Men’s Open bodybuilder Nick Walker is officially 2025 Mr. Olympia-bound. On May 18, 2025, he reflected on winning his third New York Pro title and said if he comes to Mr. Olympia four to five pounds heavier, he believes he’ll capture gold in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Fans have waited anxiously for Walker to return onstage. He withdrew from the Olympia for two consecutive years: once because he injured his hamstring, and the other because his body wouldn’t respond to prep.
While he aimed to qualify with a win at the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro, he came up short in a tie-breaker round to Derek Lunsford. Walker didn’t let the setback stop him from his aspirations in the sport. He dominated the New York Pro a week later, sending a warning shot to the rest of the Men’s Open division.
Nick Walker Talks ‘Flawless’ Peak for New York Pro, Says With 4-5 Lbs He’ll Win 2025 Mr. Olympia ‘Hands Down’
In the recent YouTube video, Walker admitted that he thought he won against Lunsford in Pittsburgh.
“I’ll be honest, I thought I won, so it was a little shock for me. I was down in the dumps. We put our hearts and soul into this, and sometimes when things don’t go the way as planned, emotions get a little high, and it’s okay.”
While he was initially discouraged after the loss, Walker knew his path to the next Mr. Olympia went through New York.
“After the show, I cleared my head, got some good food. I said we’re going to go do New York. We’re going to come back better. We’re going to dominate and win with flying colors. I don’t know what the scorecard says but I believe we won with flying colors,” he said.
He argued that he brought an even stronger package to New York, which included better stomach control and posing.
“I believe we looked better than last week. We were harder, drier, we were able to get fuller because we were able to push food a little harder. We just pulled off a great win. I think I had better stomach control, better posing, and everything just went flawless.”
With an additional four or five pounds, ‘The Mutant’ believes he’ll lay claim to his first Mr. Olympia title in October.
“My goal is to come back, and I’d like to be about four to five pounds heavier. Get a better waist, an even tighter waist, and just get better conditioning.
Honestly, if I have the package that I had tonight, probably a couple of pounds bigger, I think I’ll win the Mr. Olympia hands down.”
Walker wields incredible momentum ahead of the Olympia. Fans and bodybuilding veterans alike, such as Dorian Yates and Rich Gaspari, believe that he deserved the nod over Lunsford at the Pittsburgh Pro. Some fans have gone so far as to call it a robbery.
Walker intends to make history at his next Mr. Olympia contest. The event is scheduled for October 9-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Watch the full video from the NPCNewsOnline YouTube channel below:
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