023. However, he didn’t dominate in the competition. In fact, it was quite a close contest. After the pre-judging, bodybuilding fans were divided between Walker, Dauda, and Jacked. During the finals, it became evident that the judges also had a hard time picking out a front-runner between the three bodybuilders.

After the solo posing routines, the competitors lined up on the stage for the callout phase. Big Ramy joined the top three during the first callout. The judges then instructed the four bodybuilders to hit the mandatory bodybuilding poses for comparison. However, after one round of posing, they told the competitors to pose for another round before they decided on a winner.

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However, before they announced the final results, they revealed Walker and Jacked had won two additional titles. Obiekea, who hit full splits during his solo posing routine, won the Ed Corney Best Poser award and a cheque for $10,000. While Nick Walker’s posing didn’t involve full splits, The Mutant won the Franco Columbu Most Muscular title and an additional $10,000.

The dawn of a new era in bodybuilding

While the reigning Mr. Olympia, Hadi Choopan didn’t compete in the Arnold Classic 2023, despite that, the second most-prestigious bodybuilding show marks the beginning of a new era in bodybuilding. Despite falling to the fifth position, two-time Mr. Olympia Big Ramy was placed ahead of newcomers Andrew jacked and Samson Dauda in 2022.

However, at the Arnold Classic, the newcomers left behind the veterans like Big Ramy and two-time Arnold Classic winner Willaim Bonac. While Nick Walker isn’t a newcomer, he is much younger than the likes of Big Ramy, Willaim Bonac, and Hadi Choopan. Many fans and experts also believe bodybuilders like Walker, Dauda, and Jacked have a lot of room for improvement.

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Dauda, Jacked, and Walker might continue to improve, but Hadi Choopan remains the reigning champion. It’ll be interesting to see if any of them can dethrone Choopan at the 2023 Mr. Olympia.