Derek Lunsford’s win over Nick Walker at the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro has the bodybuilding community talking. On May 14, 2025, head judge Steve Weinberger discussed the outcome, calling it the closest show he’s seen in years.
Heading into the Pittsburgh Pro, Walker was largely counted out by fans and voices of the sport. His absence from the Mr. Olympia in 2023 and 2024 left some doubting his potential. However, in his return, he made up for lost time.
Walker pushed Lunsford in every pose, showcasing a tight waist, refined posing, and bigger legs. His lower body was especially impressive considering the hamstring tear he suffered just two years ago. The contest’s outcome was decided by a tiebreaker round with Lunsford narrowly edging past Walker. Recapping the event, Weinberger is shedding light on how the judges arrived at their decision.
‘Nick Got a Little Softer’ – Steve Weinberger Dissects 2025 Pittsburgh Pro Results
In the recent YouTube video, Weinberger, who judged the contest, claimed Walker got a little softer in the finals, whereas Lunsford appeared harder, leading to his victory.
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“As we were posing them, unfortunately, Nick lost a little bit of that edge, and Derek got a little bit of a better edge, and that’s why he got the win. He got a little tighter and Nick got a little softer,” explained Steve Weinberger.
Weinberger thought Lunsford won the back double biceps pose, but mentioned Walker held his own in this shot.
“Yes, I do, Derek’s back got hard. Nick had a tremendous amount of muscle on his back, but it got a little softer. If you look at that last posedown, you’ll see it,” he shared. “Nick’s back was nothing to sneeze at. It was extremely close; maybe five minutes earlier, it would have been different. The body changes minute by minute.”
He said Walker had no weak poses and called the show a coin toss.
“He [Walker] didn’t have a bad pose to tell you the truth,” said Weinberger. “It was literally a coin toss. It was the closest show we’ve seen in years.”
Weinberger emphasized that Walker silenced the doubters with this performance:
“He shut everybody up. He proved himself to be the bodybuilder that he claimed to be. Instagram means nothing onstage. Nothing means anything on stage except what you bring. What you say, what you do, what you promise means nothing.”
Walker hasn’t let the defeat hold him back from pursuing a qualification for the Mr. Olympia. Just a day after taking silver in Pittsburgh, he confirmed his entry for Weinberger’s annual New York Pro, scheduled for May 17 in Teaneck, New Jersey.
It seems the public consensus is that Walker should have won in Pittsburgh. Thus far, six-time Olympia winner Dorian Yates and bodybuilding veteran Rich Gaspari have both stated that they thought Walker did enough to secure the win.
After presenting the best physique of his career, Walker has reinserted himself in the Olympia title picture. Don’t miss full coverage of the New York Pro this weekend here at Fitness Volt.
RELATED: Phil Heath Recaps 2025 Pittsburgh Pro, Discusses Whether Nick Walker Got Robbed
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