"They were all soft at Olympia!" Says Branch Warren, adding that he would win. Is he right?

It's unbelievable how bodybuilding is evolving and it's quite evident from the differences in the training of the current pro competitors and the seasoned veterans. It is therefore not surprising that Branch Warren, in an interview with Dave Palumbo, made his opinion quite clear that at this year's Olympia all but two competitors were soft and the proverbial muscle separation of the buttocks, for example, which tend to hold fat and water, was not visible at all in this sport.

And it is Branch Warren who is really called upon to criticize others, given all he has been through. He is considered by many to be one of the best athletes to never win the prestigious Sandow statue, and his gigantic quadriceps could be the envy of the vast majority of the professional scene from the turn of the millennium.

"There were two guys at that show who were really in form, and they were first and second place. I thought Derek and Snakes were in really good shape, but if you go down the starting field, they were all soft, Samson was soft. The only two guys where you could see the gluteal muscle separation was Derek and Hadi."

With this in mind, an athlete renowned for his intense training at the edge of his limits is convinced that if he raced at his best, he would win. But not to be unnecessarily critical, he elaborated on his view in more detail:

"I've said this in some interviews before the Olympics when I was asked what I thought. I said Snakes and Derek would dominate unless the big boys were in form. I meant that if Samson is out, Andrew Jacked, even Hunter Labrada, who is a big guy, if they're out, they're not 100 percent, it leaves the door open for someone like Snakes and Derek to win."

He also added his perspective, saying he experienced the same situation in 2009 when Jay Cutler beat him primarily because he was taller.

He then concluded by highlighting the qualities of Samson Dauda, among others, who took home a bronze plaque from last year's Olympia.

"He's a mountain of a man, he's huge. He weighs almost 300 pounds on stage, right? He's in great shape for that size, he's still got a small waist... If he can work on his hardness, he could be unbeatable for years. I don't know anything about his training and nutrition, but I would speculate he needs to tweak his nutrition plan a bit to come in a little firmer.

So it's pretty clear who the legendary Branch Warren sees potential in. Do you agree that Samson Dauda in particular could be a great champion in the future?