Will Derek Lunsford Earn The Triple Crown? – IronMag Bodybuilding & Fitness Blog

by Christian Duque

I have a great deal of respect for the ambitious nature of former Mr. Olympia Derek Lunsford. Let me just start out by saying that because I don’t want anything to be mistaken in the translation. I know a lot of writers would not take the time to ensure that no feathers were ruffled, but this article is very much in favor of Derek winning the Triple Crown.

And I want to talk about what that would mean for his career, this year’s Olympia, and maybe even a little bit about his legacy. I mean nobody’s talking about Derek’s legacy right now because he’s so young, but I still think that what could happen in 2025 could have a very lasting effect on the three aspects of his career that I just glossed over. I also want to talk about how possible all of this is. I think that his win in Columbus really put him back in the conversation for being the next Mr. Olympia. So without further adieu let’s talk about what winning the Triple Crown would encompass and what it would mean for the sport as a whole.

First off, that term Triple Crown is not one I’m familiar with in bodybuilding. I almost feel like Derek made it up on the fly and I give him a lot of credit for that. He created a sort of distinction in winning in Columbus, in Pittsburgh, and ultimately in Las Vegas,NV. That is not the traditional pecking order of bodybuilding shows, however. In reality, the pecking order has always been the Olympia at top, followed by the Arnold Classic, and most would then say The Night of Champions (which is now the New York Pro). Beyond that, we look at history. Historically, the #4 spot would have gone to the Iron Man. Since that show ended, that 4th spot would probably go to Tampa, maybe Chicago, but certainly not Pittsburgh. I don’t believe that Pittsburgh has ever been in the top three or even the top five of prestigious shows. It is prestigious because it is the president’s hometown, but that would be about it. And why do I say that? Because bodybuilding was never included as a professional category in the show. So that right there shows you that it was never considered to be that number three or four show in the sport. So by Derek claiming that by winning Pittsburgh that is one part of the triple crown, that’s total bull. Nonetheless, I love him trying to sell it.

So what would it mean if Derek won this Triple Crown he keeps talking about? Well, what it would mean is that he would win three major competitions in one year and that would be a pretty monumental achievement. I mean who thought that he was going to do so well in Columbus? I mean he basically toppled the number one bodybuilder at the number two show in the world. That’s unheard of. Now from there he’s going to compete against the guy who took fourth place at the Olympia and the guy who everybody thinks should be Mr Olympia but who hasn’t competed in 2 years. He’s also up against William Bonac, a two-time oral classic champion, and several other top competitors. It’s a gutsy move by all intents and purposes. because I had Martin beating Derek at last year’s Olympia. So he beats the guy who is the reigning Olympia and now he’s up against the guy who arguably could have beat him last year. He’s also up against Nick Walker who has all sorts of buzz behind him, but who we haven’t really seen on stage at 100% in a long time. I mean he was able to get the win on paper against Martin last year in New York but now he’s really got to put it down – otherwise he’s going to look like an absolute clown going into New York.

The bottom line, though, is that if Derek is able to win in Pittsburgh he’s going to parlay that with his win in Columbus and he’s going to have one hell of a tremendous amount of buzz going into the Olympia. I mean he will have essentially defeated everybody except for The Persian Wolf, who at this point is not even talked about. Has anyone else noticed that? Absolutely nobody is talking about Hadi. It’s like nobody cares about him. And the reality of the matter is Hadi is also somewhat of a hermit when it comes to social media. And now that his longtime coach is no longertop competitors, it’s like his connection to the West is all but gone. When this guy gets on stage in Vegas, it’s almost going to be like he’s a stranger. That shouldn’t have any impact on the scorecards, but as I’ve often said, the judges are only human. And whoever is Mr. O should also be the sport’s #1 ambassador to the world. Think about it that way, too.

So if Derek is able to win in Pittsburgh and hopefully hunker down from then on until Las Vegas, he will essentially be a shoe-in to win the title. And if Derek wins the Olympia that is just going to really set him apart from everyone else. Now is there a special honor in holding the triple crown? No, but the optics are great. The marketing would be surreal and that’s going to really ramp up interest in the sport and grow it. Plus, if Derek wins the Olympia back, he will join Jay Cutler as being the only other person to reclaim the Olympia in 60+ years. I don’t know that I care very much about “the triple crown,” but him winning back the Olympia and joining Jay Cutler, THAT, would blow my mind! It will blow everyone’s mind! You can rest assured of that.

Maybe Derek doing Pittsburgh is his way of giving himself an edge to winning in Vegas? Who knows. Maybe in his head it makes sense.

So what could this mean for his legacy? Again, legacy is a very interesting topic because usually competitors do not think about it while they’re competing. It’s also not something competitors think about when they’re on top. They only think about it years after they retire, but it’s very important to maintain a certain level of competitiveness throughout one’s professional career. Most guys that lose the Olympia never regain it. We know this. And most of them give up seriously trying after a year or two because the writing is on the wall. We have seen it with all of them. Every single past Olympia champion that lost the title usually loses any real hope of getting it back within a year or two. They don’t go and do the Arnold Classic and beat the reigning Mr Olympia, either. They also don’t press their luck and put themselves into competitions that they cannot win unless they give 100%.

Pittsburgh is not some warm-up show. It’s going to be an all-out war. But yet there is Derek! And he’s looking very good! But it’s also going to matter how Derek wins in Pittsburgh. That will also have something to do with his legacy. This is why it’s so noteworthy that he’s going in at 110%. Even his coach, Chris Aceto, has told the competition to beware. And The Technician doesn’t usually talk up his clients. It seems Derek has been the exception. He’s looking so good, that even Chris can’t stay quiet! But yes, how he’ll win (if he wins) will have a very lasting effect.

Legacy definitely matters and Derek is mindful of that. For example, a guy like Derek is not supposed to be going after low-hanging fruit. This is why he did Columbus. This is why he’s doing Pittsburgh. And this is why he wants to make history and reclaim that Olympia title. Can he do it? Well his chief competition was in Columbus and he wiped the floor with him. Then there’s a guy from Iran that is basically a ghost – who knows what he’ll look like in Vegas? And as I write this article, no one really cares about Hadi. Derek has put himself on the map and that’s that. So far, 2025 has a sort of 2009 feel to it. In 2009, Dexter was the reigning Mr. O, but everyone looked at Jay. Everyone is looking at Derek right now. Whatever happens in Pittsburgh, it is definitely going to be incorporated into Lunsford’s legacy. In 20 or 30 years, once Derek has long retired, people will look back at this show.

As always, I want to ask you what you think? Can Lunsford make history? Will he? I love writing these articles, but what I love most is reading your feedback in the comments. Make sure to make yourselves heard! And while you’re at it, copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. As we get closer to The Pittsburgh, expect the comments on your feeds to light up wherever you share this piece!