Months after bowing out of the 2023 edition of the Super Bowl of Bodybuilding due to an unfortunate injury, Nick Walker has now booked his ticket to the Mr. Olympia 2024. The Olympia People’s Champion returned with a vengeance this weekend, winning the New York Pro and shutting down doubters who thought he would lose.

Just a few days ago, Nick Walker didn’t impress the Pittsburgh Pro audience with his guest-posing session. Despite being among the top bodybuilders in the world, the bodybuilding community criticized Walker for having a visibly distended gut. Meanwhile, they praised his rival Martin Fitzwater, with critics even saying that Walker may not win in New York.

They said so because Walker only had a week to fix his midsection and get shredded for the New York Pro. So, public opinion turned against Nick Walker. However, on 17th and 18th May, The Mutant proved the critics wrong. “When I say I’m going to do something, I do it,“ a triumphant Walker wrote on Instagram.

The Mutant nailed peak week and looked like a different bodybuilder on the New York Pro stage. The former Arnold Classic champion got rid of his gut distension during the posing sessions. On top of that, the champ also worked on his quads, another aspect that many thought would spell trouble for him. 

That being said, the bodybuilding community wasn’t wrong about Martin Fitzwater. Despite only winning his first IFBB pro show earlier this year, The Martian gave Nick Walker a run for his money on the NY Pro stage. The head judge even admitted that Fitzwater lost to Walker by just one point during pre-judging. The Martian placed second beating hot prospect Tonio Burton who settled for bronze.

This weekend’s performance marks Walker’s second New York Pro title. Although The Mutant’s victory was hard-earned, he still made a statement, while also defending the reputation of his coach, Matt Jansen.

Matt Jansen defended Nick Walker after the Pittsburgh Pro

While coaches always have their athlete’s back, Matt Jansen stuck his neck out for Nick Walker when people threw shade at him after his guest posing at the Pittsburgh Pro. Jansen defended The Mutant and his own methods on social media. “Want to put some things into perspective for those of you who might not understand bodybuilding at a high level,“ Jansen called out the critics.

“Nick and I prepare for competition, we do our process and everything is planned for the day that it actually matters,“ added the coach. He also said that Walker aimed to win when during the competition and didn’t train to impress people during guest posing. While Jansen hit back at the nay-sayers, it would’ve backfired if Nick Walker had lost in New York.

However, Jansen and Walker proved that there was indeed a method to their madness. With his statement win in New York, Walker can now focus on preparing for the upcoming Mr. Olympia 2024. Do you think Nick Walker will win his first Sandow at this year’s Olympia? Tell us in the comments.