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Contest aficionado won't need much time to get into the flow of the 2007 season: The line-up for the Arnold, set for March 3 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, looks to be one of the most competitive in history, and if you know the background of this show you know that's saying a mouthful.
Two-time defending champ Dexter Jackson will be back to go for the Triple Crown. To do that, however, The Blade will have to topple the likes of Victor Martinez, Melvin Anthony, Gustavo Badell, Dennis James, Branch Warren and last year's rookie wunderkind, Phil (The Gift) Heath.
  Click Image To Enlarge. Dexter Jackson At The 2006 Arnold Clasic. View More Pics From The 2006 Arnold Classic Here.
I've been waiting for Martinez to fulfill his Mr. O potential that everyone has been talking about for several years. And, the 5'9", 240-pounder did just that with a powerful third place showing at the '06 Olympia, placing ahead of Jackson, Anthony and Badell, in that order (and behind, of course, only Cutler and Ronnie Coleman).
 Click Image To Enlarge. Victor Martinez At The 2006 Olympia. View More Pics From The 2006 Olympia Here. Does Victor enter as the favorite even though the 5'6 1/2", 215-pound Jackson is coming off the back-to-back wins? No more than a co-pick with Dexter in my book; Jackson has proven he can nail his conditioning in every show he competes in, Victor hasn't. However, if Martinez shows up in top shape again, the Arnold's $110,000 first place prize is obviously well within his grasp.
I've always been a champion of Anthony's physique and thought he was at his all-time best at the 'Olympia; I told people I could have had the 5'8 1/2", 240-pounder as high as third. Now, if you want the classic, small waist, V-taper look, who is a better role model than Marvelous? And, there's no need to mention that he's the best poser in the history of the game. Okay, maybe there is.
Badell missed his peak at both the 2005 Arnold and last year's Olympia (fourth in Columbus, sixth in Las Vegas) and is out to prove he still is worthy of title contention. Ditto for Branch Warren, who chased Jackson to the crown last year, winning the Most Muscular in the process, but ended the year on a disappointing note with an 11th place showing at the Olympia.
And, then there's Heath, who could make a major dent in the line-up in his first attempt at the Arnold. Last year the 5'9", 215-pounder from Denver won the first two shows he competed in-the Colorado Pro and the New York Pro-after dominating the 2005 USA.
 Click Image To Enlarge. Heath At The 2006 Colorado Pro. View More Pics From The 2006 Colorado Pro Here. Heath was shredded in Denver, a bit more filled out in New York and now will give fans what they've been waiting for since Phil turned pro-compete in a line-up featuring most of the top pros in the world. Is the 26-year-old ready-is he big enough--to make a dent in such an illustrious array of bodybuilders?
 Click Image To Enlarge. Phil Heath At The 2006 New York Pro. View More Pics From The 2006 New York Pro Here. I say yes. Can he be in the top six? For sure. Top three? Perhaps. Prove that he belongs in the same breath as the top players in the game? Why not?
Throw in more quality physiques like Henry, Dugdale, Mustafa Mohammad, Darrem Charles, Ronny Rockel, Vince Taylor (is this cat really 50?) and the likes (go to www.arnoldclassic.com to get the final roster of competitors), and it's easy to comprehend the depth of the latest line-up. Not surprisingly, it will be muscle heaven in 2007. Let's get ready to rumble.
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