by Christian Duque
That’s right folks – The Mutant just can’t stop sharing on social media. There are daily physique updates, he’s doing really cool things with fans at shows on stage, and he’s taking Pittsburgh as seriously as one would expect he’d take the Mr Olympia. This is, after all, the President’s show, so it’s good to see the former North American champion firing on all cylinders for this comeback (of sorts).
The Pittsburgh may be Walker’s true return to the stage. I think we can all agree that the 2024 NY Pro was a fluke. The show was fantastic, but the decision to crown Walker the champion was all but a bad joke by today’s standards. The powers that be miscalculated on that one. They were probably surprised that even bootlickers like Bob Cicherillo questioned the judges’ decision to award Nick the win over Martin. And that’s not me fanboying. That’s just how the cookie crumbled. That said, I’m pleased that Nick isn’t going to bring whatever physique he slaps together in hopes that he emerges with the win. That might have worked last year against Martin (at a time when his only win was the Detroit Pro and he’d never stepped foot on an Olympia stage). Given those circumstances, perhaps the judges thought they could pull a fast one, but not now. They couldn’t do that with Martin, today, and they certainly can’t do it in Pittsburgh, with the likes of Martin and Derek in the mix. The question is, how high-stakes is Pittsburgh for The Mutant?
Nick does get high praise for being so active during his prep. He’s definitely making people want to trek to Pittsburgh for the contest. I give praise, when deserved.
Even though Nick Walker has me blocked on Instagram, I’m not going to deny him his props. He’s doing the business of bodybuilding and his physique is really coming together. Even though I’m not a fan of his look, he’s doing the best with what he’s got. And I have to say that I admire that. He’s not trying to reinvent the wheel and he’s not trying to reinvent himself. He’s not making any drastic changes. He knows what he brings and he’s going to do his best to bring the freakiest, grainiest, and fullest physique to the stage. Nick’s not going into this competition looking to be the next Lee Labrada or Bob Paris. He knows that that is not who he is. And I think he is also cognizant of the fact that whenever guys try to flip the script well into their pro careers, they seldom if ever, are successful.
Unlike a lot of the competitors going into this contest, for better or for worse, Nick is aware that physique’s alone are not going to do it for the media – and most definitely are not going to do it for the fans. Maybe once upon a time bodybuilding was about muscle, symmetry, and proportions. Maybe back when it was in its nascent stages that’s all that people wanted to see. But then again I don’t know if that was true either. Because even if you go back to Pumping Iron, there were simmering rivalries between the top guys. And even though the producers had to write in some trivialities to create more buzz, there were tense moments between the guys that were completely organic and real. For example, there was a rivalry between Robbie Robinson and Frank Zane. There was a rivalry between Arnold and Mike Mentzer. There was a rivalry between Sergio and Arnold. It’s not to say that these rivalries were toxic, but if social media had been around then, you can bet your bottom dollar these guys would not have stayed quiet. For whatever reason, you still have competitors that are purists. They’re not going to mix it up and they’re not going to trash talk. Nick Walker is not one of these guys.
Trash talk and drama keep the fans engaged. That’s not debatable.
Just today, April 15th, the dreaded tax deadline for most Americans, Nick Walker was on social media telling the world that he could beat everybody in Pittsburgh. This includes Derek Lunsford, who is a past Olympia champion. This also includes Martin Fitzwater who many, like yours truly, believe was robbed by Nick Walker at the New York Pro in 2024. And even though The Mutant walked away with the win, I’m sure that it is a thorn in his side to constantly be reminded that he won that show by the skin of his teeth. And what’s even more, is that he didn’t do the Olympia last year, but Martin Fitzwater did. Imagine how Walker must feel that the guy that everyone believes beat him in New York actually placed fourth in the world at an Olympia that he wasn’t present at. I think part of the trash talk is that it’s personal. I think last year he wanted to face off with Derek and couldn’t. I think last year he wanted to face off with Martin, but couldn’t. I think Pittsburgh is going to represent a reckoning day for a guy that many people have written off. But the question is, is he even going to show up?
