The 35th annual Arnold Classic arrived this weekend and took over Columbus, Ohio. On Friday evening, March 3, a select few of the world’s best Classic Physique bodybuilders battled on the 2023 Arnold Classic stage in the finals. By night’s end, Ramon Rocha Queiroz won the AC Classic Physique title.
In the weeks leading up to the competition, fans have paid close attention to the physiques of Urs Kalecinski and Ramon Rocha Queiroz. They were both in title contention at last year’s 2022 Arnold Classic contest, which was ultimately won by two-time AC winner Terrence Ruffin.
Kalecinski and Queiroz butted heads once again at the latest Mr. Olympia in December. While the event was won by four-time Classic Physique Olympia Chris Bumstead, Kalecinski and Queiroz firmly cemented their top three standing. ‘The Miracle Bear’ promised a showdown with Queiroz recently. However, veterans like Samir Bannout, suggested that Ramon would be too much for the German standout.
Neither of the favorites have won an Arnold Classic title in the past, and with Ruffin out of the picture, a new champion was tonight. Just like last year, fans looked forward to the best poser award as well. During prejudging, it appeared to be a two-man battle between Urs Kalecinski and Ramon Rocha Queiroz.
Friday night saw head judge Steve Weinberger call Kalecinski and Queiroz for a series of comparisons. While the finalists delivered dry and hard physiques during the confirmation rounds, Queiroz got the job done with arguably the best look of his career.
2023 Arnold Classic Physique Results:
- Winner — Ramon Rocha Queiroz, $60,000
- Second Place — Urs Kalecinski, $30,000
- Third Place — Alex Cambronero, $20,000
- Fourth Place — Mike Sommerfield, $7,000
- Fifth Place — Courage Opara, $4,000
- Sixth Place — Junior Javorski, $2,000
- Seventh Place — Jason Brown
Best Poser Award
Urs Kalecinski wins Arnold Classic Physique best poser award.
- Classic Physique Poser Award: Urs Kalecinski ($10,000)
Classic Physique Champions
| Years | Winners |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Terrence Ruffin |
| 2021 | Terrence Ruffin |
| 2020 | Alex Cambronero |
| 2019 | George Peterson |
| 2018 | Breon Ansley |
Classic Physique Scorecard
Highlights:
2023 Arnold Classic Day One
Prejudging:
- Arnold Classic Physique
- Fitness International
- Wellness International
- Arnold Classic Open Bodybuilding
Finals:
Catch full coverage of the 2023 Arnold Classic, including pre-judging, event recaps, analysis, and final and full results at our Arnold Classic coverage hub: FitnessVolt.com/arnold-classic
Published: 3 March, 2023 | 9:25 PM EDT
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