Less than two months away from defending his Arnold Classic title, Samson Dauda managed to capture the attention of the bodybuilding world earlier this week when he announced that he was undergoing treatment for a hamstring injury that he suffered during a recent training session.
According to the latest reports from sources closes to Samson’s camp, the injury doesn’t appear to be serious enough that it will cause him suffer the same fate as former Arnold Classic champion Nick Walker, who was forced to pull out of the 2023 Olympia at the last minute due to an injury, but it certainly doesn’t fall under the category of good news, especially considering that this year’s lineup is incredibly top heavy compared to what we’ve seen in recent years.
In a sport where the margin for error is razor-thin, even a minor hamstring injury could have the potential to derail Samson’s plans for joining one of the most elite clubs in all of bodybuilding as a back-to-back Arnold Classic winner. Bodybuilding fans and analysts alike are abuzz, debating the potential impact of this setback on Dauda's performance at the Arnold Classic.
With the names former Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan, former Arnold UK winner Andrew Jacked, and Rubiel “Neckzilla” Mosquera – one of last season’s breakout stars - in the mix, if Samson were to come into Colombus even slightly off, he could quickly find himself fighting an uphill battle coming out of the prejudging.
However, if the Nigerian Lion manages to edge out a win despite the injury, it would be a legacy defining moment, and should put him in the proverbial driver’s seat to be the primary threat to challenge Derek Lunsford for the Olympia title in the fall.
