"If I had to pick a favorite, it'd be those two" - Ronnie Coleman dubs Derek Lunsford and Samson Dauda as his 'favorite' athletes of the generation
Ronnie Coleman made his final Mr. Olympia appearance back in 2007 but the memories of Ronnie posing on stage are still fresh in the memory of his fans. In a recent YouTube video, the GOAT bodybuilder named Derek Lunsford and Samson Dauda as his favorite bodybuilders.
The eight-time Mr. Olympia answered some questions from his fans and followers as part of the 'Ask Me Anything' segment. The video has been posted on Coleman's YouTube channel. The former bodybuilder was asked about his favorite bodybuilder at the moment. Coleman replied:
"My favorite bodybuilder at the moment, let's see… hmm, Derek Lunsford, probably the number one favorite. And probably my number two favorite… hmm, I kind of like that guy that won the last Arnold Classic, name is Samson Dauda. If I had to pick a favorite, it'd be those two."
It's no surprise that Derek Lunsford and Samson Dauda are the GOAT's favorite bodybuilders at the moment. Both of them have made great strides in pro bodybuilding in recent years. Lunsford won the Mr. Olympia title in the 212 division at the 2021 Mr. Olympia.
At the 2022 Mr. Olympia competition, Derek Lunsford competed in the open division. But he fell just short of winning the title in his debut in the open division. Lunsford finished as the runner-up in the 2022 Mr. Olympia while Hadi Choopan was crowned the champion. But Lunsford will be hoping to make things right at the 2023 Mr. Olympia, which will be held in November.
On the other hand, Samson Dauda grabbed the headlines by winning the 2023 Arnold Classic. He competed against one of the toughest Arnold Classic lineups in recent years. Dauda has impressed the bodybuilding community as a whole and is expected to be a strong contender to win the 2023 Mr. Olympia.
Both Samson Dauda and Derek Lunsford would feel proud of being the favorite bodybuilders of Ronnie Coleman, arguably the greatest bodybuilder of all time.
Ronnie Coleman shares his opinion about new generation of bodybuilders
Replying to another question during his 'Ask Me Anything' segment, Ronnie was asked about the new generation of bodybuilders. Replying to this, he said:
"I see every generation has its own era. You know and mostly all of us have to work extremely hard and diet extremely hard and make the biggest sacrifices ever. So, I think that the next generation of bodybuilders is a pretty good class of guys. They work extremely hard. They train hard. They diet hard. So, I think the new generation is a pretty good generation."
Coleman appreciating the new generation is not surprising because we've seen many exciting bodybuilders emerging from various competitions in recent years. Over the past few years, several new bodybuilders have grabbed the attention of bodybuilding fans worldwide. This includes names such as Nick Walker, Samson Dauda, Andrew Jacked, Derek Lunsford, and Chris Bumstead.
Ronnie Coleman provides update on his health
Another question aimed at Coleman was regarding his health. In response, the former pro bodybuilder provided an update regarding his health to the fans.
"Well, I'm doing pretty good. I'm in great health and my last check-up was back in March. I had a really good clean bill of health as far as my last check-up goes. Now, I have another one probably in a couple of months. So, we'll see how that goes. But for now, I'm doing pretty good."
Ronnie had suffered numerous injuries during his days as a pro bodybuilder. He has also undergone several surgeries over the years to treat his injuries. The injuries and surgeries have restricted the former bodybuilder's mobility, but his determination to perform workouts (easier workouts due to injuries) is burning bright as ever.