This is the million dollar question on everyone’s mind. It seems all eyes are on The Mutant because the shows are running out to qualify for the Olympia. For whatever reason, Nick opted not to compete at the New York Pro. That show has always been very kind to him and many believe he could have won his fourth title there. It’s also one of the Pro League’s Big 3 shows. The Mutant also sat out the Pittsburgh Pro. Perhaps he was still salty over his loss to Derek there? Maybe he didn’t want the pressure of taking the stage in front of the bigwigs of the federation. Who really knows? And it really doesn’t matter, either. He either qualifies in Tampa or maybe he goes to China, where we all know he won’t go. It’s nothing against China, but to compete against Behrouz and James isn’t exactly a big win. Nick wants to earn his spot at the O. For all intents and purposes, it’s Tampa or bust. But Tampa isn’t a guaranteed win, either. Nick is working with a new coach, his legs seem to be down a bit, and who knows about his waist or midsection. There’s a lot that could go wrong there. Then of course there’s the competition. Jo Palacios is no pushover. For Nick to say he was going to embarrass the competition is pretty big talk for a guy who may very well come up short. The odds are he’ll win, but it’s not going to be a cakewalk.
For starters, let’s cut to the chase. The biggest danger is Nick himself. And to a certain extent his new coach. Can the pair hit their stride for a perfect peak? We know Nick can come dry. It’s not a question of that. He’ll be conditioned but all too often people think those terms are interchangeable. In reality, they mean two different things. You can be dry as rocks, but not peak. That’s when everything comes together. The physique is at its zenith. Matt could do that with Nick. Guy did that with Nick. But can this new coach do it? And how much of the plan is Nick actually following? The fact is, any second-guessing can easily ruin this first collaboration.
For whatever reason, Nick couldn’t stay with Guy. He looked phenomenal at the 2026 Arnold Classic. Could he have won? Sure! Should he have won? I mean, you guys know I’m not a fan of that look, but I don’t think he should have won. I prefer Andrew’s look and always will. That said, if you’re a fan of Nick’s look, then I can see why you’d think he should have won in Columbus. Nonetheless, by all accounts, he looked spectacular. Now with a new coach, the nerves might kick in. Many times Walker’s worst enemy is himself. Imagine if in the final 48 he starts to emotionally crash? I don’t want that to happen, but The Mutant is a very emotional guy. I am too, but I’m not needing a win in Tampa to compete with the highest elite of pro bodybuilders. If he doesn’t win in Tampa – dude’s out of the Olympia.
What if you’re a TOP PRO BODYBUILDER and you’re NOT at the Olympia? Then you’re not a top pro. You’re just not. If you can’t qualify for the Superbowl of Bodybuilding, then you don’t exist. That’s just how it is. Don’t shoot the messenger, I’m just speaking on the brutal reality of the fitness world. And then who’s Nick going to blame? Sure, he can blame the new/no-name coach, but is he going to blame him for skipping out on FIBO, Portugal, NY, Pittsburgh and the list goes on and on, too? He could, but how silly would that be? Blaming a guy for stuff that happened before you hired him??
Truthfully though, Nick also added a ton of stress to himself by saying he was going to embarrass the competition. What pro bodybuilder is going to let that nonsense fly? As a result, Nick lit a fire under Palacios. He’s not a no-name and he’s been cutting his teeth and seeing success with his more recent placings. Jo has amassed some of that cherished underdog street cred that can totally reinvent competitors. And Nick’s inflammatory one liner has created the precise amount of trash talk that the bodybuilding media can run with. Usually they need to take people out of context and bend the intention to create salacious media pieces. But with Nick they don’t need to carefully execute a hit piece. Nick even generously gives them the catchphrase they need to really create some drama. This is why the media loves Nick. He can do no wrong in their eyes. Even if he loses Tampa, that same media will clamor Pittsburgh for a special invite. Although he’d be quite possibly the least worthy recipient of that very rare privilege, the media go all out for it. They love him. And let’s be honest – he sells tickets. Nonetheless, the underdog cred that Palacios has been getting is really starting to get noticeable. All that means is that Nick has to be the best. He’s not going to win anywhere – even with the media – if his rhetoric against guys like Jo continues. And you know it will continue. Asking Nick Walker to tone it down is like having asked guys like Lee Priest or Tom Platz to do the same in their heyday.
