2004 Arnold Classic

March 5-7, 2004 at Greater Columbus Convention Center
Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Columbus OH

As Jay Cutler took his third straight Arnold Classic title the consensus of the audience and Team FLEX was that Dexter Jackson should have been the rightful winner instead of the recipient of third place. However, history now will record that Jay Cutler won the 2004 Arnold Classic by one point over Chris Cormier. The special $10,000 posing award was won by King Kamali and for the third time in succession Jay Cutler won the most muscular award.

Source: pinterest.com

Place Competitor Country

01 Jay CUTLER USA
02 Chris CORMIER USA
03 Dexter JACKSON USA
04 Günter SCHLIERKAMP
05 Markus RUHL Germany
06 Craig TITUS
07 Gustavo BADELL
08 King KAMALI
09 Ahmad HAIDAR Lebanon
10 Ernie TAYLOR
11 Bob CICHERILLO
12 Mustafa MOHAMMAD
13 Greg KOVACS
Jay Repeats…The Fans React…Samir Returns
By: Dan Solomon

Source: fitnessvolt.com

When was the last time a major pro event came down to 3 equally deserving athletes? As the athletes were narrowed down to 3 finalists. Jay Cutler, Chris Cormier and Dexter Jackson awaited the next announcement.

A reasonable argument could have been made in favor of each of these guys. Dexter was razor sharp. Chris was near his all-time best. Jay, the defending champ, brought his classic size and condition to the stage.

When Dexter was announced 3rd place, it became obvious that SIZE MATTERS in Columbus. The two “big” men remained. Cormier had already finished 2nd four times in Columbus and was forced to miss the Olympia just 5 months earlier. He had seen his stock plummet after a 7th place finish at the GNC show. After a renewed commitment to the sport, “The Real Deal” was Real once again. Cormier now stood among the final 2 at the Arnold Classic.

In the end, as predicted on Pro Muscle Online, Jay found a way to win.

Source: muscleandfitness.com

Cutler showcased a slightly streamlined version of his massive, visually stunning physique. His quad separation remains the best in the business. It also appeared that (at a lighter weight) he was able improve his glutes, an area that has long been a weakness for Jay. The victory upheld Iron-Jay’s bold promise that he would become the first man in history to claim three consecutive Arnold Classic crowns. In case you’re counting, that’s 3 Hummers, a nice collection of Gold Rolexes and a cool $300,000 cash.

Günter Schlierkamp finished in the 4th spot, despite a slightly smooth appearance in the evening show. Markus Ruhl, who was very prepared for the event, rounded out the Top 5 (I personally had Ruhl ahead of Günter). Markus and Chris snagged the only 2 Olympia qualifications of the evening (Jay, Dexter and Günter were already qualified).

Jay defeated Chris by exactly 1 point on the scorecard. Despite the narrow defeat, Cormier reminded us all that he still remains among the very best. Dexter, Chris and Jay have 7 months to prepare for the Olympia. With Ronnie Coleman “in the center”, there is only room for 2 of these guys in that coveted first callout.

In Other News

Former Mr. Olympia SAMIR BANNOUT has announced his return to the stage! “The Lion of Lebanon” will compete this weekend at the San Francisco Pro Invitational. Event promoter Giorgio Tsoukalos has reported to Pro Muscle Online that Samir will join an athlete lineup that is already highlighted by a Chris Cormier – Dexter Jackson showdown.

Did you know? Jay Cutler was only 9 years old when Samir won the ’83 Olympia.

TITUS

Source: ironmagazine.com

“On” but not “In” – Craig Titus was near his all-time best in Columbus. For his efforts, he earned a spot in the final pose down. Unfortunately for Craig, he still remains un-qualified for the Olympia. After failing to qualify in his first 2 events, Craig will need a Top 3 finish in San Francisco to get that Olympia sized monkey off his back.

KAMALI STRUGGLES CONTINUE

All the way back in October of 2001, King Kamali capped off an outstanding rookie year by finishing among the Top 10 in his very first Olympia. It’s been all downhill since. Despite several long breaks between events, Kamali hasn’t been able to regain the package that he brought to the stage as a rookie. His attempts to add size have resulted in a failure to “dial in” on contest day.

A REAL IRONMAN

For those of you living across the pond in the United Kingdom, be sure to pick up the current issue of Muscle & Fitness – UK Edition. Don’t miss my interview with baseball “Ironman” and future Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. (March ’04 edition).

More IFBB updates coming soon!