Hadi Choopan debuted in the 2024 Arnold Classic with a victory over defending champion Samson Dauda. Dauda is a formidable contender but lacks in some areas where the Persian Wolf excels, which helped him win this year’s title. Recently, the NPC and IFBB Pro Vice President, Tyler Manion, shared a video on Instagram spilling beans on Choopan’s victory and Samson being the runner-up.

In the video, Manion talked about how Samson lacked in front-posing and further discussed the improvements he needed Dauda make to become undefeatable in the bodybuilding realm.

IFBB Vice President’s insights on the intense showdown

In the video, Tyler Manion mentioned that this was the best that Persian Wolf had ever been in any competition. He highlighted that Choopan had the finest size, muscularity, and muscle fullness. Manion explained that Choopan’s exceptional conditioning was the deciding factor in his win in the Arnold Classic. His conditioning was on point on both nights of the event.

He further talked about Samson Dauda, highlighting his weak areas. He emphasized that the Nigerian Lion has to work on his conditioning, which he is trying to achieve, but hasn’t nailed on the stage yet. Manion highlighted that Dauda breathed through his stomach while posing instead of his chest. Then he mentioned that Dauda has a small mid-section, which is ideal for his physique, but he cannot control it properly yet.

The VP also said the Nigerian Lion needs to focus on the deep lines and clear separations throughout his body. He mentioned that not only Samson but also Choopan needed some improvements to become an undefeatable competitor. He emphasized that Choopan could use overall work on his legs, particularly his quads to gain some side-leg size.

Tyler Manion further added that Choopan should also work on his chest in comparison to Dauda’s. The Persian Wolf could use some more roundness and fullness in his chest. He mentioned the current Arnold Champion needs to make these improvements for his Mr. Olympia competition.

The Persian Wolf’s evolution as a true sportsman

Despite all the flaws and victories, Choopan and Dauda shared a heartwarming moment on the Arnold Classic stage. The current champion picked up the former champion and hugged him. This came to the fans as a surprise, as Choopan had done something very different on the Mr. Olympia stage previously. He left the stage angrily after Derek Lunsford’s victory.

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The Persian Wolf faced a lot of criticism and backlash for his act. This year, he not only worked hard on his physique but also on his approach to his fellow bodybuilders. Dauda showed his love back to the champion through his Instagram post, writing down a warm caption: ” When two warriors battle head-to-head at their best, there can be nothing but love and respect left in the end…my brother @hadi_choopan I love you…. you.” 

Tyler Manion highlighted that, despite being the winner, no one is completely perfect. He mentioned the areas for improvement for both athletes to give much tougher competition than this year. The Persian Wolf has improved a lot physically as well as mentally showcasing mutual respect and true sportsmanship on the stage.

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