by Christian Duque
Well my friends this new story here is not going to be one packed full of facts but rather one that is more so speculation than anything else. Nick is considered to be one of the top contenders for the 2024 Mr Olympia even though in my humble opinion he isn’t really in the conversation for the top three. The reason why he is considered to be a top contender is because of the fact that he won the New York Pro, the third most important bodybuilding show on the pro circuit, and because of the fact that he has won the Arnold Classic before.
He is someone considered to be one of the top draws when it comes to buzz ever since he won the North Americans and earned his pro card in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The fact is he brings a physique that is very gnarly and freaky and a lot of bodybuilding fans prefer that even to aesthetics and flow. After all this is the name of the game in a sport where fans don’t necessarily look at what the scoring is all about but more so what gets them out of their seats. The Mutant is a fan favorite and thus we have to report on his every move. This article being a case in point.
I personally could never see someone like Nick having the top title because the person with the top title is the one that everyone strives to look like. So it wouldn’t be a question of just having Nick Walker at the top but it would be everybody trying to look like him and that is just too much for me.
In any event Nick is someone who has bounced around supplement companies and coaches before. When I look at him I don’t necessarily think of stability and here we are once again at a crossroads. Based on reporting that I saw on Desktop Bodybuilding it seems that Nick is no longer with HD Muscle. This is significant because I was under the impression that this was his number one sponsor and I was also under the impression that the company had formulated products with him in mind. Again, I don’t know if he had a direct hand in the formulations or if he was merely allowing his face to be used on product labels. As is often the case with athlete deals, the athlete will lend their name and likeness and the company will make bank off of it. Occasionally athletes will have a hand in the formulation and/or product marketing, but again I don’t know to what extent he was involved.
I do know from watching Guy Cisternino, one of his closest friends, promote products that Nick allegedly had. Nick and Guy both are part of the Mouth & The Mind podcast or whatever it’s called. It’s an interesting podcast that was a spinoff from BroChat. I don’t know what Nick and Fouad’s relationship is like these days but they have also had a falling out. Nick was with Hosstile, then with HD muscle, RAW – he bounces around companies. I don’t know if he would be considered damaged goods at this point or if he just isn’t somebody that can ever be happy for a prolonged period of time. I will tell you that he is not a true top contender for the Olympia title and as much as I’m sure this will make his blood boil, it is just the facts of the matter.
So if Nick is not a true top contender, who would these people be? Well most definitely Hadi, who lost the Olympia last year, most definitely Samson who lost the Arnold Classic this year to Hadi, and maybe some rising stars like Martin Fitzwater. I can’t downplay Martin because in my opinion Martin won the New York Pro even though they gave it to Nick. The reason they gave it to Nick is because he is going to be a lot more useful for Olympia promotions than anyone else.
At the end of the day the Super Bowl of Bodybuilding needs to sell like the Super Bowl of Bodybuilding and that means selling more tickets, selling more pay per views, and also raising the bar significantly so that vendors will reach deeper into their pockets for booth space. The Olympia is competing with the Arnold Classic which will be paying a lot more money in 2025. Nick facilitates all of these things simply by signing his Olympia contract and being a part of the production. That being said, I hope he is not trying to negotiate contracts based off of this buzz because anybody that understands the sport, understands that Nick is largely an inflated persona in the grand scheme of things. He is no longer in the pecking order of those who truly could take the title. Beyond that he got his ass handed to him in New York and if he can’t beat Martin at 100%, most observers highly doubt that he’ll be able to take the top title in the sport.
What is also very troubling for Walker is that as he prepares for the Olympia in less than 9 weeks time, he is once again without a major sponsor. If this is somehow part of a negotiation tactic, I can’t imagine that HD Muscle will be none too excited to try to keep him on the roster. Usually when an athlete says they have left, it means they have left for good. Now I know that his resume speaks to the contrary, but again what company wants an athlete that’s with them one day, gone the next day, and with them again a week later? It’s a bad look to have. It’s also a bad look to have for a company that puts out a line based off of that athlete, and he/she leaves. And we have seen this happen before with Nick walker. We have seen him leave companies and leave coaches only to reemerge with them months down the road. At some point it’s going to get old and he’s going to have a hard time picking up new sponsors because nobody is going to want to work with him.
Again I don’t know the specifics, I don’t believe Xavier knows the specifics, either. Otherwise he would have reported on it on his channel. But the bottom line is Nick Walker is no longer with HD, HD has not denied the statement, and Nick has not denied it either. Therefore it seems to be true that the athlete and the company have parted ways. It seems like the company owner wishes the athlete the best and maybe vice versa. So it’s not necessarily a nasty break or a break that’s going to lead into a feud or anything like that, but it is a break just the same.
What do you think happened? Do you think this may be a publicity stunt? Do you think Nick will win the Olympia? There are a lot of questions to be answered and unfortunately without the facts we are left to merely speculate. I hope you enjoyed reading this article, for whatever it’s worth, and that you will share it on your social media feeds. As always I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments.