Nick Walker’s come-from-behind Mr. Olympia win is still rippling through the bodybuilding community. In an October 5 video, Walker explained why he’s doing the 2027 Arnold Classic. He also elaborated on his rivalry with Derek Lunsford after dethroning him in Las Vegas.
Sin City saw Walker emerge as the 20th Mr. Olympia champion. All season long, he was told that the rest of the field would have to be off for him to claim the Sandow trophy. However, Samson Dauda and Lunsford both brought improved versions of themselves to the 2026 Mr. Olympia.
Despite that, Walker still took them out to make history. Newly crowned Mr. Olympias often take breaks after their triumphs, but not for “The Mutant.” He’s jumping into the 2027 Arnold Classic and is already set to rematch Dauda and Andrew Jacked in Columbus, Ohio.
Nick Walker Explains Why He’s Doing 2027 Arnold Classic, Talks Derek Lunsford Rivalry
In the video, Walker said he’s maintaining an underdog mentality to create more distance between himself and the rest of the Men’s Open:
“It’s just going to be as if I didn’t win. It’s going to be a chip on my shoulder. It’s going to be like I didn’t win. I’m still an underdog. For me, we won, but in my opinion, it was too close, and I want to win with distance. I want to make sure when I win, it’s a clear fucking win. There is no one, two, three. It’s like, yeah, Nick won. Everyone else was here, Nick was here. That’s the way I’m going to look at it for next year.”
He explained that Lunsford is ‘very beatable’ and that they don’t compare when Walker brings his best.
“I know I could beat Derek. I knew Derek was, in my opinion, this is no shade, Derek is beatable. Derek is very beatable. Derek does not match me whatsoever. When Derek is on, he looks great, but when I’m on, I’m better, and that was presented.”
When asked about the Arnold, Walker said he plans to win as many as possible. He also argued that consistently competing could keep him healthier throughout the season.
“Because I want to do the Arnold,” said Walker. “At the end of the day, I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish. Now, it’s just about how many can I get.”
“In a sense, it could be healthier, because now I’m staying leaner. I’m staying in better shape, not getting too fat, bloated.”
Though he’s the reigning Mr. Olympia, not everyone is sold on Walker’s chances at the 2027 Arnold Classic. Head judge Steve Weinberger recently broke down his odds. Overall, ‘Big Steve’ suggested Dauda could beat Nick Walker with sharper posing and stage presence.
Walker is already focused on locking down another prestigious bodybuilding title. The 2027 Arnold Classic is set for March 4-7 in Columbus, Ohio.
