Arnold Classic 2022: Results, Prize Money, Surprises, & Pro Analysis
The 34th annual Arnold Classic competition took place on March 4-5 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. After two years of limited attendance and restrictions placed on the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Arnold Classic was back to full strength this year with a huge expo and its wide range of sporting events.
Pro Wheelchair
In a big upset, Gabriele Andriulli defeated Harold “King Kong” Kelley for the 2022 Arnold Classic Wheelchair division. Kelly has won the previous 5 years that the Wheelchair division was held at the Arnold in addition to being the reigning Olympia Wheelchair division champion.
Their rivalry is not a new one, Andrulli was 2nd to Kelly at the 2021 and 2019 Olympia Wheelchair division and is a previous winner of the Toronto Pro Super Show. His win here sets up a good rematch at the Wheelchair Olympia later this year.
Results & Prizes:
- Gabriele Andriulli: $4,000
- Harold Kelley: $2,500
- Bradley Betts: $1,500
- Chad McCrary
Wellness International
The inaugural Wellness International was held this year at the 2022 Arnold Classic. This new division aims to judge females with athletic physiques that showcase more body mass in the thigh, glute, & hip areas, & where the upper body is developed but not to the same extent as the lower body.
Isabelle Nunes, 3rd place at the Wellness Olympia last year, defeated top contender Angela Borges to win the event. Isabelle showed great condition and stage presence and dropped to her knees when she was declared the winner.
2nd: Angela Borges took a strong 2nd place with her statuesque physique and commanding stage presence. Angela is always a threat for 1st place in any event she enters and she was a strong runner-up last fall in the first Wellness Olympia.
3rd: Dr. Sunny Andrews from Florida continues to move up the competitive ladder and took 3rd place at this event. Sunny has been working on her posing since she took 6th last year at the Wellness Olympia and it showed on stage.
4th place went to Julia Chitarra with fan favorite Yarishna Ayala in 5th and Kassandra Gillis in 6th place.
Results & Prizes:
- Isabelle Nunes: $7,000
- Angela Borges: $4,000
- Sunny Andrews: $3,000
- Julia Chitarra: $2,000
- Yarishna Ayala: $1,000
- Kassandra Gillis: $1,000
Men’s Physique
Big Erin Banks won his 1st Arnold Classic Men’s Physique title with a dominant physique. Erin is one of the tallest competitors onstage and his confident stage presence combined with his muscular physique made him an easy winner. When Arnold Schwarzenegger presented him with his 1st place reward, he made a comment on Erin’s excellent trap development.
2nd place Emmanuel Hunter displayed excellent abdominal development with a very small waist to place 2nd, pulling ahead of Diogo Montenegro after a close prejudging. 4th place went to Antoine Weatherspoon with Choi Bong-Seok in 5th and Terrence Teo Kok Hua rounding out the top six.
Results & Prizes:
- Erin Banks: $10,000
- Emmanuel Hunter: $6,000
- Diogo Montenegro: $4,000
- Antoine Weatherspoon: $3,000
- Choi Bong-Seok: $1,500
- Terrance Teo Kok Hua: $1,500
Bikini International
Top professional Bikini competitor Lauralie Chapados won a convincing victory at the Bikini International. Lauralie has been fighting for that top position, taking 3rd at the 2021 Arnold Classic Bikini International and second at the Bikini Olympia three weeks later. Chapados embodies the lean, athletic look and the sexy bikini curves together and the judges rewarded her for it at this contest.
2nd: The very shapely Maureen Blanquisco looked very good in placing runner-up at this contest. Maureen upset a lot of favorites at the Bikini Olympia last year and her momentum and great appearance carried her to a strong second place in this very competitive division.
3rd place: Perennial winner Ashley Kaltwasser, the most winning IFBB pro with 31 professional wins, duplicated her Bikini Olympia placing taking 3rd place at this event. Ashley is always in great condition and has great stage presence with all her extensive pro experience.
4th place went to former Bikini International winner Elisa Pecini followed by Jourdanne Lee in fifth place and Alessia Facchin in sixth.
Results & Prizes:
- Lauralie Chapados: $10,000
- Maureen Blanquisco: $6,000
- Ashley Kaltwasser: $4,000
- Elisa Pecini: $3,000
- Jourdanne Lee: $2,000
- Alessia Facchin: $,1500
Figure International
5x Figure Olympia champion Cydney Gillon cruised to an easy victory at the 2022 Figure International. Showing her dominance at the prejudging, Gillon displayed the epitome of the professional figure physique with her muscular, lean and proportioned body. Gillon, at only 29 years of age, may be the greatest athlete to compete in the professional figure division. She shows no sign of slowing down and could continue to dominate the figure category for years to come.
