Bob Cicherillo and Shawn Ray are taking a closer look at two of the frontrunners heading into the 2026 Arnold Classic. On Feb. 19, they discussed Martin Fitzwater calling media ‘garbage’ and whether Nick Walker should jump into the Arnold Classic UK.
After placing sixth at the Mr. Olympia, Nick Walker is eager to redeem himself. Since the performance, he parted ways with his coach, Kyle Wilkes. “The Mutant” has pushed through prep on his own. In 2021, Walker won the Arnold Classic, making him a definite contender for gold.
Martin Fitzwater was able to edge past Walker at the Mr. Olympia en route to fifth place. He’s got momentum too, thanks to his big win over Samson Dauda at the Prague Pro. In their latest endeavor, Cicherillo and Ray laid out what lies ahead for both contenders outside of the imminent contest.
Bob Cicherillo, Ray on Fitzwater Calling Media Garbage & Walker Possibly Competing at 2026 Arnold Classic UK
In the video, Cicherillo pointed out that Fitzwater has been looking for attention, which is why he labeled the media ‘garbage.’
“One guy now looking for attention now is Martin Fitzwater, who has gone out and said that he thinks most of the bodybuilding media is garbage. He doesn’t particularly care for it. I would contend, like, who cares? Do I care if Martin thinks we’re idiots, or thinks anyone is an idiot?”
He added that Fitzwater never mentioned anyone in particular, and that his opinion doesn’t affect their coverage of bodybuilding:
“He didn’t mention anybody in particular. Let’s just say he’s putting everyone in as a group, listen, we rarely have guests on here. We pretty much give our opinions on the state of bodybuilding and various things.
Him having an opinion on this doesn’t change one iota of what you and I do. Whether he thinks we’re morons, he thinks we’re the greatest guys in the world, or anything in between, it doesn’t really impact any of our coverage.”
As for Nick Walker, Ray suggested it was a ‘smart play’ for him to keep his options open on competing at the Arnold Classic UK.
“Again, that could be something where he could maybe have a change of heart after the Arnold because it’s not an invitational.
He may go into the Arnold and do whatever he’s going to do and have a pizza and go, you know what? I’m going to go to the UK, this looks pretty good for me. It would be a surprise but they wouldn’t tell him no. Him keeping that option open is probably a smart play for him,” he said.
While Cicherillo’s confidence in Walker winning the Arnold Classic is low, it’s not zero. He recently laid out how Walker could claim the victory. According to ‘The Voice of Bodybuilding,’ his only path to the title is to come in at 100 percent while the other contenders don’t.
The Men’s Open class will headline the second biggest event of the year soon. The 2026 Arnold Classic is set for March 5-8 in Columbus, Ohio.
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