I know that that may be very insulting to Nick and to his fans, but this is an individual that has a track record that isn’t exactly very inspiring when it comes to actually showing up at contests. This is a guy that has missed two consecutive Olympias. And if he doesn’t win in Pittsburgh, chances are, he’s not going to try to qualify again for the 2025 O. And it’s for this reason that I believe they’re going to give him the win just like they gave him the win in New york. Now, Pittsburgh is a lot bigger of a show and there’s going to be a lot more top talent, but that being said, they can do whatever they want. If we have learned anything up until now, it’s that there are no consequences for bad judging. So what, maybe some of the pundits will sound off, but really who is that going to affect in the long run? It’s not going to change the judging decision and it’s not going to have any bearing on what the judges do in the future. If they could give the win to Nick last year in New York – given that he looked like shit – what’s to say they won’t do the same thing in Pittsburgh? Everyone will fall in line – just like they always do.
But there is another interesting phenomenon. I believe that while Pittsburgh may like Nick, I believe they like Derek more. I don’t think that they would allow Derek to suffer the indignity of losing to Nick on their stage, unless Nick totally deserved the W. Especially after Derek won the Arnold Classic in commanding form against the reigning Mr O. I would say that Derek has positioned himself in such a way as to reclaim the Sandow. I think Lunsford is in a place in his career where he could be the second man in over 60 years to do what Jay Cutler did in 2009. If anybody could ever reclaim the title it’s him. not Hadi. Even though Choopan looks phenomenal, he has fallen from the grid. He’s not being talked about, and we will probably not see him again until this year’s Olympia. But for the vast majority of fans, Derek is the defacto #1 in the world.
Samson has fallen from stature because of his embarrassing loss in Columbus. Even though he placed second and fought hard, no Mr Olympia is supposed to lose anywhere, let alone, the second biggest show in bodybuilding. And it’s not just that he lost, Arnold went and took a picture with Derek – not with him. Even Arnold had Derek winning. So for Derek to then go and do Pittsburgh and take a loss to a guy like Nick Walker, just doesn’t sound like it’s going to be in the cards. That being said, Nick Walker makes the Olympia a lot of money and if this is Nick’s one and only attempt to qualify, the pressure may be on and they may give him the W after all.
That said, I think that Nick wants to bring his best. I think that after last year’s very questionable outcome in New York, his pride has been struck in a way that it would not sustain a second “win” such as that. I think it comes down to giving his all and doing his best. The problem is Nick does not do well under pressure. He’s either going to come in looking phenomenal or he’s going to have a slip up. And if he has a slip up, is he still going to take the stage or is he going to find a way to back out of it?
The danger with posting as much as Nick is posting is that he may not be able to live up to his own hype. As I have always said over the years, especially as I have near 1,000 articles at Iron Magazine, it’s this, shows are not won on social media. Nick may post so much and talk so much crap that it may come back to haunt him. Right now I think the person to be is Hadi. Nobody is talking about him, nobody is bothering him, but he is more than likely building one of the best physiques that he has ever presented on stage. I have a feeling he’s going to come into Las Vegas and reclaim the title, but Las Vegas is another lifetime away. Right now we’re talking about Pittsburgh. We’re talking about Derek, we’re talking about Nick, and we’re talking about Martin. Who will emerge victorious?
If you go by next social media, it’s Nick and only Nick. if you go by his social media, first place has his name all over it. Really the only thing left to figure out is who’s going to be second on down. While I applaud Nick for his bravado and his self-confidence, I certainly hope he can back up the talk on stage. It’s one thing to pose by yourself with goon lighting or against a wall. But when you’re up against the best of the best, in tip top shape, and posing hard onstage, it’s quite a different story.
What do you think about Nick’s social media postings? His constant updates? Do you think this is a man destined to win Pittsburgh and win his first Olympia in 2025? Or do you think it’s just a bunch of hot air for social media? As always, thank you for reading my article, here, at IronMag. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. People will definitely want to be heard on this one!
