Now that a calf injury, which forced him out of the Mr. Olympia last year, has healed up, Alves is ready to do battle. Aiming to better his eighth place in last year's Arnold Classic, the Phoenix, Arizona resident has been hitting it hard in the gym of late, motivated by the opportunity to establish himself as a member of the elite ranks within the pros. That he has a physique capable of winning this show, there's no question — to topple the favorites, Alves needs to come in shredded, and display the improvements necessary to catch the attention of the judging panel come comparison time.
Seventh at the Mr. Olympia this past October, ''Marvelous'' Melvin is a symmetrical, proportional tour de force. His blend of muscle size juxtaposed with an impossibly small 27-inch waist will get him callouts, while his entertaining and well-choreographed posing routines will earn him major points with the audience. Of his past three appearances in the Arnold Classic, Melvin's best showing was fifth last year — top three or better in 2006 is well within the realm of possibility.
Gustavo BadellCompeting in the IFBB since 1998, Gustavo's career simmered for years before boiling over with a dramatic third place at the 2004 Mr. Olympia. In 2005 he repeated that feat, and took third at the Arnold Classic. Moving from Puerto Rico to Las Vegas in 2005, Gustavo is intent on making his mark in the sport, and indeed, with his thick, balanced package of muscle — along with his ability to contend with any bodybuilder in the pro ranks today, bar none — he is a very hot pick to win the Arnold title.
Darrem CharlesIn the past four years, Darrem has quietly won an impressive six shows — quite a feat for a guy who had been dutifully competing since 1989, yet had never earned a professional-level title before finally breaking through at the 2002 Southwest Pro Cup. The Florida resident has it all when it comes to bodybuilding necessities — size, cuts, aesthetics, and posing performances that routinely bring down the house. Add to that the fact he's one of the nicest guys you're ever likely to meet, and it's no wonder that he'll have a lot of fans pulling for him come March 4.
Chris CookChris first competed on the national level in 1997, but the buzz surrounding him really heated up in 2003, when he took first in the NPC USA Championships superheavyweigh division but just missed out on a pro card. In 2004, he repeated that scenario, but put aside the disappointment, gritted his teeth and set his sights firmly on the Nationals four months away. There, he finally fulfilled the destiny bodybuilding pundits everywhere knew he could accomplish, taking the Nationals overall title and securing the chance to move into the IFBB. Chris dipped his toe in the professional waters twice in 2005, finishing 10th at the Toronto Pro and sixth at the New York Pro, and now looks to make an impact in his biggest contest to date, the Arnold Classic.
Chris CormierNo doubt about it – Chris finished 2005 in truly disappointing style. Dropping to 13th place in the Mr. Olympia, his worst showing ever in his 11-year pro career, The Real Deal was way off his usual championship form. Add to that the utter frustration of finishing second in the Arnold Classic every year since 2000, and it's clear Chris, with eleven other IFBB titles to his credit, will have no shortage of motivation to quell his doubters and finally break through for the title this time around. Look for him to fight hard and jostle for the top spot once again.
Mark DugdaleIn his rookie season last year, Mark finished ninth at the Arnold. The 2004 USA light heavyweight and overall champ, who is co-owner of a fresh-produce business in Woodinville, Washington, has come a long way from his middleweight days in the late 90s. Mark, in fact, has undergone an amazing transformation over the past few years, and now boasts an imposing frame that provides him ample firepower to compete successfully in the land of giants known as the IFBB professional division.
Tony FreemanToney, the 2002 Nationals overall champ, debuted at the Arnold Classic in 2005 with a 10th-place finish. He was 268 pounds that day, but unfortunately missed his peak. This time around, he'll weigh a whopping 290 — at that size, and if he nails the conditioning he's promising to bring to the stage, Freeman will be extremely hard to overlook, and could certainly move up a few spots from last year.
Ahmad HaidarAhmad has become known as the man with the best abs in the business. His conditioning and aesthetics are terrific — as they need to be, because he's one of the smaller guys onstage. Ahmad has worked hard to update and refine his physique, and proclaims that 2006 will be his breakthrough year. He's looking for a top-three placing in the very least, and if the judges are rewarding the tight, classic look this time around, he could very well get it.
David Henry IIDavid has become the little man with the big reputation. He won the 2005 Wild Card show to gain last-minute entrance to the 2005 Mr. Olympia, where he placed 14th. Many thought he could have finished in the top 10. Henry placed 12th at last year's Arnold Classic, but you can bet he'll get better callouts this year now that the judges know who he is.
Dexter JacksonDexter won the 2005 Arnold Classic, then sat out the 2005 Mr. Olympia. With a year off, and given his track record and pedigree, Dex is the presumptive favorite to get a few minutes to chat with Arnold on stage at the end of the show. For his part, Dexter's promising a package so strong that once he steps in front of the crowd, it will be game over for everyone else, meaning his initial entrance should prove to be one of the major highlights of the show, win or lose.
Johnnie Jackson
With his rock-hard thickness gathering momentum in judges' minds, Johnnie has closed the gap on the usual favorites. Now, they're wondering how to stop this rolling boulder. Last fall, he was runner-up in the Europa Super Show; plus, he's a champion powerlifter with perhaps the most massive chest, back erectors, trapezius and deltoids in bodybuilding. Now that he's one of the most talked-about phenoms in the sport, Johnnie should emerge from this show with increased fame and fanfare in the sport, and maybe even the title to boot.
Dennis James
Great expectations of this massive top contender are finally coming to fruition. He hammered down sixth at the 2005 Mr. Olympia, thanks to his sweeping shape and balanced thickness. Physique-wise, James has it all, and he's capable of winning any show he enters, contingent upon his diet timing. Perpetually relocating around the world has disturbed that; but lately, since landing in Germany, he's been sufficiently planted to concentrate on a very realistic win.
Victor MartinezOver the last few years, Victor has displayed signs of greatness. He won the 2003 Night Of Champions and the 2004 GNC Show of Strength. At last year's Arnold appearance, though, he was a disappointing seventh. In 2005, Ronnie Coleman himself anointed Martinez as his probable successor to the Olympia title, and Vic promptly went out and notched his first top five at the big show. If he performs at his peak at this year's Arnold, the spoils could very well be Victor's.
Mustafa MohammadThick-as-a-brick Mustafa proved he's one of the top 10 bodybuilders in the world, by taking 10th at the 2005 Mr. Olympia. His rocky mass is so dense that he has the ability to carve it with some of the deepest muscle separations in the sport. If you don't get around to noticing his erupting arms and granitic chest, you can remain stupefied by his quads; they appear to be bursting like over-packed side saddles. This potential Arnold Classic champion is also a sanguine crowd pleaser, so enjoy.
Lee PriestA guaranteed Hall-of-Famer, this gadfly is swatted at by more of the sport's judges and panjandrums than any other competitor, but he's also hounded by a larger and more avid fan base than anyone in this show. And justifiably so: With his uncanny ability to come in shredded, to emphasize his gigantic muscle bellies and Lee promises to be one of the most entertaining, and threatening, in the lineup. Last year, he took fourth; you can bet he'll be gunning to improve on that.
Branch WarrenNo one in this lineup is on a hotter roll. After a rampant 2005, in which he won two pro shows — the Europa Supershow and the Charlotte Pro Invitational — then took a tremendous eighth in his Mr. Olympia debut, Warren is definitely on track to possibly win here. Every year, he brings his freakishly hard and dense physique closer to symmetrical perfection, while still retaining a pair of the greatest legs in the history of the sport.
