2025 Arnold Classic Men's Open Prejudging Report & Analysis

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Highlights from the 2025 Arnold Classic Men’s Open Prejudging.

The headliner of the 2025 Arnold Classic took the stage for the first time on Friday night. The loaded Men’s Open division went through prejudging with many of the top competitors in the world competing for the top spot in the prestigious event.

[FULL COVERAGE: View All 2025 Arnold Classic Results Here]

Reigning champion Hadi Choopan will not compete to defend his title but it will be Samson Dauda that the division is looking to catch. Dauda won his first Olympia title in 2024 and is now at the top of the bodybuilding world. He defeated both Choopan and Derek Lunsford, who finished third at the Olympia after his victory in 2023.

Dauda and Lunsford headlined the first callout in the middle of the stage. This was the battle that everyone came to see and it showed early on. Andrew Jacked and Brandon Curry also impressed and made a case to comb up the scorecard. This group of four returned for a third callout as judges kept Dauda and Lunsford in the middle. Jacked and Curry were moved around, perhaps looking who would gain the early edge in third.

Judges went to a fifth callout where Bonac and Clarida were compared in the center. This could be for the final spot in the top five. They brought back out Dauda and Lunsford, along with Jacked, for a fifth and final callout.

Prejudging is official in the books for the biggest division in bodybuilding. This set the stage for an exciting final on Saturday night. Below, check out a breakdown of prejudging.

Callout Report

First Callout

Derek Lunsford
Akim Williams
Brandon Curry
Andrew Jacked
Samson Dauda
William Bonac

Second Callout

Husameddin Elisawi
Shaun Clarida
Patrick Moore
Justin Rodriguez
Carlos Thomas Jr.
James Hollingshead

Third Callout

Derek Lunsford
Brandon Curry
Andrew Jacked
Samson Dauda

Fourth Callout

Akim Williams
Shaun Clarida
William Bonac
James Hollingshead

Fifth Callout

Derek Lunsford
Samson Dauda
Andrew Jacked

Full 2025 Arnold Classic Prejudging Callout Recaps & Analysis

With the 2025 Arnold Classic well underway, many other divisions have already competed in the pre-judging rounds. For a complete recap of all divisions including callout reports and analysis – see below:

2025 Arnold Classic Full Coverage

Generation Iron Fitness Network will provide coverage of the full Arnold Classic event including prejudging reports, analysis, and results updates. Stay tuned to Generation Iron to find the full 2025 Arnold Classic results, visit our official 2025 Arnold Classic coverage hub right here!