IFBB Pro Bodybuilders, Roelly Winklaar and Nick Walker will face off at the 2021 Arnold Classic USA.
It looks like fans will be in for quite the show at this year’s 2021 Arnold Classic. While many expected to see IFBB Pro bodybuilder Roelly Winklaar at the show, it appears that the 2021 NY Pro Men’s Open Champion, Nick Walker will be joining him on stage on September 25th-26th in Columbus, Ohio. The men’s open list list now has grown to 14 competitors.
The news broke on the official Arnold Sports Festival Instagram page, hyping up the show. Below is the current list of the Men’s Open Bodybuilding Lineup at the 2021 Arnold Classic.
2021 Arnold Classic Competitor List
Men’s Open Bodybuilding Lineup
- Lionel Beyeke
- William Bonac
- Maxx Charles
- Seung Chul Lee
- Mokhamed El Eman
- Steve Kuclo
- Cedric McMillan
- Hassan Mostafa
- Sergio Oliva Jr.
- Justin Rodriguez
- Iain Valliere
- Akim Williams
- Roelly Winklaar
- Nick Walker
This comes as a very surprising turn of events, especially when you consider Nick Walker and his current position. Walker has already qualified for the Olympia with his win at the New York Pro. That said, it appears that Walker wants to challenge himself, which should come as no surprise.
Nick Walker recently spoke to Generation Iron about his sudden rise in the men’s open bodybuilding division and being called the next Dorian Yates. Nick Walker already qualified for the 2021 Olympia earlier this year and has confirmed that he was planning to focus on his Olympia debut. Here is the news from Arnold Classic.
BREAKING NEWS! The 2021 Arnold Classic just got a LOT bigger and the Men’s Open Bodybuilding lineup much deeper! Fan favorite Roelly Winklaar and rising star Nick Walker will take the stage when the #arnoldclassic returns to Columbus, OH on September 25th, with Walker making his Arnold debut.
Tickets on sale Thursday!
View this post on Instagram
Roelly Winklaar’s Profile
Roelly Winklaar, the “Dutch Beast,” was born and raised in Curaçao, an island in the Dutch Caribbean. He and his brother were huge fans of bodybuilding growing up and would often watch and later participate in amateur competitions. However, all that changed after a near-fatal car accident in 2004. Winklaar had a sudden epiphany that he was wasting his life in amateur competitions and that his true calling was to be a professional bodybuilder.
He began his journey to IFBB pro status by moving to mainland Netherlands, where he sought out the best possible bodybuilding training. He began training with former bodybuilder Sibil Peeters, known as “Grandma” and “the trainer from Hell” because of her demanding and intensely physical method of bodybuilding training well documented in the award winning film, Generation Iron. In 2009, Winklaar finally succeeded in going pro after winning the NPC Arnold Amateur Championships. He later established himself as a rising star after his victory at the 2010 IFBB New York Pro competition. Winklaar is known by many to have the best arms in bodybuilding today.
A New Rivalry is Born
Nick Walker has pushed himself like this in the past. After turning pro, Walker wasted no time making an impact at his first show almost immediately. Walker showed significant improvement after placing fourth at the 2020 Chicago Pro. Walker’s willingness to improve and throw himself into the fire at the 2021 NY Pro allowed him win a qualification to the 2021 Olympia. He is one step closer to achieving his goal of becoming an Arnold Classic champion and one step way from the Olympia stage. Walker now has done what it takes to improve and put himself in position to face off against Roelly Winklaar.
View this post on Instagram
Roelly Winklaar on the other hand is looking to get back on track. After missing the entire 2020 season, Winklaar is looking to make up for lost time. With his sights set fully on earning his spot at the 2021 Olympia, Roelly Winklaar will now have his work cut out for him as he trains in Kuwait.
Nick Walker is looking very impressive as he continues his bodybuilding journey. That said, Roelly Winklaar is no slouch and is looking just as impressive heading into the 2021 Arnold Classic against competitors like William Bonac, Cedric McMillan and Akim Williams.
View this post on Instagram
Are you ready to see Roelly Winklaar vs Nick Walker? For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Managing Editor at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
