The 34th edition of the Arnold Classic — taking place in Columbus, OH, from March 4-5, 2022 — is underway. The finals for Classic Physique, Fitness International, and Figure International have wrapped.
The Men’s Open pre-judging is taking place in the Battelle Grand Ballroom in the Greater Columbus Convention Center. How the men place during pre-judging will play a significant role in determining their place in the finals (scheduled for March 5).
Related: 2022 Arnold Classic Friday Night Finals — Fitness, Figure & Classic Physique
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Brandon Curry has won both contests, and he wants to do the same again in 2022. However, eight other contenders are setting their sights on the $200,000 first prize as well as the title of Arnold Classic champion.
Initially, 14 men were scheduled to compete. However, five dropped out. They are: Cedric McMillan, Rafael Brandão, Nathan De Asha, Mohamed Shaaban, and Akim Williams.
2022 Arnold Classic Pre-Judging
After introductory routines, it was time for callouts. The competitors are compared in number order first. Then, they are grouped based on how they look. Athletes in the center are considered the best in the group. Curry was in the middle of the first Callout, with the judges moving others around to be compared to him.
By the end of pre-judging, Curry, two-time champion William Bonac, Steve Kuclo, and Justin Rodriguez were repeatedly compared by the judges. They are the top four going into the finals, held on Saturday night, March 5.
Note: The order below is left to right as if you were looking straight at the stage.
Callout #1
- Brett Wilkin
- Steve Kuclo
- Brandon Curry
- William Bonac
- Justin Rodriguez
- Samson Dauda
Callout #2
- Maxx Charles
- Brett Wilkin
- Samson Dauda
- Regan Grimes
- Fabio Giga Rezende
Callout #3
- Steve Kuclo
- William Bonac
- Brandon Curry
- Justin Rodriguez
Callout #4
- Brett Wilkin
- Samson Dauda
Callout #5
- Justin Rodriguez
- William Bonac
- Brandon Curry
- Steve Kuclo
Previous Men’s Open Arnold Classic Champions
- 1989: Rich Gaspari
- 1990: Mike Ashley
- 1991: Shawn Ray
- 1992: Vince Taylor
- 1993: Flex Wheeler
- 1994: Kevin Levrone
- 1995: Michael Francois
- 1996: Kevin Levrone
- 1997: Flex Wheeler
- 1998: Flex Wheeler
- 1999: Nasser El Sonbaty
- 2000: Flex Wheeler
- 2001: Ronnie Coleman
- 2002: Jay Cutler
- 2003: Jay Cutler
- 2004: Jay Cutler
- 2005: Dexter Jackson
- 2006: Dexter Jackson
- 2007: Victor Martinez
- 2008: Dexter Jackson
- 2009: Kai Greene
- 2010: Kai Greene
- 2011: Branch Warren
- 2012: Branch Warren
- 2013: Dexter Jackson
- 2014: Dennis Wolf
- 2015: Dexter Jackson
- 2016: Kai Greene
- 2017: Cedric McMillan
- 2018: William Bonac
- 2019: Brandon Curry
- 2020: William Bonac
- 2021: Nick Walker
How to Watch the Arnold Classic
If you’re looking to tune into any major event at the 2022 Arnold Classic, head over to Fanmio to buy the pay-per-view. It costs $24.99 ($34.99 as of March 4) and grants viewers access to different “stages” of the Arnold Sports Festival.
Featured Image: @w_wittmannphoto on Instagram
