2023 Arnold Traditional Preview – Break Muscle

Some of the world’s best bodybuilders gather in Columbus.

The 2023 Arnold Classic (AC) is taking place in Columbus, OH this weekend and it looks like quite a show is coming up. With a lucrative $300,000 in prize money for the Men’s Open Division winner, the fight for the event’s headlines is going to be pretty goofy across the board.

From March 2-5, 2023, fans can focus their energies on one of the biggest shows in bodybuilding. Here’s a look at the Men’s Open list for the AC 2023:

2023 Arnold Classic | Open list of men

While reigning AC champion Brandon Curry sits out this year’s iteration, 2021 winner Nick Walker is considered a favorite in the eyes of many fans and pundits. Finishing third at the 2022 Mr. Olympia, Walker will return to the AC this competitive season as an obvious means of redemption. The athlete has named 2022 Olympic runner-up and former 2021 Olympic champion Derek Lunsford as one of his main competitors. Four-time Mr. Olympia champion (2006-2007, 2009-2010) Jay Cutler has selected Walker as the #1 contender. Seven-time 212 Olympic gold medalist (2012-2018) Flex Lewis also expects Walker to take the title.

Who could possibly beat Walker, there’s no shortage of worthy opponents. First, 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 is aiming to get back to the top of the podium. 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.

More from Breaking Muscle:

Five other bodybuilding divisions will be featured at AC 2023: Fitness, Classic Physique, Wellness, Men’s Physique and Bikini.

Here are their respective rosters:

fitness

  • Ariel Khadr (Champion 2022)
  • Jaclyn Baker
  • Tiffany Chandler
  • Oksana Grishina
  • Allison Kramer
  • Michelle Fredua Mensah
  • Minna Pajulahti
  • country plum
  • Kristin Pope
  • Tamara Vahn

Classic physique

  • Jason Brown
  • Alex Cambronero
  • Neil Currey
  • Urs Kalecinski
  • Kyrylo Chudayev
  • Mehdi Larijani
  • Courage Opara
  • Ramón Rocha Queiroz
  • Mike Sommerfeld

wellbeing

  • Isabelle Nunes (Champion 2022)
  • Marissa Andrews
  • Sunny Andrew
  • Yarishna Ayala
  • Angela Borges
  • Julia guitar
  • Ryan Foegel
  • Cassandra Gillis
  • Andrea Hrenko
  • Giselle Machado

male physics

  • Erin Banks (Champion 2022)
  • Ali Bilal
  • Vitor Chaves
  • Carlos DeOliveira
  • Juan Manuel Gomez
  • Emmanuel Jaeger
  • Youcef Djoudi
  • Diogo Montenegro
  • Javair Mullings
  • Edvan Ferriera Palmeira
  • Antoine weather spoon

bikini

  • Lauralie Chapados (Champion 2022)
  • Romina Basualdo
  • Maureen White
  • Jennifer Dory
  • Ivanna Skandar
  • Eli Fernandez
  • Alessia Fachin
  • Phoebe Hagan
  • Ashley Coldwater
  • Ukachi Onyejiaka
  • India Paulino

More from Breaking Muscle:

The AC 2023 is one of the biggest competitions in fitness, let alone bodybuilding. Walker and company are expected to put on a show for viewers and pay-per-view viewers. Based on precedent, it seems these superstars are delivering.

Featured image: @nick_walker39 on Instagram

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