By Christian Duque
Well folks, it didn’t last long. It seems there’s another feud in the sport of bodybuilding as two of the biggest names in the sport are apparently at odds with each other. I’m of course talking about past Arnold Classic champion Nick Walker and Canadian bodybuilding sensation Regan grimes. These two larger than life competitors have inspired countless individuals to pick up the weights and follow their footsteps. Both men have risen through the ranks and received the biggest victories and top honors the sport has to offer. Both men have gone through trials and tribulations and have been able to emerge on the other side on their feet and ready for action. The reality of the matter though is when you’re this good, this gifted, it’s only a question of time until that competitive nature takes hold.
I don’t think either guy has anything personal against the other but they are just on the cutting edge. Both men want to be the best and they are going to battle for the bragging rights of saying which one had the upper hand.
This all started rather innocently on Fouad Abiad’s podcast. When Fouad asked Regan Grimes point blank if he thought he was going to be able to beat Nick Walker at the New York Pro, to which Regan Grimes answered in the affirmative. I have to say though that any bodybuilder that is asked that type of question in an interview is going to answer the same way that Grimes did. And that is because professional bodybuilders do not compete at competitions merely for fun. They don’t do it merely to get their name out there, either. When a bodybuilder agrees to do a bodybuilding show it’s because they have every intention of going to that competition with one thing and one thing only in mind, and that is to emerge victorious. Therefore I don’t really think that it is so controversial that Grimes would have answered the way that he did
But of course I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the collateral damage of that sort of statement. Because not only did Grimes tell Abiad that he would beat Walker at the New York Pro but he also said that Walker would find himself the week after at the LA show still trying to win a qualification. And that is quite frankly a very cold-hearted statement. Because not only does that assume that Walker would not win in New York against Grimes, but it also assumes that Walker would not have won in Pittsburgh where he will be competing the week prior to New York. It’s the kind of comment that goes beyond simply stating overconfidence. It almost seems like Grimes may have something personal against Walker and that right there is going to create all the elements for an all-out feud.
Now feuds aren’t always the worst thing.
As a purist of the sport of bodybuilding I have often said that it is better to have all of the competitors on the same page. Because at the end of the day competitors don’t decide competitions, judges do. So really, what’s the point of having 10 or 15 guys at each other’s throat? It’s not going to make a difference in the call-outs, it’s not going to make a difference with regards to the points each competitor receives, and it certainly isn’t going to make a difference with regards to who emerges victorious. And we must also state that because of the fact that the point system was done away with, the goal to earn an Olympia qualification is all that much higher.
Nobody is doing shows nowadays just for fun. Not that they were ever doing them just for fun in yesteryear, but I think it’s safe to say that right now the stakes could not be higher than they are. Plus a lot of guys want to qualify as early as possible to give themselves the best possible chance to prepare for the Olympia. Because at the end of the day everything in bodybuilding revolves around the Olympia. It is after all the Super Bowl of Bodybuilding. It is the one and only show that determines who is the greatest bodybuilder in the world for a given year.
Now Regan has never come close to winning an Olympia. I don’t even think he’s been in the top 10. Although perhaps he’s been in the top 10 but he’s definitely never been in the top six. So again this comparison is a little dubious seeing as Walker, at least on paper, is far more accomplished than Grimes. Now some might argue what does that exactly mean? Well on paper it isn’t really all that fair of a matchup, but given the fact that Walker has been off the stage for so long, I think the fact that even though he’s more accomplished on paper that may not necessarily reflect the reality that is today.
It’s one thing to win the Arnold Classic two or three years ago and it’s quite another to win it today. To be honest with you, I think that Nick will have a hard time winning in Pittsburgh, a hard time winning in New York, and he may not win in Los Angeles if that is actually a competition that he plans on doing. The bottom line is nothing will be given to him. I feel that last year the New York Pro title was in fact given to him and look what happened. The guy who got robbed went on to place 4th in the world and then beat Chris Bumstead, sending him permanently into retirement. I think the judges that gave the win to Nick last year in New York over Martin are still busy getting the egg off their face in 2025. Therefore, I don’t think Walker is going to be given any presents at Pittsburgh, New York, or anywhere else for that matter. Again, the steaks couldn’t be higher.
