Bodybuilding veteran Shawn Ray is back with another hot take. In a recent YouTube video shared on Sept. 17, 2025, he urged Urs Kalecinski to skip the Mr. Olympia despite earning a qualification in his Open debut. He also predicted that Nick Walker will place no higher than fourth next month.
Kalecinski’s jump into the Men’s Open couldn’t have gone better. He won the 2025 ProMuscle Italy Pro title against Quinton Eriya in the finals. They rematched in Kalecinski’s home country of Germany at the Europa Pro, which he also won handily.
Winning one Open contest during the bodybuilding season is hard enough, but Kalecinski did it twice. Despite the success, Ray isn’t sold on his chances at the Mr. Olympia, nor does he see Walker moving up onto the podium in three weeks.
Shawn Ray Says Kalecinski Should Skip 2025 Mr. Olympia, Warns Walker: “He Is Pushing the Envelope”
In the video, Ray urged Kalecinski to skip the Mr. Olympia and suggested he think about his career long-term.
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“My advice was don’t go to the Olympia. There’s nothing there for you right now. You’re a work in progress. You just won two pro shows.”
“Now you want to go there, and I don’t know, get eighth, ninth, tenth — there’s nothing to gain there. Now is the time to grow. Then, if he puts on the right type of muscle and the right type of size, he can come back and win the New York Pro and have the whole summer to get ready for next year’s Olympia.”
He believes Kalecinski should use the time to improve his muscle thickness, particularly in his back.
“I’m totally against him doing the Olympia, even though he’s qualified. Because he just made the jump up and he needs to put on more size in certain areas, his back, especially, more thickness, and get more time to get the detail for that mass. That takes time,” said Ray.
If he heeds Ray’s warning, the bodybuilding veteran insists he’ll be a top-five talent at next year’s Olympia.
“I think he’s an automatic top-five guy if he takes a year off. If he goes this year, he’ll be fighting for 6th through 10th.”
Looking ahead, Ray doesn’t see anyone getting past Dauda. However, he predicted that Keone Pearson would be the next Mr. Olympia when he decides to move up permanently.
“The only thing that can happen with Samson is what? Get better. I don’t see Samson losing that title to anybody coming on that stage.”
“He’s the next Mr. Olympia,” said Shawn Ray. “He’s already committed to doing the 212 after last year’s. That muscle maturity comes with time. If you show up too soon, you’re going to be half-baked.”
As for Walker, Ray said he’ll finish in the top four:
“He’s not moving up over third. I got him in the top four this year. He has the potential to be in the top four, but like I told Dallas McCarver, he didn’t want to hear it — I said be careful — be careful what you wish for… because this is a show that will have you do things that you normally wouldn’t do because you’re so close you can taste it.”
He explained that Walker is pushing the envelope and implored him to keep his health in mind throughout prep.
“Some things you might feel, you feel it’s a part of the process, like I’m so hard, I’m so dry, and I’m so close, but if you feel anything, you need to take your foot off the gas. If there’s anything different about your preparation, pay attention to the signs, you got to be careful. He is pushing the envelope.”
Big-name bodybuilders have been quick to offer their thoughts on Kalecinski’s Open ascent. Jay Cutler shared that Kalecinski’s success is sparking a new generation of talent in the IFBB Pro League. He also believes “The Miracle Bear” will be in the top five at the next Mr. Olympia in 2026.
Kalecinski will finally have a chance to stand against the best Open contenders in the world. The 2025 Mr. Olympia goes down Oct. 9-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fitness Volt will have live coverage of the action.
RELATED: Chris Aceto Discusses Urs Kalecinski’s Chances at the 2025 Mr. Olympia
Watch the full video from the CutlerCast YouTube channel below:
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