by Christian Duque
Xavier Will’s Desktop Bodybuilding has been growing slowly but surely. With close to 40k subs in the post bell-notification Youtube world, he’s worked tirelessly to put numbers on the boards. He’s made sure not to burn bridges and is incredibly well-placed. Having gotten his start with RX Muscle and showing Palumbo serious respect, he hit the ground running with a good bit of momentum. He’s even earned the accolades of Nick Miller from Nick’s Strength & Power. Miller is a nice guy but given Wills’ is basically doing the same thing he is – and arguably better – things could have gone south easily. They didn’t. Miller has embraced the rising star.
That said, Xavier has had some bumps in the road particularly in the days when he lacked sponsors. He also showed his mettle when YouTube momentarily demonetized some of his videos. I wrote an article on that point for Iron Magazine encouraging him to press on and I’m glad that he did. Xavier has landed key advertisers, stayed on Youtube’s good side, and managed to continue growing his brand in the industry. Everyone respects him and what he’s doing. I’m pretty sure he has good ties to Nick Trigili (cornering the TMZ side of the sport) and even some of the legends of yesteryear like Lee Priest. No one has a bad thing to say and Wills has also proven that you don’t necessarily need to be U.S. based to be a major media success. In fact, his latest project includes the Aussie media mogul and three of the sport’s most decorated champions.
The new unnamed podcast stands to take the bodybuilding world by storm. Right now there’s simply nothing that can touch Bro Chat but many people have grown tired of that program’s vibe. Although they rotate panelists from show to show no one can stay on top forever. There’s nothing wrong with BC. It’s a funny show that delves into some pretty outlandish topics. On the other hand I could see where competitors and fans might want a slightly more profound type program. In just one episode of the unnamed podcast featuring Wills, Nathan De Asha, Brett Wilkin, and Martin Fitzwater, the guys discussed topics in the sport that Fouad would never allow his panel to discuss on air.
Take the $10k shows for example. Xavier introduced a great topic relative to the issue of inflation and how contest prize money should be commensurate with spending power. He pointed to Darrem Charles as being the King of the 10k shows. That was ages ago, way before $5 gasoline prices, and way before the uncertainty we currently find ourselves in. And what about the pro masters bodybuilding shows? Some of those purses pay a measly $3,000 to the winner. That’s a joke if there ever was one! If this unnamed podcast continues on this path, then I suspect it will steal a lot of thunder from Bro Chat.
Plus the fact most of the guys formerly had ties to Hostile is noteworthy. And while they are all professional and want to keep things civil, there are a few misgivings about the subjective definition of what a real friendship is. Watch the show for more.
That said, I really hope that this show won’t walk on eggshells when it comes to the other program. I can see some rivalries getting more real between Nick Walker and Brett Wilkin. These guys are both in very promising parts of their careers and word is they’re not friendly. I could also see Fouad and maybe even some of his more senior fellow-panelists taking digs at this new show. Not only do I expect it, but I think that would make for great entertainment. I’m sure ideally everyone would like to get along and be positive, but no one gets out of bed to be #2. I highly doubt that the Desktop show will strike first blood and I wouldn’t be surprised if they bite their tongues over the course of the first few shots fired at them. Right now they’re doing their homework. They need a name, they need to figure out when they’re going to film, what they’re going to talk about and how far they’re willing to go. What will Xavier do if he gets a phone call? Will he water his efforts down or will he press on? Also, who’s in charge? Yes, it’s on Xavier’s platform and yes Xavier is in the same spot that Fouad positions himself in (upper right, literally), but is he the top dog or is it one of the three pro’s? If it’s a democracy that might be good – provided they can get 3 to vote a certain way. Too many ties and they won’t ever be able to do anything. I’m sure they’ve discussed this and have a great working model, but when it comes to Bro Chat, it’s clearly Fouad’s baby. If this podcast will be a true democracy that could be very powerful to say the least!
If this podcast will feature the same four guys and everyone has an equal say then what you’re going to have is a program that’s an extension of each guy. Meaning each guy will promote it as a project of their own and that’s fantastic! When you’re promoting a show where you’re a special guest or even a recurring guest, that’s totally different than when you’re promoting something that’s yours. If that’s the case then it’s not like Fouad vs Xavier, it’s Fouad vs 4 hungry guys who all have deep roots in the industry.
Also the demographics of this new show are different from BC. With the exception of Walker, Bro Chat tends to have hosts that are well into their 40’s and beyond. There’s something for everyone in bodybuilding. Whereas MD commands bodybuilding audiences in their 20’s and 30’s, RX Muscle is the #1 bodybuilding outlet for fans in the 60-85 bracket. Evolution of Bodybuilding does fantastic numbers internationally and Johnny Bravo gets hits across all age ranges because of the super high production value his content is known for. This new show at Desktop will undoubtedly resonate a lot better with younger fans because they have younger hosts. And to be honest, I have no clue what Nathan’s age is, but he looks and more importantly sounds, young. He’s a rebel and a fighter and that transcends age and geographic location anyways. And who can gloss over The Prophecy? He’s without a doubt one of the most iconic top bodybuilders of his day. He speaks his mind 24/7!
I have to give major kudos to Xavier and his two colleagues for working with Nathan. It’s not like Nathan is a bad guy or anything, but he’s definitely dangerous. He’s a truth-teller, a rebel with a cause, and a guy who never takes a backward step. Although our sport has some pretty jacked dudes, most of the competitors are softies. They don’t ever take a stand – even for issues that directly affect them! Whenever Nathan speaks people listen and he can back it up. The fact De Asha is involved gives the program automatic edginess and separates it from the pack. If Fouad or his buddies at BC take any shots at this show, Nathan would be the one to put an end to that nonsense quite quickly.
I know some of you probably think I’m trying to start something from nothing, but I’m telling you how this industry works. If this new show starts to get traction and starts to become a direct rival to Bro Chat those guys won’t be able to help themselves. If the new show strikes back, we could have some really fun bodybuilding media. Right now, dare I say, it’s pretty boring. Nick Trigili does a good job, but it’s like watching a younger Dave Palumbo on Muscle In the Morning. If this new show could be like the Wack Pack at RxMuscle.com was a decade and a half ago, then I think that would be quite interesting. Have funny topics but also be ready to take the gloves off and talk about serious issues affecting bodybuilding and bodybuilders.
Only time will tell where the new unnamed show goes, but I’m certainly excited. Kudos to Xavier and his fellow panelists. I watched the debut show from beginning to end and I highly encourage everyone reading this article at Iron Magazine to do the same. Hopefully they break some rules and bring about some mayhem – all in good fun of course!