The Fall of Samson: A Tragedy

 

The stage is a crucible, a blinding altar where sweat and ambition collide under the weight of impossible expectations. Samson Dauda burst into this fire at Mr. Olympia 2022, a rookie who rose to sixth place, just one step behind Mamdouh Elssbiay, the 2021 champion who, after defending his title twice, fell to fifth. Hadi Choopan claimed the crown that night, but for Dauda, standing so close to a titan must have burned with promise. The Olympia wasn’t just a dream: it was a blueprint, a map he could trace with discipline and hunger. That sixth place wasn’t a defeat, it was a vow.

In 2023, Dauda cracked the code. He didn’t just improve: he turned his physique into a weapon, capitalizing on Brandon Curry’s faltering form and Nick Walker’s absence to claim third place, nipping at Choopan’s heels. The gap was closing. His ascent seemed inevitable, a predator stalking wounded prey. In 2024, he struck. With Walker still sidelined and Derek Lunsford, the 2023 champion, showing up out of condition, Dauda seized the Mr. Olympia title. But the victory rang hollow for some. His physique, though polished, evoked the early Ronnie Coleman: promising but not transcendent. Critics murmured comparisons to the Chris Cormier of the ‘90s, sharp but incomplete. I saw it too: Dauda’s triumph felt less like dominance and more like opportunism, a man exploiting others’ missteps rather than rewriting the rules.

The rise of Classic Physique, driven by Chris Bumstead’s sixth consecutive triumph, cast a long shadow over the Open division. Judges seemed to favor elegance over mass, a shift that likely lifted Dauda while sinking Choopan’s denser frame. Dauda leaned into this, trimming size to chase a “classic” silhouette. It was a gamble, and it failed spectacularly. At the 2025 Arnold Classic, Derek Lunsford, reborn as a mass monster in impeccable condition, obliterated him. The defeat was a visceral blow, exposing Dauda’s miscalculation. He’d played it safe, polishing edges instead of forging something revolutionary. By Mr. Olympia 2025, Lunsford struck again, relegating Dauda to fourth. The predator had become prey.

The lesson of defeat is cruel, but Dauda didn’t learn. Clinging to the same conservative strategy, he stepped onto the Prague stage weeks later, facing Martin Fitzwater, the 2024 Prague champion who’d already toppled Bumstead in his Open debut. Fitzwater, fueled by the same hunger Dauda once had, nearly matched him, finishing fifth globally while Dauda clung to fourth. The image was brutal: a former champion overshadowed by a rising star. Fitzwater’s trajectory mirrored Dauda’s 2022 breakout: close enough to taste victory, bold enough to believe in it. Meanwhile, Dauda’s third consecutive loss wasn’t just a drop in rank, it was a collapse of spirit and strategy.

Prague became Dauda’s crucible. Keone Pearson, the electrifying 212 champion, announced his Open debut, and Fitzwater vowed to defend his title. Dauda, desperate to reclaim relevance, joined the fray. It was a catastrophic mistake. Fitzwater didn’t just win: he dismantled Dauda, achieving the unthinkable: defeating three Mr. Olympias, Bumstead, Dauda, and Pearson, on one stage. The bodybuilding world buzzed. Had Fitzwater outshone Dauda even at Olympia? The question lingered like smoke. Dauda’s fall wasn’t just physical, it was mental. He’d misread the game, betting on refinement when the sport demanded reinvention. Dauda had lost nearly all the ground he’d gained since his debut.

Bodybuilding isn’t just muscle: it’s a chessboard of will, strategy, and audacity. Dauda’s 2024 victory was a house built on sand, propped up by absences and others’ errors rather than undeniable supremacy. Ronnie Coleman, at his peak, didn’t just win, he annihilated the field with radical evolution, year after year. Dauda, by contrast, played not to lose. He shied away from risk, fearing the monstrous physiques of the past would alienate judges. But the sport doesn’t reward caution: it punishes it. Andrew Jacked’s surge to third and Fitzwater’s relentless climb proved it: the future belongs to those who dare to redefine it.

This isn’t just Dauda’s story: it’s ours. We’ve all stood on the edge of triumph, felt the weight of expectation, and chosen safety over revolution. His collapse is a mirror, reflecting the cost of clinging to what worked yesterday. Bodybuilding, like life, demands you evolve or erode. Dauda has a year to rebuild, not just his physique but his psyche. Can he summon the clarity to outthink his rivals? The courage to risk failure for greatness? The 2026 Olympia looms, a blank canvas for redemption or ruin. His fall is a warning: in the brutal theater of iron and ambition, only the bold write their own endings.