Branch Warren Wins 2012 Arnold Classic

A mere six months ago, professional bodybuilder Branch Warren was forced to remove himself from contention at the 2011 IFBB Mr. Olympia competition because of damage sustained to his quadriceps tendon. While disappointing, both personally and to the field at the Olympia, Warren vowed to come back better, and bigger, than ever.

With the extent of the injury, estimating his return was as pointless as it was draining to the psyche. Most notably, speculation ran rampant as to whether or not Warren would be ready in time to defend his title at the 2012 Arnold Classic and, if he did, would his conditioning level reach that of last season’s mark. All questions were answered on the weekend of March 3-4, as Branch took home the title, repositioning himself as one of the sport’s top stars and a serious threat to the Mr. Olympia crown.

The fiery Texan showcased a very thick, proportioned physique which was deeply striated, down to the smallest of muscle groups. Though there was some question, by many, as to whether second-place finisher Dennis Wolf was a more defined and worthy winner, the decision appeared to lean the way of Warren due to the density of his structure.

Wolf, a fan favorite and second-place finisher in last year’s Arnold, in recent competition, has made remarkable progress toward being a perennial contender. He came in looking solid, except for nagging smoothness in his hamstrings and a glaring lack of calf size. Though he did tighten up before the finals, the package brought by Warren was too much to overcome, in the eyes of the judges.

Rounding out the top three at this year’s Arnold was Evan Centopani. Evan, who moved up a placing from last year’s event, brought a far better package, thanks to a greatly-improved lower back. His color was much darker and his full presentation was evidently more refined than last year. His posing routine, tailored more as an apparent ambient tribute to Arnold himself, was entertaining and well-fit to his physique. Having improved, continually, from contest to contest, Evan is well on his way to making that next leap in the rankings.

As the smoke settled, one thing that held true was that Branch Warren was back and taking no prisoners. Along with the 2012 Arnold title, he also received the “Most Muscular” award (for the sixth time) and the award for “Most Entertaining Posing Routine.”