As of this writing, it is 58 days prior to the 2026 Olympia and so far this week I’ve been asked at least 450 times who I think is going to win? A question that anyone who knows me knows I despise almost as much as Brussels sprouts. Because, it’s two months out. Any pics I’ve seen thus far are horrific. So, at this point, it’s a popularity contest. If that’s the case, I’d pick my friend, Derek Lunsford. But it’s not the case. I mean I want him to win, but only if he’s the best man on stage. So, to ask, this far out, who’s going to win the Olympia is a stupid question. I don’t like stupid questions.
Now, if you want to ask me what I think is going to happen at the Olympia, that’s a question I can answer. It’s still my opinion, but it’s based on the facts before us.
Arguably, the top five is going to be comprised of at least three Mr. Os and and Arnold champ. And for the second year in a row, we’re going to potentially see an apples to apples and oranges to oranges comparison. And because we are, I predict a paradigm shift. I think we’re going to see what is going to be the shape of things to come.
From Wedge Cars to Wedge Physiques
Back in the mid-1970s, British Leyland introduced a car under the Triumph badge called the TR7. It was unlike anything the company had ever built before—a strange, sharply angled wedge-shaped sports coupe that looked more like something out of a futuristic concept sketch than something destined for public roads. British Leyland marketed the car with the slogan “The Shape of Things to Come.”
And in many ways, they were right.
The TR7 survived seven years and sold over 115,000 units. Hardly a failure, especially when you consider the era that spawned it. The 1970s gave us what became known as the “wedge era” of automotive design, where every exotic manufacturer seemed obsessed with sharp angles and geometric aggression. The Lancia Stratos, Lotus Esprit, Maserati Boomerang, and of course the legendary Lamborghini Countach all embraced the wedge philosophy. Low, angular, compact, aggressive.
Sound familiar?
Stand that wedge upright and you pretty much have what modern bodybuilding has become.
How the Wedge Physique Took Over the Olympia
For decades, bodybuilding revolved around what many considered the ideal physique: the classic X-frame. Wide clavicles, broad shoulders, massive back width, tight waist, flaring quads, sweeping thighs, and calves that completed the illusion of perfect symmetry. This was the blueprint. This was the silhouette that built the legend of Mr. Olympia.
But somewhere along the way, the sport started rewarding a different structure.
The wedge.
Viewed head on instead of in profile, the modern wedge physique is exactly what it sounds like—short, compact, dense, blocky, brutally muscular, and overwhelmingly thick from top to bottom. Less elegance, more mass. Less flow, more impact. It’s the difference between admiring a sculpture and getting hit in the face with a block of marble.
And nowhere has this become more obvious than in the recent Olympia battles between Hadi Choopan and Derek Lunsford.
Out of a lineup containing four former Mr. Olympias, the judges repeatedly found themselves comparing two remarkably similar physiques. Both shorter. Both incredibly dense. Both conditioned beyond belief. That battle works because they’re both wedges. Easy comparison. But now that Sampson and Andrew have reportedly stepped it up a notch—and Andrew is coming in off his Arnold Classic victory, things get interesting.
Jacked and Dauda Reset the Standard
Samson Dauda and Andrew Jacked represent something bodybuilding is happy to have back—the true X-frame. Tall physiques with broad clavicles, dramatic taper, sweeping quad lines, flowing structure, and the kind of visual balance that historically defined what people picture when they think of the title Mr. Olympia.
The iconic image of bodybuilding has never been a blocky five-foot-six human fire hydrant sweating under stage lights. It has always been the larger-than-life superhero silhouette.
The X-frame simply looks better. It always has.
And now the Olympia may come down to two athletes who both satisfy that ideal better than the reigning wedge-era champions.
Andrew Jacked and Samson Dauda are not only similar in height and structure, but both bring the kind of aesthetic dominance that immediately changes the dynamic of comparison. Suddenly the judges are no longer forced to split hairs between two hyper-conditioned 300-pound kettlebells with feet. Now they have an equal comparison.
Why Nick Walker Could Be the Ultimate Wild Card
Of course, conditioning still rules everything. Always has. And that brings Nick Walker crashing into the middle of this entire conversation.
Nick is the fulcrum. He’s not quite wedge, not quite X-frame. Structurally, he doesn’t possess the visual superiority of Andrew or Samson, but if he walks on stage looking like a massive anatomy chart wrapped in skin, he becomes dangerous. Why?
Because if either Andrew or Samson misses peak condition—even slightly—and if either Hadi or Derek comes in flat or off balance, the judges may simply default to the guy who left absolutely no doubt.
Nick wins by chaos. But, for my money, if Andrew Jacked comes in 100 percent, it’s over. In my opinion, Andrew at full tilt beats every man on that stage. Including all the Mr. Os. Because when conditioning becomes equal, aesthetics decide the war. And no matter how impressive the wedges may be, bodybuilding has always looked better when the physique fits the image.
The wedge era had its run. I believe the future of bodybuilding is returning to what made the sport visually iconic in the first place.
The X-Men.
