Walker is keeping close tabs on Lunsford.
In the present bodybuilding pantheon, few names are as big as Nick Walker and Derek Lunsford. The 2 young athletes have stormed respective paths to the forefront of the game, seemingly becoming titans overnight. Walker first arguably got here to prominence by winning the 2021 Arnold Classic, while Lunsford, the previous 212 Olympia champion (2021), recently got here in second in a debut Men’s Open performance on the 2022 Mr. Olympia. Lunsford would fall just wanting beating recent Mr. Olympia champion Hadi Choopan. Moving forward, by virtue of being in the identical division, the pair will inevitable butt heads on stage once in a while. This reality is clearly not lost on Walker.
On Jan. 19, 2023, during an episode of The Mutant and The Mouth podcast, Walker talked about his official prospects on the upcoming 2023 Arnold Classic (AC) in Columbus, OH. In the method, the discussion concerning the Mar. 2-5, 2023, contest — which recently announced a $300,000 first-place prize — eventually centered around Lunsford. That’s to say: Walker is keeping an in depth eye on his elite peer.
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Considered one of the primary notes Walker clarifies about Lunsford is his status on the 2023 AC. Given the language Walker uses, it initially appeared he wasn’t aware that Lunsford confirmed he wouldn’t compete at the competition, but Walker later clarified that they wouldn’t face one another on stage quite yet. Nonetheless, Walker speculates about his rival’s current physique and why he’d take a step back from a major tentpole competition.
It appears Walker believes Lunsford is having to make an adjustment to the scale of the Men’s Open category, as opposed adhering to the 212 division’s weight limit. Therein, Lunsford could be taking his time to coach and construct size before he competes again.
“I’ve heard through the grapevine that he’s [Derek Lunsford] not doing the Arnold [Classic],” Walker said. “That is where I’m going to leap in. Did he add muscle or did he just keep it without losing it? I feel he restricted himself [in previous] off-seasons [to fit the 212 Olympia weight class]. So I feel what he gained back [when preparing for the 2023 Men’s Open Olympia] is what he normally has, plus possibly a bit of bit more, I’ll say. But he didn’t placed on an astronomical amount of mass. He just didn’t should suffer and lose mass to make 212.”
As someone who will potentially stand in the best way of potential coming victories, Walker noted he’ll be expecting the gains Lunsford makes. Walker seems to think the approaching off-season might be vital for Lunsford as he commits fully to the Men’s Open and tries to win the 2023 Mr. Olympia. That contest will happen on Nov. 2-5, 2023, in Orlando, FL.
“This might be the off-season where we’ll see how much tissue he [Lunsford] puts on and we’ll see what he looks like when he stands on the [2023] Olympia stage.”
As for why Walker elected to compete within the AC again fairly than focus his efforts entirely on his Olympia preparation, the reply is easy. The brand new lucrative prize incentivized him to return to the Columbus, OH, stage.
“They [The Arnold Sports Festival] gave me until after the vacations to give it some thought,” Walker said. ” … I felt good. So that they reached out again, they principally said they were going to up the prize money to $300,000. I said ‘count me in.’”
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Walker has already been quite outspoken about what might lie ahead in 2023. In early January, he noted he was satisfied with a third-place result on the 2022 Olympia but probably could’ve finished higher in a great world. Before he works to enhance on such results, he’ll first put his crosshairs on a second AC title. While he won’t should worry about Lunsford at that specific contest, Walker seems to grasp it would only be a matter of time before he and Lunsford cross paths again.
Featured image: @nick_walker39 on Instagram