Nick Walker believes he holds different edges over the last two Olympia champions.
Men’s Open bodybuilder Nick Walker has never lacked confidence in himself when competing. That has not changed despite missing some time on the Olympia stage in recent years. During a recent conversation, Walker discussed matchups with the last two competitors to win the Olympia. Walker believes he holds different advantages over both.
Walker mentioned both Derek Lunsford and Samson Dauda when breaking down his competition. He has always given Hadi Choopan credit as his top competition.
“It’s always been Hadi Choopan. I think Derek is, just in my opinion, I think Derek is extremely beatable.”
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Walker missed the 2023 Olympia as he dealt with a torn hamstring that impacted his preparation for the show. He ended up making his return during the New York Pro and was crowned champion, despite controversy surrounding the final results. He later announced that he would miss the 2024 Olympia as well. Now, his sights are set on the 2025 Olympia after winning his third New York Pro.
Nick Walker Talks Matchups with Derek Lunsford & Samson Dauda
Walker got the chance to see Lunsford during the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro. Despite finishing as the runner-up, Walker remains confident. He has spoken about the finish and believes he should have won the show.
“I haven’t beaten Derek yet. We’ll let that one go.”
Samson Dauda is the reigning Olympia champion. He did not beat Walker last year since he was not part of the event. Heading into the 2025 show, Walker believes he has better conditioning.
“Samson is a mass aesthetic monster. He’s a freak. He’s getting better year by year by year but he still doesn’t have that conditioning factor. Size for size, height for height, me and him are very comparable in that sense. I bring a much-tighter package and I think the way I look right now, that could probably override him.”
Nick Walker has spoken out before about his biggest competition and believes it is Choopan once again. That is his belief once again but Walker remains confident he can take down any competitor.
“Hadi, I think would be the biggest rival because again, size for size, yes I’m bigger, but he’s not far off. He just brings that grainy, hard-conditioned look. The only downside of Hadi, his backside hasn’t been really able to match the front side.”
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