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The 2023 Arnold Classic (AC) will take place this weekend in Columbus, OH, and it looks like quite the show is in store. With a lucrative $300,000 prize for the Men’s Open division winner, the battle for the headline event figures to be quite a doozy across the board.
On Mar. 2-5, 2023, fans can start centering their energy on one of the biggest shows in bodybuilding. Here’s a look at the Men’s Open roster for the 2023 AC:
2023 Arnold Classic | Men’s Open Roster
With reigning AC champion Brandon Curry sitting out this year’s iteration, 2021 winner Nick Walker figures to be the favorite in the eyes of many fans and experts. Walker is coming off a third-place result in the 2022 Mr. Olympia and will be returning to the AC as an apparent means of redemption during this competitive season. The athlete has tabbed 2022 Olympia runner-up and former 212 Olympia champion (2021) Derek Lunsford as one of his main rivals. Four-time Mr. Olympia champion (2006-2007, 2009-2010) Jay Cutler has picked Walker as the No. 1 contender. Seven-time 212 Olympia champion (2012-2018) Flex Lewis also expects Walker to take the title.
As for who could potentially beat Walker, there is no shortage of worthy opponents. For one, there’s former two-time Mr. Olympia (2020-2021) Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay, who is returning to the competition after a two-year absence. Meanwhile, two-time AC winner (2018, 2020) William Bonac aims to become the fifth bodybuilder to achieve three AC titles. A dark horse competitor could be Chinedu Andrew Obiekea, aka “Andrew Jacked,” who burst onto the scene as an International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro League rookie in 2022 with wins in the Texas Pro and Arnold Classic UK.
Five other bodybuilding divisions will be featured at the 2023 AC: Fitness, Classic Physique, Wellness, Men’s Physique, and Bikini.
Here are their respective rosters:
Fitness
Ariel Khadr (2022 champion)
Jaclyn Baker
Tiffany Chandler
Oksana Grishina
Allison Kramer
Michelle Fredua-Mensah
Minna Pajulahti
Terra Plum
Kristin Pope
Tamara Vahn
Classic Physique
Jason Brown
Alex Cambronero
Neil Currey
Urs Kalecinski
Kyrylo Khudaiev
Mehdi Larijani
Courage Opara
Ramon Rocha Queiroz
Mike Sommerfeld
Wellness
Isabelle Nunes (2022 champion)
Marissa Andrews
Sunny Andrews
Yarishna Ayala
Angela Borges
Julia Chitarra
Rayane Fogel
Kassandra Gillis
Andrea Hrenko
Giselle Machado
Men’s Physique
Erin Banks (2022 champion)
Ali Bilal
Vitor Chaves
Carlos DeOliveira
Juan Manuel Gomez
Emmanuel Hunter
Youcef Djoudi
Diogo Montenegro
Jahvair Mullings
Edvan Ferriera Palmeira
Antoine Weatherspoon
Bikini
Lauralie Chapados (2022 champion)
Romina Basualdo
Maureen Blanquisco
Jennifer Dorie
Ivanna Escandar
Eli Fernandez
Alessia Fachin
Phoebe Hagan
Ashley Kaltwasser
Ukachi Onyejiaka
India Paulino
The 2023 AC is one of the biggest competitions in fitness, let alone bodybuilding. Walker and Co. will be expected to put on a show for a spectating crowd and those watching on pay-per-view. Based on precedent, it seems like these superstars will deliver.
Featured image: @nick_walker39 on Instagram
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