Muscle Talk

Arnold Classic 2015 predictions

Arguably the biggest show of the first half of the IFBB Pro season is upon us! The Arnold Classic is only days away, and the 26th anniversary of the show is going to be bigger, badder, and better than ever. Yes, you hear that every year, but it’s true! In 2015, we’ll seeing the addition of the Men’s and Women’s Physique divisions to the IFBB competitions, chess (yup, chess), WWE, soccer, and rowing to the sport festival side. Another change is that they’ve eliminated the women’s bodybuilding division. Too bad, so sad. For those of you going to the event in person, you’ll notice the change of venue. The bodybuilding events will relocate to the Greater Columbus Convention Center. SO MANY CHANGES!

Now to the actual point of the article; with all that excitement going on, let’s talk about the men who are potential Arnold Classic winners.

1. Roelly Winklaar – If you’ll recall, Roelly didn’t compete at the 2014 Arnold Classic because he was coming off a brutal motorcycle accident on Feb 16th. He fell off his bike, and completely tore himself up. Bad news bears. But he redeemed himself with some SOLID placings later in the year, like 1st at the Chicago pro, 5th at the Arnold Classic Europe, 3rd in Dubai, and finishing the year off with another 1st at the Nordic Pro. As long as conditioning is dialed in and on point, I think Roelly can take it.

(Pictured above)

2. Cedric McMillan – Cedric did only 1 show last year, the Arnold Classic, and placed 3rd. He showed up to the Arnold Brazil, but was disqualified because he didn’t show up to the athletes meeting on time! I’m trying so hard to pull for this guy. I feel like he has a ton of potential, in the shape, symmetry and sheer size department (espcially his back). Like Roelly, if Cedric can FINALLY bring that tight as nails, dry as toast, peeled like an onion look, he has a chance to improve his 2014 placing.  He is an aesthetic mass monster, and I think he can make waves in 2015.

3. Evan Centopani – Every year, I tell myself, “This will be Evan’s year.” And though I’m never disappointed with how he dials himself in, I’m disappointed that his W’s are few and far between. Last year was a pretty good year for Evan, placing 5th at the Arnold Classic (beating both Branch Warren and Ben Pakulski who were favorites in 2013), and improving to 3rd by the Australian Pro Grand Prix (where he was beaten by Shawn Rhoden and William Bonac).  He’s placed top 5 at the Arnold for the last 3 years, has exceptional conditioning, and the hard work he’s put in to improve his physique, especially over the last 5 years, makes me think he’ll be top 3. This will be Evan’s year.

4. Branch Warren – The workhorse. The blue-collar guy. The veteran. Branch Warren doesn’t stop. Though he’s won the Arnold Classic twice, 2014 was not a huge year for Branch by any means, which leads me to believe he might start off slow in 2015. He placed 6th at the Arnold and 6th at the Olympia, which are respectable, but not good enough for a guy who’s already won the AC, and won the 2014 Europa Dallas, too. He needs to keep up with the younger competitors, and realize that it’s not just about freak mass anymore; aesthetics are the name of the game. Here’s hoping Branch came to play.

5. Dexter Jackson – Call it cliché, call it typical, call it boring – I call it consistent. The Blade has been in the game since I was a twinkle in my parents’ eye, but his consistency in what he brings to the stage has never waivered. Even when he decided to push the envelop, and bring more size to an already incredible package, he was still able to WOW the judges. Dex had a GREAT 2014; finishing 5th at the Olympia, 3rd at the Arnold Classic Europe and the San Marino Pro, 2nd at the Prague Pro, and 1st at the Dubai Pro. That’s a lot of momentum at the end of a season, so I’m thinking it will carry over to the beginning of THIS season!

6. Ben Pakulski - B-Pak did one show and one show only in 2014, and that was the Arnold Classic. He placed a respectable 7th, which was apparently not good enough for him, because he took the rest of the year off to go back to the drawing board and work out the kinks. This could be his year though! He finished 2nd in 2013, and 3rd at the Australian Pro in the same year. Even if he improves his placing from 2014 by one spot, it'll still be a good start to this upcoming season!