The other thing that I find to be very interesting about both Nick Walker and Regan Grimes is the fact that they are both over 300 lb. I honestly don’t understand what the obsession with weighing this much is but it’s been present in the sport for as far back as I can remember. I would say it got started with Dorian but maybe Lee Haney was also pushing at it as well. Guys want to be as heavy as possible because I think psychologically it intimidates the competition. In reality right now Nick’s waist looks bigger than ever and I really don’t think that him weighing over 300 lb is it all justified. Neither one of those guys is going to compete at 300 lb so I don’t understand the obsession with putting maximum numbers on the scale. Moreover, if we’re going to talk about who looks better at 300 plus pounds I would have to say it would be Grimes. Let’s not forget that Grimes is 6 ft tall and Nick Walker is maybe 5 ‘8. Basically Grimes has more space to spread that weight around. Whereas with Walker, we’re already seeing the effects of a blocky physique in the midsection. If this guy wants to blow out his waist then I don’t know what to tell you. Nick Walker does not have an aesthetically pleasing physique to begin with. There is nothing artistic or classic about his lines. Honestly I am not impressed with his look and if now he is going to come in with a bigger waist just to be heavier on stage, then he’s basically sealing his own fate.
Most of the guys that play the size game and are more concerned with the numbers on the scale than what they see in the mirror, are going to place badly. Again I don’t understand what Nick’s methodology is or what he intends to achieve by saying he’s over 300 pounds but to me it looks like 2024 and 2023. If this guy looks like dog shit he’s going to pull out. Just like he has pulled out for two consecutive Olympia’s. I don’t think that people realize how much of a loose can Nick Walker is. At this point in time, he is very much damaged goods.
And listen I understand that that sounds really harsh and really cold but I’m not a fanboy. Maybe you could say that I’m a Martin Fitzwater fanboy, maybe you could say that, but at the end of the day I have never been soft on Martin. I have always been critical and always looked at him with an objective eye. Now it just so happens the guy is a phenom and a future Mr Olympia, but I’m not saying these things because I look up to him as an athlete. I’m saying these things because it is clear as day. And mind you I was saying them way before most of the people that are saying it now said it. And that’s because I saw the potential. Now let me say this, if Grimes does emerge victorious it’s not going to mean anything either. And you know why? Because at this point both of them are basically has-beens. Neither one of these guys have had a decent win in quite some time. So whoever emerges victorious from this little feud, that may serve as a motivating factor to go on and do bigger and better things in the sport, but right now nobody’s talking about either one of these guys. And the only reason a few are, is because of this feud.
Again, feuds are not my cup of tea, they never have been, but they have an undeniable purpose. A good feud can restart a lagging career and it can also help a promoter to sell a shit ton of tickets. Let’s be honest, bodybuilding can be very boring after a while. I have also said this ad nauseam. People get tired of the same mandatory poses over and over again. They get tired of the same posedown music. People just get tired. And a good feud has a way of dividing people and creating havoc on the message boards, Facebook groups, and even on Instagram. People eat feuds up. And that’s why the men’s physique division has been growing ever since it started. Nobody wants to look like a lawn dart but they can’t get enough of the fighting. And now that Jeremy Buendia has turned the page and become this amazing person, the division is kind of getting a little boring. It needs to have a shit-starter and a troublemaker in order to thrive. Whether it’s one heel, two heels, a team of heels, whatever the case may be a little toxicity never hurt any division. And I suspect that this little feud between Nick Walker and Regan Grimes is going to result in a bonanza for all parties involved. And that also begs the question, of whether or not it’s staged. I don’t think either one of these guys is smart enough to put something like that together, but you never know.
At the end of the day, it comes down to who looks better on the day in question. And I’m pretty sure that politics won’t play a role because these guys are both basically has-beens. If they were Olympia top three competitors then politics would definitely show its ugly face.
So who do you have winning at the New York Pro? Nick Walker or Regan Grimes? Or are you like me and just really honestly don’t care lol. In any event this is what is at the top of the news in bodybuilding right now so I – of course – had to pen an article for Iron Magazine. As always, thanks for stopping by. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Be sure to copy and paste the link to this article on all your social media feeds. I guarantee you it’s going to drum up some considerable conversation.
