The invitation list for the 2019 Arnold Classic was recently released, revealing a short, but very competitive, lineup of 13 of the IFBB Pro League’s top bodybuilders. We caught up with Hall of Fame bodybuilder and tell-it-like-it-is analyst, Shawn Ray, to get his outspoken opinion on each competitor, and, ultimately, who he believes will walk away victorious. Check out his opinions below.
Lionel Beyeke is always a guy in any lineup that you can talk about, except when it comes to the big shows. The Arnold Classic and Mr. Olympia are two shows he’s participated in, but has never fared very well since he showed up in subpar condition. I think he’s kind of a promise unkept when it comes to the bigger shows. I’m not sure if that’s a reflection of the depth of the contest field, or his lack of preparation for the big tests. In a lineup that’s not too deep, he really starts to shine, but the Arnold Classic Ohio is a contest that has Olympians in it, and for that reason, I’m not expecting a whole lot out of Lionel. He will look great by himself, but if he hasn’t nailed his conditioning, when he gets compared and things get broken down, he’ll get looked over once again.
William Bonac has proven that he’s now in the upper echelon of competitors. He got a taste of being in the top three at the Olympia in 2017, and he’s the reigning Arnold Classic champ. He dropped to fourth at the 2018 Olympia, but regardless, William Bonac is slowly becoming a study in consistency. He came in a little bit heavy for this year’s Olympia, so William has to redeem himself in Ohio. Defending the title at the Arnold Classic is one of the hardest things to do—that’s why there are only a few guys that have been able to do it. He’s gonna have a very tough time defending that title if he doesn’t drop down in weight from the Olympia. I’ve seen him in the off-season and he seems to be on the right track. William is definitely in the conversation in this lineup as a top-three finalist.
Rafael has a lot of potential. He’s young and fresh and sometimes that works to your advantage because you’re not jaded by years of climbing the ladder and having to wait for guys to get hurt or retire. If he’s not overwhelmed by the names he’s standing next to, not overwhelmed by the gravity of the show, it could be a life-changing event for him that can shape the rest of his career. If some of these veterans come in off, he could put a couple of them in his rear view. That’s a beautiful way to establish yourself and start the new year off by making a big splash in front of a big audience.
Brandon Curry is the guy that we’ve been waiting for to arrive. Naturally, he did. He won the New Zealand Pro, the Arnold Classic Australia, and the Ferrigno Legacy Pro show in 2017. Then this year, he moved into the top five of the Mr. Olympia. If anybody has a vote of confidence right now, it’s Brandon Curry. He has the resume of someone that’s progressing in the right direction. I’m not sure that he’s arrived and is ready to win the Arnold Classic, but he’s definitely a guy that I would put in the top four or five of that lineup. He’s got to come in shape, though.
Charles Dixon is going to find himself in a heap of trouble here. He’s normally a 212 guy and he may be 5’3″ on a good day. He doesn’t have the refinement in terms of detail. He has the muscle per square inch, but he looks like a very small bodybuilder. The ratio from fingers to shoulder is very small. On the front double-biceps pose, he’s gonna find himself disappearing in between the likes of a Cedric McMillan and a Roelly Winklaar. I’m not sure that that comparison will happen, but regardless, this is the very deep end of the pool for Charles Dixon. It’s a good opportunity for him to get on a big stage with big boys, but I think it’s the wrong lineup for him.
Steve Kuclo is a guy that has a very clean, athletic physique for being a 6-foot, 250-pound bodybuilder. Steve is still going to need a lot more thickness and detail in the back to match the front. He’ll probably have one of the better sets of quad sweeps and calves on the stage. He looks very complete and balanced, but when you get to the nitty gritty, you can see he’s a little light in the chest; shallow in the back, especially the lower back; and conditioning will probably be his nemesis. If he’s not in condition, all of that great shape and symmetry will get lost in this lineup. He’s a top-10 Olympian, but he’s gonna be struggling to crack the top five, and that’s really where the promised land is for most of these bodybuilders when they get the invite to the Arnold Classic.
Josh Lenartowicz has had a long layoff. He hasn’t been at the Arnold since he placed third in 2016. He was preparing for the 2017 Arnold and missed it because a family member died. Then he was in training for the 2017 Mr. Olympia and his training partner, Dallas McCarver, died. He came in the bottom end of the 2017 Olympia lineup, understandably so. Having to restructure his life, becoming a contest promoter, he’s got a lot of things on his plate. I think it’s gonna be a struggle for him in this lineup, which is an Olympia-like lineup, to make the top six. Josh is in great shape, but conditioning is gonna be the factor, and probably his downfall, in a lineup like this. I don’t have him in the top three or four, but he could reach the top six if he’s in shape.