Assuming Nick and his coach can get him to peak for the contest, there are other things to look at. For example, Nick’s waist is at issue. I know many of you guys say he has a small waist, but come on. Let’s be brutally honest, he may have a smaller waist than most mass monsters, but it’s not something I’d say is up to par with Dauda, Andrew, or Martin. There’s also distention issues that make Walker’s midsection a bit unsightly to be in the mix with Top 6 Olympians. Fortunately for him, he’s not competing at the O – it’s Tampa – but Tampa is also a powerhouse show. It may not be a Big 3 show, but it’s up there. And the Big 3 judges will be judging this show. Moreover, Tim Gardner is an industry heavyweight. You know that anything that bears his name will be a world class production. And that’s the show that Nick said he’d go and embarrass people at. I mean, I’m not dwelling on it, but that’s quite a statement to make. If Nick’s waist isn’t in check and if he loses control of his midsection, then what? Nick and his coach need to give this part of his body the attention that it deserves.
Another factor is Walker’s legs. I know that a lot of the bodybuilding YouTube shows have had varying reports regarding the size and quality of his wheels. For a guy like Nick, having sick legs is necessary to his mass monster look. As you all know, legs are the largest muscle group and Nick is known for having tremendous size and freakiness there. His quad sweeps are a matter of record, his quads are massive, and he also has insane hamstrings. He’s been injured but his look is almost surreal. NIck also has pretty crazy calves. The fact of the matter is that he does what needs to be done in the gym. I’ll never take that away from him. Similarly, I have never said Walker can’t come in conditioned when he wants to. The guy knows how to suffer for a cause. He’s no wimp in that regard. Many guys just can’t take it. I mean when Nick is on, he even comes in with striated glutes. For a guy that size, that’s saying a lot. But when he’s off, that’s a problem. Maybe the videos have got it wrong. That can happen. Maybe his legs are as dominant as usual – or – maybe they’re not. We’re going to see all of this on gameday in Tampa.
I’d like to remind the media, and Walker fans, that none of what we see on social media matters. I mean, it matters for our entertainment, but it doesn’t matter for what happens on stage in Tampa. So if Nick’s legs look smaller for whatever reason on Instagram, maybe he’s screwing with us somehow. Who knows? But we shouldn’t lose our mind over it. I don’t know what kind of technology he could possibly have to make his legs look smaller on video. I mean obviously his legs are smaller and people are going to freak out, but it doesn’t matter. All that matters is gameday. And that’s why we’re writing this piece. There’s an awful lot of doubt in Nick and he pretty much brought it on himself. I honestly want him to look his best. I don’t want to see him fail, but there’s so much that could go south. And if he wins, which he more than likely will, then will he have enough time to prepare for the Olympia? It’s not like he’ll have all the time in the world. I mean he won’t even have three months. What we should see in Tampa should be a near Olympia look. What could he – or anyone – do in three months? You’re not going to reinvent yourself in 10 weeks time. And he also can’t hit it too hard to qualify because then maybe his body won’t respond the second time. The time that really matters.
Let’s throw yet another curveball in the mix. What happens if he somehow wins, but hates the prep? He can’t fire and hire a coach in three months for an Olympia prep, right? 99% would say right, but Nick is so unpredictable he might actually try. And then if he loses, you know Nick’s firing that coach. Then what? China? Special Invite? What? It starts to look really gloomy.
Only time will tell what happens in Tampa. What do you think will happen? As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my article at IronMag. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. It’s bound to generate lively conversation.
Author Bio:
Christian I. Duque is the owner of StrengthAddicts.com, a physique and strength website founded in 2008. He has worked for a number of bodybuilding websites, including RX Muscle and Muscular Development. Christian has written nearly 1,000 published articles for IronMag Blog, as well as articles for StrengthAddicts, RX Muscle, and others. By day, he is also a licensed attorney practicing in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal defense.
