Schwarzenegger comments on 2023 Arnold Classic controversy.
It has not been an easy month for the organizers of the Arnold Sports Festival, the exclusion of a number of female divisions has sparked large debates. Arnold Schwarzenegger has finally broke his silence and explained the decision.
The Arnold Sports Festival has been going through a number of changes, that have affected the event massively in the last couple of years.
The Arnold Sports Festival suffered financially, losing approximately $4million when the pandemic started. The following year, the event was also cut down in size, but the prize money went up for a number of divisions.
Between 2021 and 2022, several other major changes took place at the Arnold Sports Festival headquarters. Allegedly, Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Lorimer family ended their business relationship.
Arnold would continue promoting the Arnold Sports Festival on his own. The company Classic Productions would be replaced with World Championship Events, Inc. Schwarzenegger is now the Chief Executive Officer of World Championship Event, Inc.
Brian Powers basically replaced the Lorimer’s and was named Executive Director of World Championship Events, Inc.
The recent controversy started when Arnold Classic Executive Director, Brian Powers, made a number of comments that angered a number of athletes.
Refraining from publishing an official press release to explain the reason, Brian Powers decided to comment on the website Barbend.com:
“We look at all the sports we have, including bodybuilding, every single year, and we analyze whether we can host a competitive field or not. Based on our yearly analysis of all the divisions, we didn’t feel we were in a position to host a world championship Figure competition, which is what we are in the business of doing.
“We may be able to come back and do it again next year, depending on the depth of the field. We feel like we didn’t have that depth this year. We’ll go back and we’ll look at it again in 2024.
“We are making major addition[s] to women’s professional sports in other sports that will be announced soon.”
Saying that a number of divisions did not have enough “depth”, offended a number of female and male athletes.
Immediately after Brian Powers’ made his comments, Sarah Villegas, two-time Women’s Physique Olympia winner, immediately criticized the Arnold Classic promoters for their decision to exclude women’s Physique.
Read More: Villegas calls out Schwarzenegger for omitting Women’s Physique
Not long after Sarah Villegas vented her frustration against the Arnold Sports Festival organizers and Arnold Schwarzenegger, bodybuilding legend Lee Priest expressed his opinion.
Commenting on the popular Instagram page Bisandtris, Lee Priest published several comments, challenging the decision of Brian Powers and the rest of the Arnold Sports Festival’s organizers.
Lee Priest to Brian Powers – August 24, 2022:
“At least I give honest answers. Like I said you should be a politician. Skirt the truth talk crap deflect etc. your no depth reason just put you in the toilet”
Lee Priest to Brian Powers – August 22, 2022:
“He should run for the office in the senate with an answer like that, lol.
Not enough depth in figure? Yeah, ok. Last I checked the men’s open is the one with the small depth usually. Cancel that division you.”
Lee Priest on the Arnold Classic excluding divisions – August 20 2022
“If it’s about money and numbers with figure, 212, etc… just invite 10 for each – the best – like they do for the men’s. Throw 30-50 names in a hat of people who said they like to do it. Then draw out 10 for each division.”
Lee Priest on the Arnold Classic excluding divisions – August 17 2022:
“I hope the athletes’ rep is standing up for the women saying if the women don’t compete none of the bodybuilders or any division in the men’s will compete. All for one, one for all.
“Too bad the fitness, bikini, and wellness girls don’t stand up for the others and say ‘if they are not doing it, then nor are we’. Wouldn’t that be nice…”
Read More: Lee Priest calls out Arnold Classic Executive Director Brian Powers
Manager Matt saves the day… Schwarzenegger acknowledges
Manager Matt is a prominent figure in the bodybuilding and fitness industry. working with some of the best athletes in the world, Matt is very knowledgeable on how the industry runs on and off the stage.
On the recent edition of Cutler Cast, Matt and Jay Cutler discussed the recent Arnold Schwarzenegger controversy.
Matt’s explanation about the divisions that were excluded was perfect. If Brian Powers explained the situation in the same manner, he would have avoided all this unnecessary confrontation.
It was evident that Matt agreed with the decision of the Arnold Sports Festival organizers, leaving out some of the divisions from the 2023 event.
As Matt believes every division is important, he believes that the decision was made to keep the event as financially viable as possible.
During the show, Manager Matt revealed that it costs approximately $1.5million to run the Arnold Sports Festival and Arnold lost approximately $4million during Covid.
Matt believes that the female and male divisions that were removed form the Arnold Classic line-up of events, was because the “Return on Investment” was not viable.
“That Arnold — and I asked him that number… they lost four million dollars in 2020 when the Coronavirus happened. How much money did Jake Wood lose putting the Olympia on against all odds? If it wasn’t for two extremely wealthy guys that love bodybuilding — where would be right now?”
“Where would we be if the Olympia didn’t happen the last two years because they got crushed from Covid. Where would we be if the owner didn’t have the finance and was willing to put it up? Where would we be if Arnold didn’t do it? He lost four million dollars, two years ago, last year, he did a show with no expo no nothing, and he raised the prize money, knowing he was going to lose. I feel like no one is coming to bat for him, and if it wasn’t for him, none of us would fuc**ng be here. That’s the truth,” Manager Matt explained.
Jay Cutler mentioned that many other promoters leave out several divisions, but Jay Cutler explained that the Arnold Classic is different and the athletes expect to be invited at such a prestigious event.
It was a business decision and not because the female division did not have enough “depth”, as Brian Powers said.
Immediately after the podcast was published, Matt received praise from the bodybuilding industry and many suggested that he should be the man in charge of the Arnold Sports Festival.
Arnold Schwarzenegger also thanked Matt for his input on the matter:
“Thank you for the kind words. It was an easy choice. I tell people the most important thing you can learn is the difference between spending, and investing. Spending is a loss, but I consider the past few years an investment in the sport of bodybuilding and our fitness crusade. I also know it was a tough time for a lot people financially and the athletes needed that prize money more than I did,”Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote.
Brian Powers is a no-show on RXMuscle
Dave Palumbo and Lee Priest, invited Brian Powers on RXMuscle to discuss the Arnold Classic, and the controversy that surrounds the event.
At first, Brian confirmed to Lee Priest that he would accept the invitation and go on the show, but when it was time to start the show, Brian was a no show.
After Brian felt the wrath of the bodybuilding and fitness community, he disappeared from social media and refrained from getting into more heated debates with the athletes and fans.
Lee Priest was not happy that Brian decided to skip the show, and went on to reveal the text messages between themselves.
“Brian did not want to come on the RX show because I made a joke so he would not come on and explain about the figure division or any other canceled division”, Lee Priest wrote on his social media.
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This all could have all been avoided
All the controversy regarding the 2023 Arnold Sports Festival could have easily been avoided. If Brian powers chose the correct words when he made the announcement, he would have been praised for the decision of the Arnold Sports Festival’s organizers decision.
Instead, Brian Powers allegedly went on to attack whoever disagreed or reported about the way he handled the situation, including this website. The pressure started to mount on Brian, and he has allegedly decided or was forced to take a break from answering all his critics.
Manager Matt and Jay Cutler discuss the Arnold Classic
Nick Trigili’s opinion on the Arnold Classic controversy
