After prejudging on March 3, 2023, it appeared that Samson Dauda, Nick Walker, and Andrew Jacked were in the mix for the victory. However, nothing was certain in the eyes of the judges. The finals took place on Saturday, March 4, 2023, in the Greater Columbus Convention Center with Arnold Schwarzenegger in attendance.
Walker, Jacked, and Dauda were joined onstage in the first callout by Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay. They were given a break before returning for an additional round of comparisons—. Below are the overall results:
2023 Arnold Classic Results | Men’s Open
- Samson Dauda
- Nick Walker
- Andrew Jacked
- Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay
- Shaun Clarida
- Akim Williams
- William Bonac
- Justin Rodriguez
- Kamal Elgargni
- Patrick Moore
The crispness of Walker’s skin and the chiseling of his legs seemed to be the difference-maker against everyone but Dauda.
Dauda received $300,000 as well as the Arnold Classic trophy from the promoter himself. Schwarzenegger applauded Dauda while the champion hoisted the trophy high to end the night.
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The audience was loud for their favorites as they went through their individual routines. Jacked was the first of the favorites to perform his routine. He had shown improvement in his back poses while showcasing his size and detail in the front poses. He finished with a split with a front double biceps flex.
Dauda followed Jacked and wanted to improve upon his fourth-place finish in this contest in 2022. He performed a slow routine with classical music playing, while 2021 winner Nick Walker had a more upbeat song playing during his routine.
It was clear that Walker has continued to improve upon his balance while posing, as his flexibility was on display via long lateral lunges that emphasized the quality of conditioning in his quads.
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The fan favorite may have been two-time Olympia 212 champion Shaun Clarida, who was the lightest man in the lineup with a sub-200-pound body weight. This was Clarida’s second Men’s Open appearance in his career, as he is currently the two-time reigning 212 Olympia champion.
Award Ceremony
During the show, four-time Arnold Classic champion Flex Wheeler was honored with the Arnold Classic Lifetime Achievement Award. Schwarzenegger and Wheeler shared a moment onstage, followed by a speech from Wheeler. Next, former Arnold Classic champions throughout the contest’s 35-year history were introduced to the crowd.
Among those champions were Walker and two-time winner William Bonac, who returned to the stage with the rest of the field for final comparisons. Walker, Jacked, and Dauda were joined onstage in the first callout by Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay.
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Dauda and Jacked remained in the center of that callout throughout the poses. The same four men were brought back out for the final callout as well. Walker was in the middle with Dauda.
Each man gave all they had to the poses with the $300,000 first-place prize on the line. Schwarzenegger was offering commentary on the pay-per-view during the comparison and posedown for the crowd.
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The night concluded with the 35th Arnold Classic trophy being presented to the champion. With 2022 Arnold Classic winner Brandon Curry not in the lineup, a new champion was guaranteed.
First, Jacked was awarded the 2023 Best Poser award as well as $10,000 for his efforts. Walker received the Most Muscular award, which also came with a $10,000 bonus.
Image courtesy of the Arnold Sports Festival
