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by Christian Duque
Marcello De Angelis is most definitely on the rise. Who, some of you might be asking? HORSE MD that’s who! Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s brilliant that the guy has a nickname that is so well known that most of his fans, his own fans, don’t even know his first and last name. If that’s not an example of the power of marketing, then I don’t know what is. That having been said, this competitor is definitely shaking up the apple cart as we go into the Arnold Classic in Columbus Ohio in just under a few days.
Although he is a towering 6’1 you would never ever call this guy small by any stretch of the imagination. At 273 lbs this bodybuilder is completely striated and cross striated and showing off on social media. It isn’t so much that the guy is an absolute freak but the fact that he would actually show this level of condition this close to the stage on IG is mind-boggling. If that does not send shockwaves throughout the fitness industry then I don’t know what will. And I can assure you that the competition is watching very closely. The bigger question as far as I’m concerned is where can this guy place because I disagree with a lot of the media pundits that merely say he could place top three and here’s why.
I get it a lot of people think this is Hadi and Samson’s show to lose. They don’t want to hear about this guy here, or Akim, or James Hollingshead, They only want to hear about Hadi and Samson. because Hadi and Samson are the favorites and according to a lot of media outlets they’re the only ones worth being in the conversation for first and second place. And that may be how you think as well. I’m not here to judge anyone’s handicapping skills but I will say that in the sport of bodybuilding all bets are off until it comes down to contest day. You could be the best bodybuilder on Instagram for every single day leading up to the competition but if you look like crap come the prejudging you’re not going to win anything. And that’s just the way the cookie crumbles in physique-based sports. That is why so many guys do not even bother posting on social media because they don’t want to be their own worst enemy. Some guys look their best a week out and then look like utter trash on the day of the competition. That being said, those that post are setting the bar high. The judges see the social media posts, the competition sees them, and those that post pictures and videos just days out from the stage have a remarkable amount of self-confidence that quite frankly empowers them as they take the stage. If you take the stage and you pose like a champ you are going to win. And if you don’t win you’re going to be in the fight. Because bodybuilding is not a sport for the shy and humble. I mean we can’t forget what happened in 2001 at the Olympia where Jay totally beat Ronnie but didn’t pose hard. If you don’t want it, you may even have the best physique and you still won’t win.
I think Marcello Is dangerous as fuck my apologies if my sailor’s mouth offends any of you but I have to keep it real. I think this bodybuilder has a lot of height and has an incredible amount of muscle mass. The fact of the matter is I have always said bodybuilding is a short man’s sport but a tall man that carries the muscle properly can be very, very dangerous as well. Whereas Samson allegedly weighs 300lbs – I don’t see it. I’m not saying that he doesn’t have that weight, it just doesn’t look like he is necessarily all that big to me. Horse on the other hand looks like a monster and the fact he is so conditioned makes me look at him a lot more closely than his fellow teammate. And that’s the thing, Horse and Samson both have a coach in common Milos Sarcev. This isn’t the first time that a high power coach has two or three or more major stars in a competition. I mean look at who this year’s Mr Olympia is and who last year’s Mr Olympia was. In that situation one coach prepared two guys that are the best in the world. There’s no conflict of interest and there’s certainly enough time from the coach to go around for two or three top-tier competitors but it’s still a very interesting detail to say the least. And while Milos has been very vocal about how Samson should be Mr Olympia and should have been given a lot more accolades than he received, I hope that he will be equally supportive and equally excited about both competitors as we go into the Arnold Classic. At the end of the day he is a very high power coach with a very impressive resume. Clearly he has done right by both competitors because they both look absolutely amazing. I just hope that Horse does not get excluded from top honors and even from being considered a potential Arnold Classic champion merely because of the fact there are two favorites in the lineup that are getting most of the media hoopla.
I really don’t like where the sport is heading with regards to playing on favorites. It does a major disservice to competitors that quite frankly bring the best physique on contest day but maybe don’t get the attention they deserve. What I mean by attention in this context is the amount of time the judging panel studies the best competitor. If the best competitor is different than the favorite, the danger in my opinion is that the judges focus too much on the guy that’s got the hype, as opposed to the guy that’s got the goods. If you come in tip top shape you should get the most attention, But we know that’s not the case given how much emphasis is placed on who the people want to win as opposed to who should actually win. I’m not saying that the final result is anything but accurate in the end. I’m just saying that it would be a lot more straightforward if media hype and buzz were left side stage and the only thing that mattered on the stage was muscle, symmetry, and overall balance.
I also would like to point out that the Arnold Classic being the second biggest bodybuilding show in the sport happens to do things differently than the Olympia. Whereas the Olympia you have to qualify to compete, the Arnold Classic is the only Invitational of its kind. Each and every bodybuilder is carefully studied by the Invitational committee. Therefore no one just happens to compete there. No one gets lucky and qualifies and gets a spot. Each athlete is scrutinized by the committee, then invited, and then that person must accept the invitation within a specified timeframe. The fact of the matter is that every athlete on that stage could potentially win the whole thing.
If Horse can bring 270 lbs of shredded muscle at his height and improve from what we’re seeing on social media, that’s your champion right there. I mean I don’t care if Hadi is squatting seven plates on each side just days out (which is REALLY stupid btw) or if Samson claims to weigh 30 lbs heavier Horse on game day. It just doesn’t matter. If Horse comes in looking dramatically better than what we are seeing on social media 4 days out then it’s lights out in Columbus, OH. And mind you, Horse looks absolutely insane on social media, but he still has time. If he keeps tightening up, stays vascular, and comes in full, who the hell is going to stop him?
I don’t want to rain on Hadi and/or Samson’s parade, but we may see an outcome where neither guys wins the Arnold. Is it likely? Maybe it’s not likely, but there are several guys who if Hadi and Samson don’t fight hard enough, they will take the title from them.
Where do you see Horse MD placing at the 2024 Arnold Classic? Should Hadi and Samson keep an eye on him, what say you?
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