Questions surrounding Nick Walker‘s ability to win the 2025 Mr. Olympia are picking up steam. In a recent YouTube video shared on May 20, 2025, head judge Steve Weinberger discussed how Walker could possibly win the sport’s greatest title.
Mystery and doubt followed Nick Walker ahead of his last two shows. He was forced to bow out of the Mr. Olympia for two consecutive years, once due to injury and the other because his body stopped responding to preparations.
He bounced back with a major performance at the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro. While he didn’t lay claim to the title, he gave the winner, Derek Lunsford, all he could handle onstage. The scorecards read a tie, but Lunsford narrowly beat Walker in a tie-breaking round during the finals. Walker later secured his qualification for Olympia following his third victory at the New York Pro.
Steve Weinberger Says Nick Walker’s ‘Right In There’ to Win the 2025 Mr. Olympia: “His Condition & Shape Have Changed’
During the recent YouTube video, Weinberger spoke on Walker’s potential to win the 2025 Mr. Olympia, sharing that his performance in Pittsburgh proved that he can.
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“Well, I think last week he proved that he can [win the 2025 Mr. Olympia],” shared Weinberger.
“His condition and shape have changed. He’s controlling his stomach. I honestly think when he first came out in Pittsburgh, he looked awesome. He was rock-hard. I don’t know what happened, if he ate something or just got nervous and started holding water, but as the show went on, he started holding water.”
He was impressed with Walker’s look in New York but thought the physique he brought to prejudging during the Pittsburgh Pro was his all-time best.
“I thought he looked great in New York, but I thought last week in Pittsburgh, the beginning was his all-time best.”
“His legs came up, and his back came up. You know what? You can always have more sweep on your thigh, and you can always have more density on your back. It’s not like always here just control it, you need to get better all the time.”
Despite the naysayers, Weinberger emphasized that Walker continues to improve and is better than he was three years ago.
“The more personality, the better it is [for the sport]. You don’t want guys out there [who aren’t entertaining], you want guys full of passion, ready to explode, ready to go,” shared Weinberger.
“It shows you that he has a good frame of mind; he doesn’t let that stuff get to him. There’s a lot of people out there, they think they know what they’re talking about and they look at someone and decide and don’t realize that people get better. He is getting better. Look at Nick Walker three years ago and look at him today, there’s no comparison.”
Looking at the Olympia title picture, Weinberger believes Walker is ‘right in there’ to win.
“I think Nick is right in there. I think if Martin doesn’t come in big and comes in hard, he’s right in there. Andrew Jacked can put it together, he’s right in there. You got half a dozen guys right there that can actually do damage.”
Walker will have his hands full when he makes his way back to the Mr. Olympia. Reigning champion Samson Dauda and former titleholders Hadi Choopan and Lunsford all have the potential to succeed when the show returns from October 9-12.
Watch the full video from the Rx Muscle – Truth in Bodybuilding YouTube channel below:
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