It’s almost time for the action to unfold at the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro. Ahead of the contest, Shawn Ray provided his predictions for the event on April 30, 2025.
The Pittsburgh Pro lineup is stacked with high-profile Open bodybuilding stars. Derek Lunsford is an on-paper favorite to win, and he enters this event with huge momentum after upsetting Samson Dauda at the 2025 Arnold Classic.
Pittsburgh will also see Nick Walker make his return to the bodybuilding stage after withdrawing from the last two Mr. Olympia contests. 2024 Olympia fourth-place finisher Martin Fitzwater will aim to earn gold along with other frontrunners, including Michal ‘Krizo’ Krizanek and Ugolnikov ‘Good Vito’ Vitalii.
Shawn Ray’s Official Picks for the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro
Find Ray’s picks below, which were featured in a recent YouTube video:
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- Winner — Derek Lunsford
- Second Place — Nick Walker/Martin Fitzwater
- Third Place — Ugolnikov ‘Good Vito’ Vitalii
According to Ray, the contest will boil down to either shape or muscles, leaving the judges with a difficult task ahead.
“It could be a muscular competition, or it could be a shape competition. Fitzwater wins in the shape department. I think Derek wins this show and Nick and Fitzwater are going to be battling it out for second place, but we got one other guy I’m looking at coming out of Brazil at the Arnold Classic that might throw a monkey wrench in this whole thing.”
“He’s got a lot of muscle right? I saw him win the Arnold Classic only online. I wasn’t there in person. I’m not a big fan of the midsection because he’s just missing a little bit of detail. His legs are on par with Nick Walker if not better.”
When asked whether Walker has a chance at winning, Ray emphasized that he has a chance. However, he warned Walker to be mindful of his delts as he worries they could become too overpowering, which could throw off the balance of his physique.
“He’s got a chance. He’s got to be very careful with those deltoids. We saw that happening with Nasser El Sonbaty of my day.
We saw that happen with Big Ramy, throwing off his balance, and even Hadi Choopan, they were critical about his shoulders. Nick Walker has now put himself in the critical to watch out for, the deltoid area, which might become an eyesore.”
In Ray’s opinion, Walker’s muscle density could give top contenders issues on stage who depend on aesthetic shape.
“It could be something he gets marked down for. He’s got to be careful with those delts. He doesn’t have the prettiest physique, like you said.
We watched Branch Warren win two Arnold Classics and a first Olympia runner-up with that physique. He’s capable, like Branch, of beating guys that are actually better than him based on his pure muscle,” he shared.
The Pittsburgh Pro takes place from May 10-11, with many labeling it as the ‘show of the year.’ Whoever takes home gold will be one step closer to claiming glory on the Olympia stage this October.
Watch the full video from the Ron Harris Muscle YouTube video below:
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