The 2023 Arnold Classic took place over the weekend (March 2-5) in Columbus, Ohio, and Samson Dauda emerged victorious. In a pair of Instagram posts, Nick Walker promised to come back stronger following his second-place finish and Andrew Jacked reflected on earning third in his debut.
In the weeks leading up to the event, many labeled Nick Walker the on-paper favorite considering his recent third-place finish at the 2022 Mr. Olympia contest. As the highest-ranking Olympian, Walker brought that momentum on stage aiming to win gold. He was also tasked with rematching the former two-time Mr. Olympia Mamdouh ‘Big Ramy’ Elssbiay, who made a surprise entry after the prize money bumped up to $300,000.
This year’s Arnold Classic delivered an exciting show. Among the seven champions crowned was Samson Dauda, who took part in a high-pressure battle with Nick Walker and Andrew Jacked. In addition to securing the victory and a lump sum of cash, Dauda received an instant 2023 Mr. Olympia qualification for the show in November.
Jacked, on the other hand, showcased drastic changes to his physique following an intense six-week training camp with Chris ‘Psycho’ Lewis and Chris Aceto. Given that Jacked earned his pro card at the Arnold Classic Amateur a year ago, fans were blown away by his latest contest. He also took home the Ed Corney Best Poser Award.
One day following their respective Arnold Classic performances, Nick Walker and Andrew Jacked updated fans on what’s to come next later this year.
Nick Walker Reacts to Finishing 2nd at 2023 Arnold Classic to Samson Dauda: “I Only Come Back Better”
In a recent Instagram post, Walker reacted to his Arnold Classic performance and promised to come back better.
“We came in better then the O, improved in all areas we wanted to improve on. I’m really happy with the package we brought, came up a little short, but you know how I do, when I lose, I only come back better.” Walker updated fans following the 2023 Arnold Classic.
Having gone through one of the most difficult preps of his career, Walker was unable to win, but left in second with the Franco Columbo Most-Muscular Award. With the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest set to kick off in November, Walker will have plenty of time to build on the package he brought to Ohio. Since Walker and Samson Dauda have now surpassed each other in recent contests, fans are excited to see them run it back in the future.
Andrew Jacked on 2023 Arnold Classic 3rd Place Finish: ‘Done and Dusted, Game Plan Was Executed’
In an Instagram post published on Sunday, March 5, Jacked reacted to placing third and expressed his gratitude for his new coaches Chris Aceto and Chris ‘Psycho’ Lewis.
“Arnold Classic 2023 Done & Dusted, Game Plan was executed. Awesome and tighter in PreJudging, Slacked a bit in Finals, 3rd Place so Deserved! I’m so Happy with the Package Presented on Stage and I do seriously believe that a drastic Change can Happen even in Just 4weeks of Pure Dedicated Prep. Nothing is impossible!
I know I won the Hearts of Many and this will help me to keep on being better in every other shows.
I’m sincerely Grateful to Chris @therealtechnician & Chris @psychofitness21 for an amazing 6week Camp prep.
Taking a break now after a long 366days of actively prepping (Arnold Classic Amateur 2022 – Arnold Classic Competitor 2023) and will come back fresher, stronger, prettier, classier & better.
The Monalisa signing out 🎤” Andrew Jacked shared.
In spite of Jacked’s impressive string of competitions, if he intends to compete at 2023 Olympia, he’ll need to earn a qualification. Unlike his Arnold Classic appearance, Jacked encountered a few obstacles that held him back in his Olympia debut. His former coach, George Farah, revealed that Andrew was fighting a 102-degree fever on stage in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nevertheless, Jacked managed to walk away in eighth.
RELATED: Kevin Levrone: ‘Scary’ Nick Walker ‘Doesn’t Need to Be Any Bigger’ for 2023 Arnold Classic
Moving forward, Nick Walker plans to make improvements in the off-season for his next Olympia competition. As for Andrew Jacked, he’s content with taking some time off after a busy 366-day bodybuilding campaign.
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: 6 March, 2023 | 11:09 AM EDT
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