In 2nd place was Jessica Reyes Padilla from Puerto Rico. Jessica competed in six competitions between the Figure Olympia, where she placed fourth, and the 2022 Figure International and won them all. She was extremely conditioned and ripped for this competition, especially in the legs and glutes.
3rd: Lola Montez has an amazing structure and great development and took a strong third place at the Figure International. Lola’s legs were a strong point along with her very impressive V-taper. As she continues to refine her physique, she will keep moving up the ladder.
Nicole Zenobia Graham took 4th place followed by former Figure International champ Natalia Soltero in 5th and Bojana Vasiljevic in 6th place.
Results & Prizes:
- Cydney Gillon: $16,000
- Jessica Reyes Padilla: $10,000
- Lola Montez: $8,000
- Nicole Zenobia Graham: $5,000
- Natalia Soltero: $3,000
- Bojana Vasiljevic: $2,000
Fitness International
Ariel Khadr won her 1st Arnold Classic competition, beating 2x Arnold Classic and Fitness Olympia champ Missy Truscott in the process. It was a great victory for Ariel who was superbly conditioned and matched up very well with Missy in the prejudging. However, it was Ariel’s outstanding routine at the finals that cemented her victory at this competition. Resurrecting the “Terminator” routine first brought to the stage by former Arnold Classic champion Vince Taylor thirty years earlier, Ariel dominated this round with her energy and fantastic performance.
2nd: Missy Truscott, hoping to continue her winning streak at the Arnold Classic and redeem her loss at last year’s Fitness Olympia, was extremely disappointed in taking 2nd. Truscott was in excellent shape and performed a high energy routine at the finals but it was not enough on this night to overcome the momentum of Kahdr.
The other finalists in this division were: Jaclyn Baker in 3rd place, Kate Errington in 4th , Tamara Vahn in 5th place and Allison Kramer rounded out the top six.
Results & Prizes:
- Ariel Khadr: $25,000
- Missy Truscott: $13,000
- Jaclyn Baker: $8,000
- Kate Errington: $5,000
- Tamara Vahn: $3,000
- Allison Kramer: $2,000
Classic Physique
The Classic Physique division at this year’s Arnold Classic was full of top talent. The top placing competitors from 2nd to 5th were all onstage this weekend in a rematch of the 2021 Classic Physique Olympia. Only 3x Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead was not on stage at this years Arnold Classic. If everyone showed up in top condition, The Classic Physique division promised to be a fantastic competition. They did, and it definitely was!
Terrance Ruffin, the defending champ from last years Arnold Classic and a 2x Classic Physique Olympia runner-up, was the odds on favorite heading into this contest. Despite losing 10 pounds earlier in the year after contracting Covid, Ruffin was again in peak condition for the Arnold Classic.
6th: Peter Molnar – $2,000
Peter Molnar from Budapest, Hungary was in 6th place. Peter has huge arms and freaky proportions and he is a welcome addition to the IFBB pro league with his outstanding physique.
5th: Michael Daboul – $4,000
Michael Daboul, originally from Syria and now living in the United Kingdom, was a strong 5th place finisher. Michael has good size and a big structure and he was in excellent shape for this competition.
4th: Breon Ansley – $7,000
Former Arnold Classic Physique winner and 2x Classic Physique Olympia champion Breon Ansley placed 4th in this tough line-up. Breon was in excellent shape for this competition, improving on his Olympia condition from last year. He has fantastic leg development, great arms, and an outstanding back that matched up well with Ruffin in the rear double biceps pose.
3rd: Urs Kalecinski – $20,000
3rd place went to another rising star in this division, Urs Kalecinski from Germany. At only 23 years of age, Urs gained a lot of attention last year after winning the Tampa Pro and placing fourth in his first Classic Physique Olympia. Urs was again in top condition for this contest was pushed into third place by the excellence of Ruffin and the massive ruggedness of Ramon. If Urs can continue to make improvements and add some more quality mass to his big structure, he will make some waves at the Classic Physique Olympia later in the year.
2nd: Ramon Rocha Querioz – $30,000
In 2nd place was Ramon Rocha Querioz from Brazil. Coming out of nowhere at last year’s Classic Physique Olympia, Ramon caught the attention of both the fans and the press when he placed a very strong 5th place in his first Olympia. For this contest, Ramon was extremely improved with greater conditioning and the confidence that comes with the knowledge that he was ready.
Ramon is one of the taller and bigger competitors in the Classic Physique division. He has excellent muscle size and thickness, particularly in the legs, arms and back. At the prejudging, he moved ahead of leading contenders Breon Ansley and Urs Kalecinski and was challenging Ruffin for the title. The close gap between Ramon and Terrence got even tighter at the finals and it appeared as if Ramon would pull an upset and beat the defending champ. In the end, he took a close second place but won the hearts of the fans and impressed the judges in the process.
