Less than two weeks separate athletes from the highly anticipated 2026 Mr. Olympia. In a September 15 video, Shawn Ray assessed the Men’s Open landscape. He predicted that reigning two-time champ Derek Lunsford and Nick Walker could both place lower than second.
Lunsford heads into this year’s Mr. Olympia having gone undefeated in 2025. He won the Arnold Classic, Pittsburgh Pro, and Mr. Olympia consecutively, pulling off arguably the most successful season in bodybuilding history.
While Lunsford stepped away for an off-season, Andrew Jacked cemented himself as a top Olympia threat. He picked up three Pro show victories in a row, including the 2025 Romania Pro, 2026 Arnold Classic Ohio, and the AC UK.
Other contenders have made statements ahead of the 2026 Mr. Olympia. Nick Walker claimed silver at the Arnold and won the Tampa Pro. Dauda opted for a warm-up contest before Olympia, and dominated the Europa Pro with a bursting full physique.
Martin Fitzwater last took fourth at the AC UK, but plans to present improvements when he makes his way to Vegas. The lineup is deep, prompting Ray to take a closer look at how the event could unfold.
Shawn Ray Calls 2026 Mr. Olympia ‘Wide Open,’ Shares Doubts About Lunsford & Walker
When asked about Martin Fitzwater moving up to second, Ray shut the idea down quickly:
“I don’t see it happening. Martin… he’s got to be in the right show, right?
“Not the Mr. Olympia, is it too much of a size thing now?” asks Cutler.
“100%. And he doesn’t have the wow factor. When I think of Martin’s physique, I’m thinking what stands out most? He’s not known for his back double biceps, he’s not known for his calves, his biceps are okay, his chest is okay, there’s nothing where it’s like wow!”
Ray labeled the contest ‘wide open,’ but added that it’s Jacked’s ‘show to lose.’ He believes Dauda has a lot of questions to answer from last year and argued Lunsford’s physique is maxed out.
“Right now, I still think to this day, it’s wide open. It’s Andrew Jacked’s show to lose. Samson has a lot to prove in terms of conditioning. I think Derek is totally maxed out. There’s nothing else he can do to his frame. If I’m him, I’m focusing on conditioning. As a matter of fact, I’m coming in lighter.”
If he were in the reigning champ’s shoes, his sole focus would be conditioning:
“Conditioning is the name of the game for him. He needs to just be peeled. If he tries to put on five pounds, he’s screwed. He can’t come in any bigger. He’s too short. He will be boxy. Is he saying he’s coming in heavier? Because that’d be a mistake.”
“If I’m him right now like Ronnie did in ’01 at the Arnold Classic, I’d be coming in my lightest with my most streamlined look,” shared Shawn Ray.
Given the lineup, Ray argued that Fitzwater, Lunsford, and Walker could end up finishing lower than second:
“Fitzwater, Derek, and Nick, all three of those guys could be outside the top two. This could be Samson and Andrew Jacked, and all the shorter guys. I don’t know how they put one of these short guys in between Samson and Andrew. They may, but they may do what happened in ’97 where they had the two big guys next to each other.”
While Shawn Ray has serious doubts about Nick Walker’s Olympia potential, Jay Cutler doesn’t. He recently shared that Walker has the tools to win the 2026 Mr. Olympia title but warned that he’s up against a challenging lineup.
The number one bodybuilder in the world will be crowned next weekend. Fans look forward to witnessing history when the 2026 Mr. Olympia takes over Las Vegas from September 24-27.
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