by Christian Duque
Do superstar bodybuilders have a moral obligation to keep their fans in check with regards to how they act with other competitors? This is a very interesting concept and one that I find to be foreign not only to bodybuilding but really to any other sport. Because just a few days ago former Mr Olympia Derek Lunsford took to the airwaves to more or less point out Nick Walker’s fans. And the way that he did it was very classy and it was also very professional, but it raised some questions in me as a writer that I would like to put into this article. Now I wrote an earlier version of this piece yesterday and decided to scrap it because I went off on a tangent. The tangent that I went on was more sarcasm and dry humor than actually tackling the topic at hand. And the reason why I did that is because I found it a little bit ironic that somebody like Derek who makes hundreds of thousands of dollars at shows, who has a tremendous social media following, and who is living his best life, would then complain about the woes of stardom.
To be fair, Derek had lost his grandmother and was on the receiving end of a lot of abuse by Nick Walker fans after the Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh was the show that was supposed to Nick’s return to glory. It was also supposed to be his springboard to the 2025 Mr Olympia. Now as we know, Nick did not win that competition. He brought a very good physique for the kind of physique that he is known for, but it wasn’t enough to beat Derek. And Derek was not at his best, either. He didn’t look as good as his win in Columbus just a couple of months earlier. That really infuriated Nic’s base.
Now I understand that a lot of fans wanted to see Nick win that show in commanding form. It was the first ever of its kind. Now the Pittsburgh is a show that has been running for many years but this was the first time it was offering professional men’s open bodybuilding. This was supposed to be a return to dominance for Nick Walker. We can’t forget that Nick turned pro at the North Americans Championships – also held in Pittsburgh. And Pittsburgh also has special significance because it is the president’s hometown. What better way to launch a comeback than to win in front of the president, the vice president, and the lead photographer of the industry? All three of which share the same last name. Unfortunately for Nick even though he brought a very good physique for what he could bring, it just wasn’t enough. And why do I put it the way that I did? I do it because Nick does not have a pretty physique. He’s blocky, he has bad proportions, but he makes the best with what he’s got.
To a certain extent I think Nick’s stage presence contributed to the way that his fans reacted to Derek’s win. As many of you will recall, once Derek was announced the winner, he approached Nick and tried to console him. This is not something that happens very often in physique-based sports. When did Ronnie Coleman ever take a moment before celebrating to console Kevin Levrone or Jay Cutler? It never happened. Ronnie would drop to his knees, he would pray, he would hug 20 million people, and then maybe at some point he might tell the runner-up something kind. He didn’t even do it for Flex Wheeler in 1998. And it’snot bad sportsmanship not to put your celebration on hold so that you can console your runner-up, but nonetheless and you could tell by Nick Walker’s facial expression and his overall body demeanor that while he appreciated Derek’s kindness on some level, he didn’t really want to hear it. Seeing Nick stand there being a big cry baby showed his fans that something was up. Many fans thought that Derek won the competition because of politics or simply because the powers that be did not want Nick to qualify for the O. These things of course are preposterous, but diehard fans do not think rationally most of the time. The only time they think rationally is when their favorite bodybuilder wins. They can be ICE COLD, otherwise.
It’s so relentlessness that coupled with Derek’s loss of a loved one that I think it was just too much. You can tell from Derek’s video that he was really struggling with this. He didn’t want to throw shade at Nick but he did mention him by name and he did expound. At the end of the day however I do not believe that competitors owe their fellow competitors anything when it comes to their fans. I don’t think that competitors should get into the habit of admonishing their fans not to take their support too far. I think such a move would be counterproductive and not only that – I don’t think the fans would really process it very well, eiither. They love their favorite bodybuilders not because of the people they are or even for the positions they hold in life. I mean I guess some fans could fall into that category, but the vast majority of bodybuilding fans like a particular bodybuilder because of the way their physique looks, maybe the way they train, or maybe the way they pose on stage. They’re not following bodybuilders on social media because they admire their take on the environment or what’s in style and what’s not. So even if a competitor tried to reason with their fan base, I think such moves would fall on deaf ears.
That’s exactly what Derek is advocating. He’s basically saying that he does not encourage his fans to attack competitors who perhaps do better than him. And he’s definitely pointing the finger at Nick Walker (whether he cares to admit it or not). To be honest with you, there have been very few instances where I have seen a competitor truly put themselves aside and ask their fans to do right by another athlete. One such example would go back to the 2019 Olympia when William Bonac implored his fans to recognize Brandon Curry as that year’s Mr Olympia. It was truly a very heartfelt gesture. That year was so close it could have gone either way. I still think it would have been a strong case for the first-ever tie in bodybuilding. Nonetheless Brandon got the nod and William encouraged his fans to support him as Mr Olympia. It is extremely rare. I don’t think that Derek has ever done that. So for Derek to single out Nick Walker and his fans is wrong. That said, I can totally empathize with Derek. The timing of his win in Pittsgurg and the loss of a loved one created the conditions for a pretty lousy interaction on social media.
That being said, I look at bodybuilding superstardom as a dinner plate. The steak that could be all of the accolades and the fame, the baked potato in the tin foil could be the prize money, and the trolls could be the broccoli. Trolls and hecklers come with the dinner. You cannot reach the pinnacle of a sport, earn millions of dollars, live the life of a king, but then complain about the hecklers and the trolls. Unfortunately that’s what I think Derek is doing. I don’t believe a competitor has a moral obligation to rein in their fans. I do understand what losing a loved one is like and I totally empathize with Derek on the loss of his grandmother, but I stop short of agreeing with him. He has no business pointing out that Nick Walker fans take it too far. I guess he can express himself on his own social media platforms, but it’s more than that. His commentary has created a lot of conversation in the sport and it’s inspired this article as well. That’s not a bad thing, but now his fans are turning on Nick Walker and his fans. It’s a little ironic, wouldn’t you say? (I would).
Well, as always I appreciate you taking the time to read my article, here, at IronMag. I think you know where I stand on this matter but your opinion is the opinion that matters most. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Should competitors admonish their fans not to take it too far when dealing with their rivals? WWhat say you? Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. I guarantee you it will generate lively conversation.
