On Episode 276 of The Menace Podcast, host Dennis “The Menace” James was joined by Jose Raymond and Milos Sarcev to dissect all the details from the 2026 Arnold and, during the show, James questioned Sam Sulek’s suitability for the Classic Physique division.
Sulek made his Pro debut this year, in the Classic Physique category in Columbus, OH, and earned a respectable eighth place in his first outing, but the social media star didn’t impress Dennis James it seems. “I was a little surprised,” shared The Menace. “The guy that placed ninth. How did he get beat? I don’t know,” he stated.
While the Men’s Classic Physique trophy went to Wesley Vissers, Sulek’s eighth-place finish put him ahead of established stars like Paul Kanu (ninth) and Hang Niu (tenth). “So, for me, Sam would have been ninth or tenth,” added James.
Dennis James Suggest Sulek Could Thrive in the Open Division
“Sam’s not classic for me,” James continued. “I don’t see a classic physique. I don’t know what everybody’s talking about.” The Menace then shared some advice to the social media star. “My advice for Sam would be, take a couple of years off, put as much weight as you can put on, and go into Open and see what where you at. Because for Classic, that’s not you. Even if you make weight, that doesn’t mean anything.”
James added that Sulek could still make money even if he didn’t compete at all, because of his YouTube following and sponsorship deals. “You won’t be able to live off of prize money,” said James. And Milos Sarcev agreed that Sulek needs to add more size to be a top contender. “He doesn’t have a Classic body,” he commented.
The Menace pointed out that he feels that Sulek is a nice guy, and his observations are only from a technical basis. “I’m judging strictly, physique wise,” he explained. “He doesn’t have any business in Classic. He doesn’t have any business anywhere right now, because he was fast tracked, from zero to pro. If you put him into the nationals, or the USAs, or any pro qualifier in bodybuilding, there’s no way he’s gonna turn pro. We don’t even want to talk about Classic. Not even in Europe. There would be no possible way. But I guess it was such a weak line up at the Arnold amateur last year.”
All Eyes on the Arnold UK for Sulek’s Next Appearance
Sulek has a chance to prove James wrong however, because he’s scheduled to enter the Arnold UK in the Classic division, taking place March 27 to 29, 2026. No doubt, the results will be even more interesting after The Menace’s comments.
To watch the full episode, where the panel went through the other results at the 2026 Arnold U.S., and other topical bodybuilding news, see below.
