Mike Sommerfeld Makes A Big Statement By Taking The 2025 Arnold Classic Physique Division Title

The shocking retirement of Chris Bumstead following his recent 2024 Olympia win left a huge hole in the classic division. His six Mr. Olympia Classic Divison titles are the most in the division’s history. Alongside this, he’s widely admired for his down-to-earth personality and transparent approach.

However, as bodybuilding starts to move on, it’s time for a new champion to take the reigns. On February 28, the 2025 Arnold Classic provided the ideal springboard for a new star to be born. With eyes from around the world watching in anticipation, a classic champion was crowned.

Mike Sommerfeld took home the classic division title in what is arguably one of the most important events of the year. Logan Franklin took a close second while Matthew Greggo rounded out the top three.

With Chris Bumstead gone from the picture, many wondered how the new competitive landscape would look. However, with the weekend finished, it’s safe to say that it’s in good hands. 

This is the story of how Mike secured the win and what it means for the classic division.

Mike Sommerfeld Makes A Big Statement For The 2025 Season

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Before we talk about the event, here are the full 2025 Arnold Classic Physique Results.

As prejudging began, there were no surprises as to the men in the first callout. This gave us our probable top five placers. 

• Matt Greggo.
• Micheal Daboul.
• Wesley Vissers.
• Mike Sommerfeld.
• Logan Franklin. 

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Each of the men above has been talked about as the new face of the division since Bumstead’s retirement. Most of the focus has been on Mike Sommerfeld and Wesley Vissers as the top candidates. 

However, as pre-judging developed, Wesley was put on the outside of the callout. With this, the defending Arnold Classic champion seemed to be out of the conversation. It looked like he would need to give up his title to a new champion. 

As Wesley was moved to the outside, the probable top two places were revealed as they were pulled aside. This year’s surprise package, Logan Franklin, was put alongside Mike Sommerfeld for the top two places. 

As the finals began, it was clear to see that the top two would be Mike and Logan. However, as finals progressed, Mike started to pull away and show his class in what was a high-quality field.

The overall standard of the Classic Division was nothing short of exceptional. If you look at the top five placers, any one of them would be deserving of the title.

However, the sheer muscle density and muscle maturity of Sommerfeld is what made him stand out. Once again, he showed why he is the clear favorite to replace Chris Bumstead as the head of the division. 

While he might not have the most classic shape, he’s the most impressive in terms of size and stage presence. These are arguably the two things that won him the Arnold title.

A Wide Open Division With Big Shoes To Fill

Leading up to the event, all eyes were on Mike Sommerfeld as he looked to step into the shoes of Chris Bumstead. After taking second place at the 2024 Mr. Olympia. He was arguably the favorite to win from the onset. 

In his updates before the competition, it was clear to see that he was in incredible shape. However, many have wondered if he represents more of a bodybuilding-type physique rather than a classical look. Because of this, there was widespread debate as to whether he should be the new face of the division. 

As the event approached, many thought the battle would be between Mike Sommerfeld and Wesley Wissers. With Mike coming second at the Olympia and Wesley holding the 2024 title, these were the two in-form favorites. As you’ll know by now, these big events tend to throw up some surprises. 

The retirement of Chris Bumstead has left a clear void in the Classic division. His incredible physique and overall stage presence will be hard to replace. With this, it’ll likely take some time before we truly recover from his early departure. 

However, after Mike’s win, the division seems to be in safe hands. He might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he’s surely a deserving champion as the division evolves.

The Future Of The Classic Division

Mike’s victory puts down the first big marker as we look for someone to take the classic division reigns. His Arnold Classic win represents a huge milestone in what is arguably the second most important event of the year. 

His win in Columbus has wide-reaching implications for the classic division. It sets the standard regarding what the judges are looking for in the 2025 season. Furthermore, it gives the other competitors a better idea of what to aim for.

If you compare Mike’s physique to Logan’s, it’s like comparing apples to oranges. Mike has the sheer muscle size and density for him to not look out of place on any bodybuilding stage. Logan has the classical lines but is significantly less muscular than Mike, representing more of an old-school-type physique.

With this, it seems like the judges are going with sheer size and stage presence over a more classical look. They’re looking for an imposing figure to take center stage. With today’s results, that figure seems to be Mike Sommerfeld.

Following his win, it’s hard to know exactly what Sommerfeld will do for the rest of the year. With his Olympia qualification secured, he’ll likely build toward October as the season develops.

Conclusion

With another memorable battle coming to a close. Mike Sommerfeld has put down the first big classical marker in 2025. In what was a hotly contested battle, he pulled away from this year’s surprise package, Logan Franklin, in second.

With Chris Bumstead gone, it’s time to look towards the future. One look at today’s lineup, and you’ll see that the classic division is in good hands. For now, the future seems to be Mike Sommerfeld.