The bodybuilding community is still coming to terms with the 2026 Mr. Olympia results. In a video (November 3, 2026), Hidetada ‘Hide’ Yamagishi compared Nick Walker to Jay Cutler and said he was untouchable at the recent Mr. Olympia contest.
Nick Walker went against the odds and secured the Sandow trophy in Las Vegas. He beat Samson Dauda, Derek Lunsford, and Andrew Jacked on his way to gold. Since the triumph, he’s been open about his goals. Nick wants to break Jay Cutler’s Olympia and Arnold Classic records, but he’s still got a ways to go.
Speaking with Jay on the latest Cutler Cast podcast, 2023 Masters Olympia winner Yamagishi shed light on the current state of the Men’s Open.
Hidetada Yamagishi Sees Cutler Qualities in Nick Walker
In the video, Yamagishi expressed admiration for Walker, noting that he didn’t let outside noise affect his preparation or peak for the Mr. Olympia.
“Nick, I admire Nick. He was kind of like you. He never gave up, you know? If I were him, I would be bent by all the critique. I don’t know, I couldn’t.”
“He got all this nonsense on social media but he never really listened to anyone. I don’t know the whole story. To me, he never gave up. He just made it. He was good to anyone, gave us messages, saying you shouldn’t be giving up on your dream. You should pursue it,” shared Yamagishi.”
Not only was Hide blown away by Nick’s fortitude, but he labeled him untouchable at the 2026 Olympia when he looked at what other competitors brought to the stage.
“They are close [Andrew Jacked, Derek Lunsford, Samson Dauda], but I think on that day, he [Nick Walker] was just untouchable. They are pretty close obviously. I’m no judge. I don’t judge. These judges, I don’t know how they do these close decisions on the Olympia stage each year. AI will come in, one of their judges will be AI [soon], I don’t know. I think the days are coming; a different era.”
The IFBB Pro League circuit continues to churn, with competitors already eyeing their next contests. Instead of sitting out and doing a victory lap, Walker has jumped into the stacked 2027 Arnold Classic, where, at least, $750,000 awaits its Men’s Open winner. The 2027 Arnold Classic is set for March 4-7 in Columbus, Ohio. Fitness Volt will have exclusive live coverage of the action.
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