As Nick Walker’s prep for the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro begins, bodybuilding veterans are breaking down how he might fare at the Olympia in due time. On January 5, 2025, Dennis James and Chris Cormier discussed Walker’s chances against Derek Lunsford and Samson Dauda, should they face off again.
Nick Walker was forced to bow out of the last two Mr. Olympias, once due to injury, and the other because his body wasn’t responding to prep properly. Despite his time away from the stage, he remains one of the most popular and talked-about athletes in the IFBB Pro League.
Walker has announced plans to compete at the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro, which will host the Men’s Open division for the first time. Not only will ‘The Mutant’ have a shot at a massive purse, but he’ll get to test himself against Martin Fitzwater, the third-best bodybuilder in the world. If he passes the test and wins, he’ll be one step closer to rematching Samson Dauda and Derek Lunsford on the Mr. Olympia stage.
Dennis James Says Nick Walker ‘Has a Lot to Prove,’ Discusses If His Freak Factor Can Overwhelm Derek Lunsford & Samson Dauda
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During the YouTube video, Dennis James kicked off discussions about Nick Walker. He believes the Men’s Open star plans to focus on size moving forward.
“Nick, I saw a post of him yesterday, where he said something about ‘You guys want the freak back, the freak is back.’ Or something similar, don’t quote me, which tells me he is going to go for size,” shared James. “Can he stand next to Samson? We know how confident Nick is.”
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Cormier agrees that Walker has to bring the freak factor since his physique lacks aesthetics.
“He’s done it before. He’s got to bring the freak factor because he’s not going to be the most aesthetically pleasing,” explains Cormier. “He’s not going to finesse you. He’s got to knock it out of the park.”
According to Cormier, it’s going to be challenging for Walker to out-muscle Samson Dauda, who is seemingly at his all-time best.
“I don’t know with the shape Samson has. It’s going to be hard for anyone to beat if he’s on, for anyone in the world,” Cormier adds.
“Samson has a way superior physique. Like I said, he’d have to be so off for Nick to beat him but that’s not going to happen,” shares Sarcev.
As for how Walker fares against Lunsford, James emphasized that ‘The Mutant’ beats him handily in every pose except the front and back double biceps.
“Nick is way freakier in every pose, every pose. I think the only pose where Derek is freakier than Nick is in the front double because of his lats. Not because of his arms but because of his lats. Other than that, I think Nick will overpower him in every pose. Could that be enough to beat Derek? If Derek comes in better than the Olympia and comes in like Chris is thinking?” asks Dennis James.
“It’s a tough match. I’m just saying it could be tough for anybody,” shares Cormier.
Sarcev argues that Walker’s chances are better against Lunsford than Dauda, thanks to his freak factor.
“It’s easier to beat Derek [if you’re Nick Walker] because they are the same height and like I said, he has that freak factor. He looks freakier in every pose except the front double biceps for example and maybe back double biceps,” shared Sarcev.
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Given his last two contest withdrawals, Dennis James believes Walker has a lot to prove on the horizon, with his first chance at redemption coming against Martin Fitzwater at the Pittsburgh Pro.
“He has a lot to prove. Nick has a lot to prove. He can’t come in at half-ass because he missed two Olympias. He wasn’t at his best at the New York Pro last year. He barely, it didn’t look like it on paper, but he barely beat Martin Fitzwater and Martin Fitzwater is going to be a better competitor this year,” shared James.
While some in the sport have doubts about Nick Walker, judge Terrick El Guindy isn’t one of them. He believes Walker’s doubters will ‘eat their words’ soon, adding that he will earn his qualification for the 2025 Mr. Olympia one way or another.
Experiencing more doubt from outsiders than ever before, Walker has a unique opportunity in front of him. Time will tell if he manages to make it back to Mr. Olympia, where he’ll have the chance at redemption by rematching with Lunsford and Dauda.
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