Victor Martinez was the Arnold Classic champion and Olympia first runner-up in 2007. He’s won a slew of contests, most recently the 2016 Baltimore Pro and the 2017 Muscle Mayhem. At this point, he’s going to become a victim of father time. He’s getting a little bit thicker in the waist, the hamstrings are starting to fade, the quality of his conditioning is starting to show his age. I think for Victor, this might be his final swan song here at the Arnold Classic if he doesn’t nail it and make a big impact. Structurally he’s got everything it takes, but age-wise he’s gonna be battling father time. I don’t see Victor in the top six.
Cedric McMillan is the “X” factor. He’s a past Arnold Classic champion (2017) and knows what victory feels like. He knows what winning can do for his career, in terms of redemption. He’s definitely a crowd favorite, a fan favorite, and a favorite of mine, aesthetically speaking. This contest is not too big for him. He could rise to the occasion. I don’t know that he’ll be repeating as a champion, but Cedric is somebody that we have to talk about in the top three of this lineup. It will be a conditioning factor for Cedric. His legs are starting to show the wear and tear of father time, especially in the hamstrings. March may be primetime for Cedric again, though, because that window of December to March seems that there are not a lot of distractions for somebody like Cedric. He was a first runner-up to Kai Greene in 2016, then he came back and won the competition in 2017. This is a contest that is within his grasp and he’s someone we have to talk about when we talk about the top three.
I think Luke Sandoe is a benefactor of limitation, and if this were a show that he had to qualify for, I’m not 100% sure he would be in this lineup. So this is one of those honorary privileges to be a part of the Arnold Classic weekend, but I don’t think it’s gonna be one of those experiences for him that he’s going to land in the prize money. I think it’ll be one of those things he can chalk up for experience. I do think it’ll bode well for Luke’s audience that they can see him on this big international stage. It’s a little bit out of his realm of reality in terms of making the top six, but being invited back to the show two years in a row is a big feather in his cap. It’s definitely beyond what his physique warrants if we’re talking about the top six guys. I mean in another lineup he might fare well, but this is a lineup of genetic phenoms, and I’m not sure that he’s one that we’ll be talking about when we talk about Cedric and William and Roelly.
Mikhil Volinkin did a very good job at winning the 2018 Arnold amateur, where he turned pro as a Super Heavyweight. His chest is a little bit shallow and pretty thin but he’s got great structures. His condition when he won the amateurs still needed a little bit more refinement, but he’s had a full year off since the last Arnold to work on that. Mikhail is one to watch out for down the road. Remember Roelly Winklaar also won the Arnold Amateur in 2009, and look at what he’s doing now. This guy is a work in progress. He’s got all the attributes and might even have a better genetic potential than Roelly Winklaar, but I don’t believe it’s gonna happen this year.
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Edgar Artiga
Akim Williams
Akim Williams will bring wow factor when he walks on the stage, but his weaknesses are very consistent, and that’s mainly a conditioning thing. Maybe it’s because of the amount of mass that he carries. These shows are won from the back, and, historically, Akim comes up short in the condition department, especially in the hamstrings and back. His skin is very thick. If they had a “Most Muscular” award, he might be in the hunt to get it based on size, roundness, and fullness, but we know that the contest is made up of a lot more things. Condition, shape, symmetry, presentation—those are areas that are gonna hurt Akim when it comes down to the other veterans he’s standing up there with. I don’t see Akim making the top five on this lineup.
Roelly Winklaar has to be one of the dark horses to win this competition, and there are several reasons why. Like William Bonac, Roelly had a slow, steady progression to being number one, and ultimately he wound up in the victory circle. I see this as a contest for Roelly Winklaar to cement his place on the pro stage. He won the Arnold Amateur in 2009, he won the Arnold Classic Australia in 2018, he’s beaten William Bonac, he’s beaten Cedric McMillan, he was third in the Mr. Olympia. If there’s anybody with more confidence right now, I wouldn’t know who that person would be. Roelly Winklaar has a lot at stake with this competition. He’s an Olympia favorite, a fan favorite, and that does a lot for your confidence and for your training.
Roelly’s been very active on the guest-posing circuit, so I don’t believe he’s allowed himself to get out of shape. I think Roelly realizes the opportunity is now. It will be very hard for him to ascend to the top of the 2019 Mr. Olympia lineup without the 2019 Arnold Classic title. This is one of those make-or-break contests, and I believe Roelly will be able to rise to the occasion, vanquish these guys, and be the next Arnold Classic champion.
