In Episode 265 of The Menace Podcast, host Dennis James and his regular guests Milos Sarcev and Jose Raymond discussed Nick Walker’s chances of achieving an upset and winning the 2026 Arnold Classic in March. And, despite Walker’s disappointing end to 2025, the new year is here for the taking agreed the panel, but he might need to watch his weight.
Nick Walker’s professional bodybuilding story has certainly had its ups and downs. The man they call “The Mutant” won the Arnold back in 2021 but has since built up a history of skipping competitions. Still, he made an impactful return to the stage in 2025 with an awesome showing at the Pittsburgh Pro, missing Olympia qualification on the slimmest of margins thanks to Derek Lunsford. But even as runner-up, Walker’s physique was much improved and he earned Mr Olympia qualification shortly after, taking a record third victory during May’s New York Pro. Despite this monstrous momentum, Walker only managed sixth place at the 2025 Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas, however, and has noted that he failed to get his peak on point in Sin City. With The Mutant now readying for the 2026 Arnold in March, the Menace Podcast panel felt that there could yet be more highs to come in the story of Nick Walker.
How Can Nick Walker win the 2026 Arnold Classic?
During the show, Dennis James pointed out that while Walker is looking great on Instagram and feeding his fans with impressive content, the proof will really come when Walker steps onto the stage. “I still believe that Nick Walker has a shot at winning the Arnold,” said the host. Milos Sarcev and Jose Raymond agreed with the observation as James continued. “If anybody is off, and Nick Walker is on, I still believe he can win The Arnold.”
Some of those other competitors that will need to be “off” on the night include Hadi Choopan, who won the 2024 Arnold Classic in both the U.S. and the U.K., and Martin Fitzwater who won the Prague Pro in October.
So, what does Walker need to do, to impress the judges? “If he’s under 250 (pounds), peeled, like he was at The Arnold (in 2021), I think he can win the Arnold,” James explained. “It doesn’t matter if (the other competitors) are ‘on’ or not.”
Jose Raymond told his peers that he had heard Walker was nearer to 270 pounds during his disappointing Mr. Olympia performance. “He can carry the size, but the stomach, the control is not there,” added Dennis James. Milos Sarcev then observed that the number of judges comparisons and the length of time that Walker must stay conditioned on stage could be another key factor that could determine Walker’s final position. If The Mutant can take this feedback and turn it into a positive, the big man could conceivably punish his opponents in Columbus, OH, come March.
To watch the full show, where the gang also discussed the practice of posing and other topical bodybuilding news, see below: