2022 Mr. Olympia pre-judging report

December 17, 2022

2022 Mr. Olympia pre-judging report.

The main event of the entire 2022 Olympia Weekend took place on Friday evening.

28 of the best bodybuilders in the world went head to head, battling for the top prize.

This edition of the Mr. Olympia is one of the closest contested events in recent years, some comparing it to the early years of the Ronnie Coleman era.

It was immediately evident that there would be some shock placings this year, as the new athletes were very impressive. No place is guaranteed as the judges compared the competitors constantly.

There can be two scenarios for Big Ramy, who going into the show was the clear favorite to defend his title and win his third consecutive Mr. Olympia title.

Usually, the best bodybuilder would be put in the middle, being compared to the rest of the competitors, in this case, should have been Big Ramy.

On Friday evening, Big Ramy was put to the side of the line-up in the first callout, with Derek Lunsford and Hadi Choopan being compared in the middle. This could be that Big Ramy was so good that he did not have to be compared, or he was not impressing the judges and he could possibly finish in sixth.

Samson Dauda looked to be in incredible condition, overpowering 2019 Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry.

Two competitors were not in the first callout and that was William Bonac and Hunter Labrada. Bonac and Hunter had to do battle with newcomers Michal Krizo, Andrew Jacked, Iain Valliere, and Rafael Brandao in the second callout.

Expectations were high for Canadian Iain Valliere, but he was in the second callout, hopefully, the situation will change for him in the finals. A great battle was between Iain and Michal, with the two standing next to each other near the end of comparisons.

Blessing Awodibu will have to eat his words as he was in the fourth callout. It does not look like he will be compared to anybody from the top six.

The improved and stand-out physiques

Some competitors might not be in first callout according to the judges, but in the eyes of the coaches and spectators, they deserve better.

From the minute the competitors stepped on stage, it was evident that some bodybuilders made some incredible improvements from 2021 and some newcomers immediately made an impression.

Big Ramy – The defending champion looked to be in more condition compared to his appearance in 2021, but when standing next to the rest of the top six, his weaknesses were exposed.

Derek Lunsford – Derek made it to the Mr. Olympia, thanks to a “Special Invite”. Instead of defending his 212 Olympia title, Derek decided to go head-to-head with the big boys.

Derek made an incredible impression on all the judges and spectators with his incredible size, small waist, and condition from the moment he walked to the middle of the stage.

There was not one bodybuilder that overpowered Derek, in any pose. Some bodybuilders might be taller, but Derek could not be overpowered, in the majority of his poses.

Brandon Curry – The 2019 Mr. Olympia made great improvements at the 2021 Mr. Olympia, and he managed to make more improvements for this year’s edition.

Curry appeared to have added more size to his legs and his upper body looked improved as well. Brandon will definitely be a candidate for the top three finish or even win the show.

Samson Dauda – Samson is another bodybuilder that is making his Mr. Olympia debut. Working with Milos Sarcev, Samson made some incredible improvements for the 2022 Mr. Olympia.

At one point in the first callout, Samson was moved next to Brandon Curry. At this moment, it was evident that Samson was no pushover, with his size dominating Brandon.

If Samson can improve his condition slightly, he will be an automatic threat for the Olympia title.

Rafael Brandao: The man from Brazil presented the most aesthetic physique from the entire line-up. Brandon might not have the size of his fellow competitors, but his perfect balance of size and condition is unmatched.

Brandao can easily place in the top five, as his perfect balance can expose any of the competitors at this year’s Mr. Olympia line-up.

Michal Krizo: After dominating the IFBB Elite Pro League, Michal made the decision to switch over to the NPC and then qualify immediately for the Pro League and Mr. Olympia. Michal is one of the biggest bodybuilders on the stage, having no problem standing next to the top athletes in the industry.

Michal made some very good improvements to his physique since he earned his qualification for the 2022 Mr. Olympia at the EVLS Prague Pro. Improvements could be seen in his back development and overall condition. A top-ten finish would be a great result on his Mr. Olympia debut.

Andrew Jacked: Andrew is another freak of nature, just like Michal Krizo who made switched over from the IFBB Elite Pro to the Pro League. Andrew is one of the tallest and biggest bodybuilders in this year’s Mr. Olympia line-up.

It would be a shame if Andrew is not given the chance to be compared to Big Ramy, as there was a lot of hype going into this show. With such a deep line-up, there is still a chance for Andrew to squeeze into the top five on Saturday evening.

Photos courtesy of RXMuslce and Photobycaz.