Winner: Terrence Ruffin – $60,000
At the finals, Terrence Ruffin, currently the greatest poser in bodybuilding, performed superbly in the posing round. Using a slower musical selection that allowed him to gracefully transition from pose to pose, Terrance showed everyone his mastery of the craft of posing. Not surprisingly, Terrance again won the award for Best Poser along with the $60,000 prize.
Results & Prizes:
- Terrence Ruffin: $60,000
- Roman Rocha Querioz: $30,000
- Urs Kalecinski: $20,000
- Breon Ansley: $7,000
- Michael Daboul: $4,000
- Peter Molnar: $2,000
Men’s Open Bodybuilding
Despite the fact that several competitors dropped out of the show in the last month due to illness or injury, this year’s Men’s Bodybuilding division still featured a strong lineup of 9 competitors. Brandon Curry, 2019 Mr. Olympia and Arnold Classic champion, returned to Columbus in the hopes of adding a second Arnold Classic title to his resume. Brandon has been 2nd in the Mr. Olympia the last two years since winning the title so he was the odds on favorite to win going into the show.
6th: Brett Wilkin – $12,500
New pro Brett Wilkin rounded out the top six. Brett competed in his first open pro show last year and has made great progress in size since then. He was very thick and massive but he seemed to be having some trouble hitting his poses correctly and he was not in the condition he needed to place higher.
5th: Justin Rodriguez – $20,000
Justin Rodriguez was the surprise of the show at the prejudging Friday night. Looking dramatically bigger than last year, Rodriguez was one of the hardest competitors onstage and looked like he was headed for a strong top 3 or 4 placing. However, by the finals on Saturday, Justin looked much softer than he did at the prejudging and he dropped down to 5th place below Samson Douda who improved from the prejudging to the finals.
4th: Samson Dauda – $37,500
Samson Dauda placed a very impressive 4th place in his biggest contest to date. Samson has the height and the structure to go very far in bodybuilding. He has excellent muscle shape and proportions and is a huge man onstage. As he continues to grow and refine his physique, Samson will move up in the placings and win some big pro shows.
3rd: Steve Kuclo – $70,000
Steve “The Kingsnake” Kuclo appeared in his lifetime best condition for the 2022 Arnold Classic, Disappointed in his close contest placings last fall, Steve decided to come in lighter and more conditioned this year. The strategy paid off as Steve looked his best and he placed third in this tough line-up of competitors.
2nd: William Bonac – $120,000
Pushing Brandon hard for the Arnold Classic this year was one of his most consistent rivals, William Bonac. Bonac is a two time Arnold Classic champion but his placings have been disappointing over the last year due to injuries. At this contest, Bonac was back to peak condition with his characteristic dense muscle thickness and excellent conditioning.
1st: Brandon Curry – $200,000
The contest was very tight between Curry and Bonac at the prejudging Friday night leading to more comparisons for the Saturday night finals. As Bonac and Curry were compared by the judges, Bonac had the edge in hardness and conditioning while Curry took advantage of his greater structure and symmetry.
With only 10 weeks to prepare for the Arnold Classic, Brandon competed lighter than he did at the 2021 Mr. Olympia contest in which he almost dethroned the champ Big Ramy. Although Curry showcased his great shape and muscle proportion, he also seemed to lack the same level of conditioning that he displayed when he last won this title three years earlier.
Before the final decision was announced, Brandon was announced the winner of the Ed Corney Best Poser award and Bonac won the Franco Columbu Most Muscular trophy. After a heated pose-down, the judges made their choice – Brandon Curry, 2022 Arnold Classic champion with a disappointed William Bonac in second place.
Results & Prizes:
- Brandon Curry: $200,000
- William Bonac: $120,000
- Steve Kuclo: $70,000
- Samson Dauda: $37,500
- Justin Rodriguez: $20,000
- Brett Wilkin: $12,500
- Regan Grimes: $2,000
- Maxx Charles: $2,000
- Fabio Giga Rezende: $2,000
A Great Contest & Festival
Congratulations to all participants of the 2022 Arnold Sports Festival, especially the winners, runner-ups, and top place finishers. Special congrats to Terrence Ruffin on his Classic Physique win & to Brandon Curry on his second Arnold Classic victory, we’re sure he will try to repeat history later this year by winning the Mr. Olympia for the 2nd time, just like he did in 2019. Time will tell.
That rounds up our recap of the contest. What was the biggest upset in your opinion? What can we look forward to at the next Arnold and Olympia? Drop a comment with any thoughts or questions.
Till next time, keep it Old School.
