<\/p>\nThat said, the competition is also a fantastic place to discover new talent. So many big names have created a huge media interest by taking the stage at this historic event. Over the years, guys who place well at the ASC, have gone onto doing huge things during the pro season. Whoever wins the contest, usually becomes the most talked about bodybuilder for the proceeding six months, until the Olympia; however, this year, will be extra special. The Olympia, now back In Las Vegas, NV, won\u2019t be happening until December!! That means that whoever wins in Columbus, will be the talk of the sport for nine months!!<\/p>\n
Just imagine the marketing possibilities of winning big in Columbus and then making noise from March till December. The buzz is so huge, that it surpasses the interest harnessed by the previous year\u2019s Olympia runner-up. This is the case every single year, so what\u2019s to say 2022 would be any different. With all that said, The Arnold\u2019s competitor pool has shrunk considerably in just a matter of a couple of weeks. The situation has become so chaotic, that I\u2019d imagine The Arnold promoters may rethink their invitational approach. So who all is out? <\/p>\n
Legendary Bahraini bodybuilder Mohammed Shaban, Britain\u2019s Nathan De Asha, Brazil\u2019s Rafel Brandao and America\u2019s Akim William\u2019s are all out of the competition. All of these guys could have been legitimate threats to the Top 6, with De Asha and Williams, being threats to winning the entire competition.<\/p>\n
The fact that these huge names are not going to be competing, will undoubtedly affect tickets sales and PPV #\u2019s throughout the world. Although the sport is far more of a niche in America, in other countries it\u2019s totally different.<\/p>\n
For example, who can forget Big Ramy\u2019s win at the Olympia? He\u2019s always draped in the Egyptian flag, the Egyptian fans take over the event hall, and he\u2019s celebrated like a king upon his return to his homeland. While there\u2019s some celebrating in the States, it dramatically pales in comparison to other countries around the world. Imagine if Brandao had pulled the upset, or Shaban, for that matter. And that\u2019s just it, there are no guaranteed outcomes in bodybuilding. If the stars line up and one guy is the best he\u2019s ever been, who\u2019s to say he couldn\u2019t win the contest. Not everyone comes out of the gate as a front runner; some guys, like Ronnie Coleman back in the day, take a little bit of time to find their way. Once they do, however, there\u2019s no stopping them. That said, every single man on the Arnold Classic stage has been vetted and has been invited to be there. <\/p>\n
Although the Arnold Classic offers huge prize money and bragging rights, it\u2019s very different from any other contest on the pro circuit. Unlike other pro shows, pro\u2019s can\u2019t just take the stage in Columbus, OH. And unlike The Olympia, which requires competitors to qualify in order to compete, the Arnold Classic is an invitational. The criteria is based on a variety of factors.<\/p>\n
To further add to the confusion, there\u2019s no set list of factors which must be met to get an Arnold invite. It\u2019s not based on the number of contests won, social media followings, or sponsorships. There isn\u2019t a limit to how many competitors can come from each country and\/or where competitors placed the year prior.<\/p>\n
For example, at the Olympia, any competitor who places Top 6, is automatically qualified for the following year\u2019s event. With the Arnold Classic, you could get runner-up one year and not be invited the next. Where you place, simply, doesn\u2019t matter. This approach has always been their calling card, however, 2022 may have them rethink that. Right now, it looks like they have ten bodybuilders competing. At the rate they\u2019re going, if just another competitor drops out \u2013 for whatever reason \u2013 they\u2019ll be down to single digits. Not only would that be boring for the fans, but it would make the second toughest show in bodybuilding, an easy payday for guys like Curry and Bonac. <\/p>\n
Whereas the Arnold has been a 2 man show in my mind \u2013 between The Prodigy and The Conqueror, it\u2019s now starting to be just that, in reality, as well.<\/p>\n
Brett Wilkin could potentially win it all, in an upset, but if you want my honest opinion, he\u2019ll be lucky to take 3rd. He\u2019s up against Arnold Champions and Top 2 Olympians. The odds of him overtaking both of these living legends, no matter how strong he is in the gym, seem low to me. What\u2019s interesting is how impressive The Brooklyn Beast, Akim Williams, was looking. And although I hadn\u2019t seen Nathan lately, when he\u2019s on, he\u2019s incredibly hard to beat. The fact that both De Asha and Williams are out, all but guarantee Wilkin a far higher placing than had he had to battle them. <\/p>\n
When it\u2019s all said and done, placings are what go down in history. When people look at the 2021 Arnold Classic, they\u2019ll see that NIck Walker won it. What they won\u2019t see is that WIlliam Bonac wasn\u2019t able to compete. Who knows if Bonac had been able to hit the stage in 2021 in Columbus, OH, maybe Walker wouldn\u2019t have won the title. I, for one, don\u2019t think The Mutant would have been able to pull it off against a totally peeled Bonac, firing at 100%. <\/p>\n
Assuming we have a Top 3 composed of Curry, Bonac, and Wilkin, might be enough to keep the fans at the edge of their seats, but there won\u2019t be much guesswork to who\u2019ll make Top 6 when you only have 10 guys. The fact is, we\u2019re living in much different times and with no end in sight to the havoc brought on by the pandemic, there\u2019s no telling how many mutations may arise over the years. The fact is, vaccines and boosters can only go so far. One thing\u2019s curbing the effects of the pandemic, which undoubtedly saves lives, but it\u2019s quite another to remove their spread throughout the world.<\/p>\n
Contests like The Arnold may need to rethink their invitational model or face more years where competitor lists are cut short due to health concerns. Let\u2019s just hope, for the contest\u2019s sake, that no more competitors drop out. I can\u2019t imagine an Arnold Classic with only eight or nine guys \u2013 total! That, surely, would look absolutely awful!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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