We’re less than seven weeks away from the 2024 Arnold Classic, and it appears that the Men’s Open lineup as suffered it’s first major blow, following the announcement today from last year’s 3rd place finisher, Andrew Jacked, that he officially pulling out of both the Arnold Classic and the Arnold UK.
Early Monday morning Andrew released this statement via Instagram:
The news came as a major shock to bodybuilding fans and will be a tremendous loss for those who were anticipating an intense battle between Andrew, defending champion Samson Dauda, and former Olympia champion Hadi Choopan.
Jacked, who’s currently the reigning Arnold UK champion (2022), will also forfeit the ability to defend his crown, which presumably opens the door for Samson or Hadi to seize an opportunity to claim another one of bodybuilding’s most prized titles, and potentially cement themselves as the frontrunner to challenge at the Mr. Olympia in the fall.
With Andrew out of the lineup, it paves the way for dark horse title contenders like Rafa Brandao, Rubiel “Neckzilla” Mosquera, and Marcelo De Angelis to prove they have what it takes to hold their own two of the most dominant figures in Open Bodybuilding; while simultaneously positioning themselves to be considered the favorite at another show later in the year as they attempt to secure a win en route to an Olympia
