{"id":20746,"date":"2026-05-22T19:45:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T19:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=20746"},"modified":"2026-05-22T19:45:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T19:45:18","slug":"king-kamali-says-super-frustrated-derek-lunsford-doesnt-get-respect-as-mr-olympia-nobody-has-him-winning-again-fitness-volt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=20746","title":{"rendered":"King Kamali Says ‘Super Frustrated’ Derek Lunsford Doesn’t Get Respect as Mr. Olympia: ‘Nobody Has Him Winning Again’\u00a0 \u2013 Fitness Volt"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Shahriar Kamali, well known as King Kamali, has doubts about the world\u2019s number-one Open bodybuilder. In a YouTube video from May 21, 2026, he shared that Derek Lunsford isn\u2019t respected as Mr. Olympia and that nobody believes he\u2019ll win again.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the 2024 Mr. Olympia<\/a>, Lunsford fell to third place and surrendered his title to Samson Dauda. This set the groundwork for Lunsford\u2019s impressive comeback season. In 2025, he achieved his \u2018Triple Crown\u2019 goal<\/a>, securing titles at the Arnold Classic<\/a>, Pittsburgh Pro<\/a>, and Mr. Olympia<\/a> consecutively. He joined Jay Cutler as only the second Open bodybuilder to win back the crown after losing it onstage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While Lunsford opted to take a break from contests, his new rival, Chinedu Andrew \u2018Jacked\u2019 Obiekea<\/a>, carried on. The Nigerian mass monster won the 2026 Arnold Classic Ohio<\/a> and UK<\/a> events, solidifying his status as Lunsford\u2019s greatest threat. With the contest approaching soon, Kamali explained why public doubt around Lunsford continues to snowball.\u00a0<\/p>\n

King Kamali Says Derek Lunsford Lacks Mr. Olympia \u2018Persona,\u2019 Expresses Doubt About Title Defense \u00a0<\/h2>\n

In the Iron OG<\/em>\u2018s podcast, Kamali pointed out that Lunsford doesn\u2019t get respect as Mr. Olympia and has become increasingly frustrated.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cDerek does not get the respect. He just doesn\u2019t. Nobody has him winning again. Everybody is like, oh Samson, oh, we got Andrew, this and that. I think it\u2019s just something that\u2019s building up inside him and he\u2019s just getting super frustrated.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

According to Kamali, Lunsford lacks the Mr. Olympia persona that past champions had.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cI was watching him and this is my own personal point of view. I was watching him at the New York Pro, he doesn\u2019t give the persona of a Mr. Olympia. I\u2019ve been around the best of the best, so have you Chris. We\u2019ve seen what Mr. Olympia is like when he walks into a room, the presence. He wants the attention and the notoriety, he\u2019s not getting that. It\u2019s starting to frustrate him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople keep doubting and doubting him,\u201d shared<\/a> Kamali. \u201cI think it\u2019s that building up inside him that just exploded. There\u2019s only so much a person can take before they explode.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He added that Lunsford\u2019s front relaxed pose needs refinement:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cI think people are looking at him differently now. They are looking at him as a fighter. I also think people are starting to realize that handlebars, sitting on a motorcycle front relaxed, it ain\u2019t working no more. It\u2019s not what they want.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Lunsford took a page from Phil Heath\u2019s book in the lead-up to the 2026 Mr. Olympia. He called out Jacked for not wanting to train legs during their scheduled Olympia Battle workout. Tensions flared, with Lunsford telling Jacked he\u2019ll never win the Mr. Olympia<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kamali believes public doubt has affected Lunsford ahead of the event. The 2026 Mr. Olympia is scheduled for September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.\u00a0<\/p>\n

RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>Jose Raymond Predicts Derek Lunsford Wins 2026 Mr. Olympia, Says He Exposes Andrew Jacked & Samson Dauda<\/a><\/p>\n

Watch the full video from the Iron OG\u2019s YouTube channel below:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n