by Christian Duque
When news broke that Samson Dauda was training at Oxygen Gym it sent shockwaves throughout the fitness industry. The Top 3 Olympian and Top 2 Arnold Classic Champion who recently dumped longtime coach Milos Sarcev in a very public way looked to be finding a new home. It was the 2024 Arnold Classic that many thought he was going to win, but fell short to 2022 Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan, where Dauda may have made his choice to break with Milos.
Hadi used the contest to redeem himself after losing the Olympia to Derek Lunsford in what many said was a razor-thin margin. Samson was defending his Arnold title after defeating Nick Walker the prior year and was believed to have been able to hold off The Persian Wolf. But it went beyond not holding onto the title, it seemed, as Dauda complained of feeling very sick after the Columbus contest and having to go to the hospital to run tests.
There was doubt as to whether he would compete at the Arnold Classic UK and many fans, myself included, feared what would be a catastrophe if he did. To quote Samson, he said he felt “like his body was shutting down.” That’s not something a guy on that level says very often and especially not on his own social media platforms. That sounds like something a media outlet would take out of context or maybe something an insider would say; however, the champ was very transparent and very outspoken on where his health was at that point. He stressed that his break with Sarcev wasn’t about jumping to another coach anytime soon. He wanted to make a decisive break and then study his options. This is why he chose to be prepped in the meantime by his wife who had helped him for smaller contests. And although he failed to defeat Choopan at the Arnold UK, he was able to bring a great look like he did at the Arnold USA.
When news that Samson was at Oxygen Gym training, numerous media outlets took to the airwaves to stress that all this was, was him training there. Others stated he was merely visiting the gym. Nick’s Strength And Power was perhaps the most vocal in doubting whether or not there was a partnership but also seizing upon the opportunity to remind his 1+ million subscribers that Oxygen Gym (hereinafter “OG”) had been largely out of the game for quite some time.
NS&P did concede that 2019 Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry continues to train there, but outlined all the guys who don’t. He mentioned Big Ramy, Roelly Winklaar, but seemed hard-pressed to resist talking about the alleged bad experience Regan Grimes had there. In mentioning the old news, he reiterated how unhealthy Grimes felt, how much mass he gained, and what a waste of time going there was. I’m not sure I understand why all of that was necessary but maybe there’s bad blood there. Maybe not. I don’t care enough to investigate. I will say that OG is more than a place to train – it’s a way of life and they did many great things with many great champions.
The question is who is going to train Samson if he decides to call OG home? Many suspect it will be Abdullah and few can deny what he was able to do with Brandon’s physique. From 2018 to 2019 and beyond, The Prodigy has made significant gains every year. The same could be said about other guys who trained there. I won’t speak about Regan’s experience. There’s another guy – like Phil Heath and Nick Walker – who simply can’t take criticism. I don’t even know why Regan blocked me, but he sure did.
Some guys just can’t take any constructive criticism. And the fact is no one forced him to go to OG. He went there because he was one of the most over-hyped bodybuilders of his day and he was never able to make anything happen on stage. He either placed last or close to it. People got tired of raving about a guy who looked great on social media and was all but forgotten on game day. The fact is he took a gamble with OG and it didn’t work out. It’s not like he was doing spectacularly well in the placings and went there and it all went south. He was getting crumby placings – sometimes in weak lineups. He needed to turn things around and it didn’t work out. The fact of the matter is maybe Samson goes there and it’s a success for him just like it was for Brandon and for Roelly when they were hitting their stride.
Guys like Samson are the next generation and they’re on top right now. Samson is so close to regaining his Arnold title and from winning his first Olympia that it isn’t even funny. He’s so close to the Sandow he can touch it. Who knows if Oxygen Gym can get him that last little bit. I for one don’t think there’s any danger. They’re not going to drastically change his look. Why on Earth would they? He’s an aesthetic powerhouse with great proportions and fantastic flow. If anything, they’re going to try to improve on that. They’re going to make him sharper and they’re going to listen to him as well. He’s already won the Arnold and he’s been a fixture of the Olympia Top 3. If OG can do with Samson what they did with Brandon, Samson will be Mr. Olympia.
If all things were fair and politics weren’t a thing (and they most certainly are), Brandon would have won the Olympia back in 2021. He buried Big Ramy with bigger legs, a detailed back, and far superior conditioning. Nonetheless, the judges gave it to Ramy. For whatever reason, Brandon wasn’t to repeat history like Jay Cutler and be the second Mr. Olympia to win back the Olympia after losing it. He was a far better ambassador, he showed tremendous respect to Pittsburgh, and he kept quiet when Ramy (who didn’t even qualify for the O in 2020) took the title from him. That said, he got screwed just like Jay did in 2021 and just like Jay, he didn’t say anything. Derek and Hadi are both single year Mr. O’s. Derek can lose it as easily as Hadi did. The fact of the matter is Derek is beatable, just like Hadi is.
If Samson can put it all together for the 2024 Olympia and really bring that conditioning against softer guys like Lunsford, he should best them. And even though Hadi may seem to have more muscle than the towering Dauda, he lacks the aesthetics to really be in the conversation with the big man. Only time will tell what happens, but I for one think that Oxygen Gym may be able to get their second Sandow with Samson Dauda.
What say you? As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my article, here, at Iron Magazine. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Be sure to share this article on your social media feeds. I guarantee you it will generate a lot of conversation.