The race to this year’s Sandow trophy is officially underway. On August 6, 2025, Terrence Ruffin gave his picks for Classic Physique and the Men’s Open just five weeks from competing at the 2025 Mr. Olympia.
Ruffin has long been in the conversation as a potential Mr. Olympia winner. While reigning six-time Classic Physique Olympia Chris Bumstead prevented him from the throne, that roadblock has cleared ahead of October. “Cbum” announced his retirement from the sport following a one-off Open show at the Prague Pro.
Meanwhile, Ruffin took time away from the sport to focus on improvements, especially his triceps, since an elbow issue halted his training progress. That proved to be the perfect move for his career; he returned better than ever, laying claim to back-to-back victories at the Pittsburgh and New York Pro events.
If “Ruff Diesel” wants to be named the new Classic Physique Olympia champion, he has a few title-worthy threats to contend with. On paper, Mike Sommerfeld is clearly in the running; he took second at the Olympia (and stole two of five poses against Bumstead) and dominated the 2025 Arnold Classic against Logan Franklin, Matt Greggo, and Wesley Vissers.
Terrence Ruffin’s Top 5 Picks for 2025 Mr. Olympia
Find his picks from the YouTube video below:
Men’s Open
- Winner — Samson Dauda
- Second Place — Nick Walker
- Third Place — Hadi Choopan
- Fourth Place — Derek Lunsford
- Fifth Place — Martin Fitzwater
Classic Physique
- Winner — Terrence Ruffin
- Second Place — Mike Sommerfeld
- Third Place — Ramon Queiroz
- Fourth Place — Niall Darwin
- Fifth Place — Jose Manuel Munoz
There’s been a huge change to the Classic Physique Olympia that no one saw coming. “The Miracle Bear” Urs Kalecinski made the sudden jump into the Men’s Open and will compete in just a few days at the 2025 ProMuscle Italy Pro — this means there’s one less top contender to deal with for Ruffin in five weeks.
Sommerfeld has also discussed who will give him his biggest test onstage. Looking at the current lineup, he sees Queiroz, Ruffin, and Jose Manuel Munoz as the ones to watch. He also predicted Kalecinski to have a bright future in the Men’s Open division.
Should Ruffin absolutely nail his peak and win the Classic Physique Olympia, he’ll make history and kickstart a new era, as the division will no longer be helmed by Bumstead. Don’t miss the 2025 Mr. Olympia contest from October 9-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fitness Volt will have full coverage of all the action.
Watch the full video from the Muscle and Fitness YouTube channel below:
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