{"id":25959,"date":"2026-07-31T15:21:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T15:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=25959"},"modified":"2026-07-31T15:21:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T15:21:00","slug":"shawn-ray-says-samson-daudas-extra-weight-could-backfire-at-2026-mr-olympia-reveals-nick-walkers-best-chance-to-win-fitness-volt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=25959","title":{"rendered":"Shawn Ray Says Samson Dauda’s Extra Weight Could Backfire at 2026 Mr. Olympia, Reveals Nick Walker’s ‘Best Chance’ to Win \u2013 Fitness Volt"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The 2026 Mr. Olympia is approaching fast. In a July 30 YouTube video, Shawn Ray and Bob Cicherillo expressed doubt about Samson Dauda\u2019s prep strategy and compared Nick Walker to Rich Gaspari.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2024, Dauda shocked the world and defeated Derek Lunsford<\/a> to claim his first Sandow trophy. Last season, the Nigerian mass monster attempted to win a second Arnold Classic<\/a>, but fell short against Lunsford. They rematched at the 2025 Mr. Olympia<\/a>, with Lunsford reclaiming the prestigious title.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dauda\u2019s focus on sharper conditioning worked against him onstage. He lacked the muscle density that gave him an edge against stockier contenders, like Lunsford and Hadi Choopan<\/a>. While Dauda shut down the season to prepare for Olympia, Men\u2019s Open star Nick Walker has yet to stamp his ticket.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Mutant\u201d will compete at the upcoming 2026 Tampa Pro, and if he\u2019s successful, he\u2019ll be set for his fourth Mr. Olympia appearance. With the biggest show of the year eight weeks away, Ray and Cicherillo gave their thoughts on what lies ahead for Dauda and Walker.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Shawn Ray Doubts Samson Dauda\u2019s 2026 Olympia Strategy, Reveals Nick Walker\u2019s Best Chance to Win\u00a0<\/h2>\n

In the video, Ray expressed serious doubts about Dauda\u2019s strategy for the Mr. Olympia. He argued that being lean is what won Dauda the title back in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t know if he\u2019s got the right strategy. I don\u2019t know if being 340-350 pounds and bringing it down, trying to stay above 300, is going to be his winning ticket. I think being leaner is what got him the Olympia.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In contrast, he thought Walker\u2019s decision to compete at a late Olympia qualifier was a smart move:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis could be great for Nick Walker because he\u2019s stayed lean. Let\u2019s say he goes on to win this show, then he\u2019s just got to ride it into the Olympia, lean and mean, and that would be his best chance to me. I don\u2019t know if Samson has the right ticket here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Overall, Ray believes Dauda\u2019s strategy for more size doesn\u2019t align with the improvements he needed to make:\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cHaving faith in Samson to do the impossible, to do what he hasn\u2019t done, it\u2019s tough for me. He\u2019s got the best shape of all the guys. He has all the tools. I\u2019m cheering for the guy. All he has to do is run the tape back from a year or two ago, but the strategy is not aligning with what I think he needs to do to make improvements,\u201d shared<\/a> Shawn Ray.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAll this extra weight, not competing before the Olympia\u2026 I wish that France show was there two weeks before so he could suck down and have that dry run once again, build up his confidence, but yeah, he\u2019s made me question whether he can replicate it as he\u2019s gotten older.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He went on to compare Walker to 1990s bodybuilding standout Rich Gaspari, who was known for his dry conditioning.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cListen, there\u2019s a lot more questions for my confidence levels for Samson than there are from what Nick is doing right now. Nick is not a better bodybuilder than Samson, but he\u2019s grittier. He reminds me of a [Rich] Gaspari.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Bodybuilding legends have been vocal about Dauda\u2019s chances heading into the Mr. Olympia. Eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney recently argued that Dauda is \u2018overtaxing\u2019 himself with size<\/a> and doesn\u2019t expect him to present his best onstage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Should Walker win the Tampa Pro, he\u2019ll have even more momentum heading into the Olympia. The 2026 Mr. Olympia is set for September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada.\u00a0<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong>\u00a0Shawn Ray Says \u2018Don\u2019t Go\u2019 to Mr. Olympia If You Can\u2019t Win, Predicts Top Stars Will Be Gone in 3 Years<\/a><\/p>\n

Watch the full video from the VOB Media YouTube channel below:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n