The eighth version of the Arnold Classic Males’s Physique contest will happen on the weekend of March 2-5, 2023, as part of the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, OH. Ten IFBB Pro League opponents are scheduled to face the judges on this prestigious contest. Amongst them is the defending champion and Olympia champion Erin Banks. The complete roster of athletes is listed beneath in alphabetical order:
2023 Arnold Traditional Roster — Males’s Physique
- Erin Banks
- Vitor Chaves
- Carlos DeOliveira
- Youcef Djoudi
- Edvan Ferreira Palmeira
- Myron Griffin
- Juan Manuel Gomez
- Emanual Hunter
- Diogo Montenegro
- Antoine Weatherspoon
Previous Champion — Erin Banks
Banks received the 2022 Arnold Traditional contest; then upset three-time Olympia champion Brandon Hendrickson to win his first Olympia championship in Las Vegas, NV, in December 2022. Banks was the primary man to win each the Arnold Traditional Males’s Physique and Olympia Males’s Physique titles in the identical season. Due to this, Banks is man to beat within the division. Except somebody knocks him off, he will likely be a favourite in any contest he enters.
Banks targeted on enhancing his upper body width whereas sustaining his small waist. It is a single-day contest, so Banks solely has to maintain his peak situation for a day. Except he presents to the judges method off the mark, he’ll seemingly depart Columbus with a second Arnold title. If he does, he would be a part of the checklist of two-time winners that solely consists of Andre Ferguson, who received this present 3 times from 2018-2020.
Prime Contenders
Beneath are the athletes who will most certainly give Banks a run for the title.
Diogo Montenegro
Brazilian athlete Diogo Montenegro was third on this contest and the 2022 Males’s Physique Olympia competitors. This contest marks his ninth season within the IFBB Professional League. Montenegro has amassed 5 professional present victories over his profession. This will likely be his third time competing on the Arnold Traditional stage.
Montenegro and Banks will seemingly be in contrast collectively a minimum of as soon as throughout pre-judging. Montenegro’s biggest energy is his lats, that are outstanding in each his back and front poses. He’ll seemingly stand out additional, provided that Hendrickson won’t be subsequent to him on stage. Montenegro has already certified for the 2023 Olympia because of his prime three end within the 2022 Olympia, however a win to start out this 12 months would definitely garner some desireable momentum.
Edvan Ferreira Palmeira
Palmeira was a breakout competitor on the 2022 Olympia, putting fifth in his Olympia debut. Palmeira is in his fifth professional season. Hs solely professional victory up to now was the 2022 Musclecontest Brazil Professional present. Palmeira has massive arms and a large chest, each of which he’ll must have have sharpened and full to face alongside Banks in a callout.
Emanual Hunter
Hunter was 2022 Arnold Traditional runner-up to Banks as a part of a combined season. Hunter received the 2022 Fitworld Professional two weeks after the Arnold Traditional contest, however fell to twelfth on the Males’s Physique Olympia. That Fitworld Professional victory is his just one since turning professional on the 2018 NPC Junior USA competitors. This will likely be his second look in Columbus as a professional, and a primary callout is on his horizon.
[Related: 2023 Orchid Pro Singapore Results — Bojana Vasiljevic and Alessia Facchin Win Figure and Bikini Contests]
Others to Watch
Beneath are athletes who’ve the potential to drag an upset on their better of days, and on stage in Columbus could possibly be simply that:
Carlos DeOliveira
DeOliveira wasn’t within the 2022 Arnold Traditional Males’s Physique present, however positioned fifth within the 2020 contest. DeOliveira has received 4 contests in his six-year profession. His most up-to-date was the 2021 Monterrey Professional.
DeOliveira’s solely 2022 contest was the Olympia, the place he positioned fifteenth. It was his lowest putting on that stage so far, as he had beforehand completed as excessive as sixth on two occastions on the Olympia.
Myron Griffin
American athlete Myron Griffin has received a minimum of one professional present every season since 2020. He has three profession wins, along with his most up-to-date on the 2022 Wasatch Warrior Professional.
Griffin made his Olympia debut in 2022, however he completed outdoors of the highest 15 within the area that had over 60 opponents. This will likely be his first time competing within the Arnold Traditional. Griffin is a 35-plus Masters competitor, who received the Pittsburgh Professional Masters Over 35 title in 2020.
[Related: The 2023 Masters Olympia Prize Purse of $229,000 Announced]
Antoine Weatherspoon
Weatherspoon has competed in 5 totally different professional seasons. After turning professional in 2016 and competing till 2018, he took the next two years off. He’s been actively competing since 2021.
Weatherspoon received the Event of Champions Professional and the Mexico Grand Battle Professional in 2022. Weatherspoon was fourth within the Arnold Traditional as properly. He was on the Olympia stage, however he didn’t make the finals.
Darkish Horses
If an upset is destined for the Males’s Physique division on the 2023 Arnold Traditional, count on one of many following athletes to make it occur:
Vitor Chaves
Vitor Chaves was thirteenth in his Males’s Physique Olympia debut, and he’ll start his third skilled marketing campaign in Columbus. He received the DC Professional in 2022, which has been his solely victory thus far in his brief profession. He turned professional by profitable the 2021 Novice Olympia Brazil championship. This will likely be his inaugural Arnold Traditional look.
Youcef Djoudi
Youcef Djoudi is a local of Algeria, and he has had three professional victories in three years. His most up-to-date win was on the 2022 Mr. Big Evolution Pro show in Portugal. Djoudi completed out of the highest 15 on the 2022 Olympia. He completed in sixteenth on the 2019 Arnold Traditional Males’s Physique contest, however he hasn’t been again on this stage since.
[Related: A Preview of the Classic Physique Division at the 2023 Arnold Classic]
Juan Manuel Gomez
Rookie Juan Manuel Gomez has the benefit because the unknown of the lineup. He was invited by way of his win on the 2022 Arnold Novice contest, additionally held in Columbus, OH. This will likely be his skilled debut.
The 2023 Arnold Traditional Males’s Physique will likely be one in every of seven professional contests happening within the Battelle Grand Ballroom of the Larger Columbus Conference Middle. Tickets are nonetheless out there on the Arnold Sports activities Competition web site. All seven contests will likely be streamed reside on pay-per-view, courtesy of Fanmio.
Featured Picture: @e_bankssss on Instagram
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