Victor Martinez breaks down the entire line up and makes predictions for the Arnold Classic 2021.
After a longer than usual wait, we are only a few days away from the Arnold Classic 2021! The event has been shortened to only one day with less divisions – but there are still some truly exceptional athletes to be excited about this weekend. That’s why we’ve turned to bodybuilding veteran Victor Martinez for his analysis of the line up. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Victor Martinez shares his analysis and predictions for the Arnold Classic 2021.
This year’s Arnold Classic is a special one. In a last minute decision, the winner of this competition also qualifies for this year’s Mr. Olympia. This might sound normal in any other year – but with the event taking place only two weeks before the Mr. Olympia, it can create a last minute wild card for the event. On top of this, we have some truly exceptional athletes, both old and new, hungry to show their best physiques yet.
We connected with Generation Iron alum Victor Martinez over video chat to go over the entire line up and get his predictions and thoughts on the Arnold Classic 2021. This interview was recorded shortly before the recent reported news that Roelly Winklaar will not be competing. Victor believed that Winklaar had a high chance of success. Despite Winklaar likely not being present, Martinez breaks down some other truly promising athletes who can take the crown.
Victor Martinez first touches on Iain Valliere, who has been on a roll with multiple wins over the course of this season. Martinez sees a lot of promise in the competitor, but also claims to have never seen someone peak three times in a year. Let alone four (with Valliere also competing in the Olympia after this weekend’s Arnold Classic). This casts a slight shadow of doubt for how he’ll fair this weekend.
Martinez is also extremely optimistic about Akim Williams at the Arnold Classic 2021. Williams has been on an upward trajectory over the past two years. Victor Martinez had the opportunity to see Williams recently – and what he saw impressed him. Martinez has high hopes for Williams at this event. He places Akim Williams as a possible top 3 contender.
Victor Martinez also shines a light on Justin Rodriguez and Nick Walker – two powerhouse athletes that can do big damage this weekend. Both competitors have shown incredible physiques – but this will be their first time competing against a bigger crop of the best athletes in the world. Both competitors are still on the younger side. It will be interesting to see how they stand up against the rest of the line up at the Arnold Classic 2021.
Then there’s William Bonac returning to defend his title at the Arnold Classic 2021. Bonac has always been a fan favorite and top tier athlete. He’s inched his way close to winning a Mr. Olympia title as well – but has yet to claim the Sandow trophy. From Victor Martinez’s perspective, the biggest challenge Bonac faces is his overall size. He’s a smaller bodybuilder compared to many in Men’s Open. In his quest for perfect conditioning he cannot afford to lose anymore weight. This is what threw him off at the Olympia 2020. If Bonac can keep his weight in check while also crushing his conditioning – he is still the man to beat for first place.
Victor Martinez goes into detail about other top athletes such as Steve Kuclo, Hassan Mostafa, and others. You can see Martinez’s full predictions for the Arnold Classic in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
