by Christian Duque
It’s more or less confirmed that Nick “The Mutant” Walker is doing the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro. That’s right, bodybuilding is back in Pittsburgh, and the fans couldn’t be any happier. Walker has been a longtime fan-favorite for his offstage demeanor and the fact he loves to battle on stage. He’s larger than life and is a mass monster if there ever was one. We all know how much the Olympia crowd values size. It’s been that way since Ronnie in 2003, Dorian in the 90’s and when Lee Haney totally transformed the look of the top bodybuilder in the world.
While the fans value aesthetics and flow, there’s just something about size that makes so many bodybuilding fans’ heart race. The fans love it, the judges seem to reward it handsomely, and the press love to write about it.
On the one hand, one look at Walker and we know that his physique is never going to gain mainstream appeal. No one can look like that without boatloads of food, tons of heavy training, and everything but the kitchen sink in terms of PED’s. That’s just how it is.
On the flipside, the fans and the press love the whole mutant vibe. It’s as if they’ve tapped into the same spirit that catapulted Markus Ruhl to superstart status. Even though Markus never won the Olympia or the Arnold, he won the NOC and some other titles. The fans just couldn’t get enough. And in many ways Walker is the Das Freak of the 2020’s.
It would be epic to see Nick back on stage at 100%. To date, he’s earned himself the nickname of Nick “Walkaway,” more than “The Mutant.” This year’s O marked the second consecutive Olympia that Walker signed to do, but actually dropped out of. It’s a calling card that has made him drop both in the placings but also in terms of public opinion. Apparently, the 2025 Arnold was off the table. The former ASC champ said that the 2025 Arnold was “too soon.”
Too soon? Yeah, apparently he didn’t want to get on a stage with the likes of Derek or Samson. At least that’s how I read it. Nonetheless, Walker knows that unless he competes sometime this upcoming year, that he might as well kiss goodbye any chance of doing the 2025 Olympia. He’s also not in the running for a special invite. Most fans think he’s done. Others think he might come back at some point. What’s depressing is how many fans still hold out that hope for Kai Greene. That’s the category Nick currently finds himself in.
So what happens if Nick signs his athlete contract to do Pittsburgh and then drops out? Well, it would be the same as the Olympia. The only difference is that Pittsburgh is the President’s show. While there’s always the chance he won’t compete, he’ll at least be in the venue. That crew cares more about having the athletes in the house than anything else. Of course, they’d love to get Walker to compete, but as long as he’s in the house, that’ll suffice. The only unforgivable sin is what Big Ramy did in 2022. He was billed to be there and skipped the show. He didn’t compete, he didn’t appear, and he didn’t say anything for ten straight days. Needless to say, he lost the Olympia that year. Walker would at least show up, but there’s a strong chance he won’t compete – even though he’s saying he will in December 2024.
2025 will also be a huge test for Walker as he won’t have Matt Jansen in his corner. Very much like Lunsford and Choopan who have been forced to move on without their longtime coach, Walker made what many called a much-needed break. Guys like Walker and Shaun Clarida have been all but forced to find new coaches and see how that works out for them. For Walker, it adds another dimension to an already complicated active competitor profile. It’s just one more thing that could go wrong. At this point, he’s running out of options to stay relevant.
The Pittsburgh announcement is a nice way to end a tumultuous year for Walker. His fans are certainly responding in kind and quite a few people I know from the boards are already making travel arrangements. They want to see Nick back at 100%. But will he be 100%? I mean how much time needs to pass for him to make a full recovery? And do we know what actually sidelined him from the 2024 Mr. Olympia? Because I think that’s still in doubt.
I know that a lot of people seem to think that I want to see Nick fail because he has me blocked, or whatever. I can assure you as a writer for Iron Magazine with over 800 articles to my name that that is categorically untrue. I may not like bodybuilders with the kind of onion-thin-skin to block journalists, but I don’t wish him anything but success. I, personally, don’t think he has a look that can beat Samson. He could beat Derek, but he can’t beat Andrew Jacked or Martin on aesthetics. And again, that’s just my take. However, if Walker or any other kind of mass monster comes in freaky-huge and dialed in, if they pose hard, and they get that audience going nuts, THEY CAN WIN. They can and have won huge titles. And however the placings are decided, it makes for a rip roaring bodybuilding show!!
Could we see this kind of a contest at 2025 Pittsburgh? I’d say absolutely yes! And if Nick Walker emerged victorious from that kind of a contest – that would certainly put him back on the map, get him a much-needed Olympia qualification, and give him a huge wave of momentum to ride into the Superbowl of Bodybuilding. If Nick dominated the lineup, that would restore a lot of the lost trust he enjoyed from the fans.
The longer a top athletes spends away from the stage, the more his stock starts to plummet. Walker’s stock has certainly taken a hit, but all it takes is one big win. He’s been smart not to throw his hat into shows he simply can’t win, right now at least. I’m sure there’s been people in his ear and his camp who tried to get him to throw his hat into the Columbus contest quickly approaching, but I think he had the sense to zone them out. Nick would’ve been annihilated at the 2025 Arnold, but winning the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro looks totally doable.
Do you think Nick Walker will actually compete at the 2025 Pittsburgh? Do you think he could win? As always, thanks for reading my article, here, at Iron Magazine. Be sure to share a link to this article on all your social media feeds. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments.
