The 2025 Arnold Classic is stacked. For only the second time in its 37-year history, the reigning Mr. Olympia will be competing. (The other time was 2001, when Ronnie Coleman won.) Not only that, but there will be two other recent Mr. Olympias in the lineup and a 212 Mr. Olympia winner, too. A few years ago, the Arnold Classic was in the doldrums, unable to attract top Olympia contenders. But money talks. A top prize hike to $300,000 pulled in big names the last two years.
And Arnold Schwarzenegger announcing that the top prize at his signature show will be a whopping $500,000 in 2025 has prompted even last year’s Mr. Olympia, Samson Dauda, back onto the stage in Columbus, Ohio. (By the way, it was a boost in the winner’s purse that included a Hummer that incentivized Ronnie to do the Arnold in 2001.) We preview the men’s open bodybuilding and the men’s classic physique divisions of the 2025 Arnold Classic.
2025 ARNOLD CLASSIC PREVIEW: BODYBUILDING
First, the Mr. Olympia winners. There’s 2024 and reigning champ Samson Dauda, who also won the Arnold Classic in 2023 and was second last year behind 2022 Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan. There’s 2023 Mr. Olympia Derek Lunsford, who was third at last October’s Olympia and who is making his Arnold debut. There’s 2019 Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry, who won the Arnold in 2019 and 2022, but who was 9th at last year’s Olympia, his lowest placing since 2016. And there’s also Shaun Clarida, who won the 212 Olympia in 2020 and 2022.
With all due respect to the 42-year-old Curry and the 185-pound Clarida, this should be a duel between Dauda and Lunsford. The taller Dauda has all the momentum and just keeps growing while maintaining his slender waist. Mass with class. He’s the favorite. American Lunsford will need to be much harder than he was in Vegas at the Olympia to defeat the Nigerian-Englishman. In addition to Dauda and Lunsford, there will be one other member of the 2024 Mr. Olympia top five vying for $500K in Columbus. With his 6’2″ X-frame, Andrew Jacked, who was fifth in the last Olympia, is a good bet for the top three. But, if so, will he be third, second, or even first? We’ll find out on March 1st.
2025 ARNOLD CLASSIC: BODYBUILDING COMPETITORS
William Bonac
Shawn Clarida
Brandon Curry
Jonathan De La Rosa
Samson Duada
James Hollingshead
Derek Lunsford
Patrick Moore
Chinedu “Andrew Jacked” Obiekea
Justin Rodriguez
Carlos Thomas, Jr.
Akim Williams
2025 ARNOLD CLASSIC PREVIEW: CLASSIC PHYSIQUE
The classic physique division is not nearly as stacked as men’s bodybuilding. The only competitor who finished in the top five at the last Olympia is Mike Sommerfeld, who was a shocking second. However, it does feature last year’s surprise Arnold Classic classic physique winner, Wesley Vissers. The two Germans have vastly different physiques. The shorter Sommerfeld features the division’s best X-frame. In contrast, the taller Vissers has a superb upper body but lagging lower half. Because Vissers finished eighth at the Olympia in October, Sommerfeld is the favorite this time. Is Vissers his toughest competition? Michael Daboul finished ahead of Vissers at the Olympia, so maybe he is. Or maybe the classic physique division will continue its turnover, post-Cbum, and one of the other nine will move into contention. We’ll see on March 1.
2025 ARNOLD CLASSIC: CLASSIC PHYSIQUE COMPETITORS
Osmar Alanis
Franklyn Audu
Ji Hoon Bang
Michael Daboul
Logan Franklin
Lucas Funk
Matthew Greggo
Junior Javorski
Mike Sommerfeld
Wesley Vissers
Jeremiah Willies
Gabriel Zancanelli
