Bonac believes Choopan has set a clear path to another Olympic win.
After years of near wins, Hadi Choopan finally achieved bodybuilding’s greatest achievement when he won the 2022 Mr. Olympia. According to one of Choopan’s peers, the Iranian athlete will add another Olympic notch to his belt in November 2023 in Orlando, FL.
On April 30, 2023, fellow professional bodybuilder William Bonac appeared on a podcast with Muscle and Fitness. After Bonac discussed his goals regarding a break in competition schedules for the remainder of the year, the two-time Arnold Classic (AC) champion made it clear He believes Choopan is a steal to repeat and win the 2023 Mr. Olympia.
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Bonac’s main reason for supporting Choopan for another Olympic win is that he believes the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League is moving away from a size focus for their top athletes. With a greater focus on a sculpted physique and general symmetry, Bonac explains here that such criteria could potentially benefit Choopan’s replay chances.
In fact, as previous 212 competitors like Derek Lunsford began to thrive in the heavier men’s Open class, Bonac (who began his own competitive career in the 212 division) claims that aesthetics are becoming increasingly important to Mr. Olympia success. Notably, Choopan’s first professional win was in the 212 division at the 2018 Portugal Pro before moving to the Men’s Open division in 2019.
“A lot of 212 guys are doing very well in the [Men’s] Open class,” said Bonac. “That’s something I noticed. They’re extremely good, maybe because they don’t look as big as Big Ramy [Mamdouh Elssbiay]these ‘mass monsters’. I find [the judges are] trying to get away from it. Not to say they’re little guys, you know. I also see that they reward the bigger guys. The few bigger guys we have with nice aesthetics, that’s a good thing too.”
At the request of legendary coach Miloš Šarčev, Bonac didn’t mince his words.
The athlete thinks Choopan is the current cream of the bodybuilding crop when it comes to getting shredded.
“He is [Choopan] next level,” explained Bonac. “Even with the pumping up, when you stop pumping it comes alive. The more he pumps up the more freaked out he gets… I honestly think… last year or the year before that [2021] Olympia that he didn’t win, he looked a lot better. If he came in that form now, it wasn’t even his best form and he won it. So I am sure that if he brings the condition he brought with him last year, he will win another title.
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Between Choopan, Lunsford and Nick Walker, among others, the modern Men’s Open division seems more stacked than ever on paper. If Choopan takes home another Olympic title, it won’t be without worthy opposition. However, if his training and physique are indeed as elite as Bonac admits, a prolonged reign at the top of bodybuilding might be inevitable.
Featured image: @hadi_choopan on Instagram
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