Tag: Nick Walker
Nick Walker Shares Training Video Ahead Of Olympia
Nick Walker showed off a chest and bicep workout 10 days out of the 2021 Olympia.
Nick Walker has been extremely impressive this year on stage. He has been one of the top competitors in the world and has a chance to complete it with a victory at the 2021 Olympia. Walker won the New York Pro this year and earned qualification to the biggest event of the year.
The Olympia will take place this weekend in Orlando. Prior to the event, Walker got a warmup at the Arnold Classic, where he defeated the likes to Iain Valliere and Steve Kuclo. This was his second victory of the year and will have a chance to complete the trifecta at the Olympia. Ahead of the event, Walker released a training video on his YouTube page.
“After an incredible Arnold Classic debut where Nick finished 1st overall, he is back in the gym and getting ready for the Olympia where he will make his Olympia debut. Watch as Nick takes you through his chest and bicep routine, while explaining why he does certain exercises. Thanks for watching and enjoy!!”
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Nick Walker released this video on Sept. 30 of a chest and bicep workout. On Sunday, a shoulder workout was shared giving 70.3 thousand subscribers a chance to see how one of the top bodybuilders in the sport gets ready for competition.
Walker will have plenty of competition heading into this year’s Olympia. There have been four different winners in each of the last four years. Big Ramy will enter with a chance to repeat and will be viewed as one of the favorites. There will be plenty of other big names featured at the event. William Bonac was forced to miss the Arnold Classic but has his sights set on Orlando.
Hadi Choopan has arrived in the United States to compete while Roelly Winklaar and Nathan De Asha, who recently won the Arnold Classic UK, will also be on stage.
There will be plenty of competition for Walker but he has been training appropriately to be at his best during the Olympia. There is only a few more days until the biggest competition will crown a champion.
Generation Iron will have full coverage of the 2021 Olympia over the course of the weekend.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Jay Cutler Has High Praise For Nick Walker After Arnold Classic Victory
Jay Cutler believes Nick Walker’s career will continue to take off from here.
There are certain figures in bodybuilding that draw plenty of attention when they speak. Jay Cutler is certainly one of those names. Recently, the legendary bodybuilder spoke out and praised the ability of Nick Walker following his victory at the 2021 Arnold Classic.
Walker burst onto the scene as a prospect with a high ceiling. This came to fruition when he won the 2021 New York Pro and the Arnold Classic last weekend. Walker will head into the Olympia with plenty of confidence and momentum. Cutler believes that Walker is destined for a strong performance on the biggest stage in bodybuilding.
“He’s taking the steps dude. He’s won New York, the same year Arnold Classic, and he’s going to go to the Olympia and he’s probably going to be in the top five. I mean, not many guys have been able to do that,” Cutler said.
“I think Nick could be second. I think he could land second, I think he could land third. Can he win it? I can’t say no. Depends on how the other guys show up, but until we see him standing next to Bonac, and Curry, and Hadi Choopan, and Ramy, you don’t know.”
Jay Cutler built a strong career for himself by winning on the biggest stages. He finished with three-straight Arnold Classic victories from 2002-2004. He is a four-time Olympia champion with six second-place finishes at the event.
Nick Walker is in the midst of what could be one of the best first years in the history of the sport. Walker has all of the tools to perform on the Olympia stage. He is a mass monster with great conditioning. Walker displays all necessary assets to compete against the other tp competitors in the world.
Cutler sees the potential in Walker and acknowledges what he has already accomplished. Parlay this with his immense confidence and there could be a special performance coming up.
“What I like about his approach, he doesn’t say why he’s going to beat so and so, because they’re missing this or that. He just says ‘Hey, I’m that good,’ which I have no problem. He’s got some pretty knockout shots.”
“I don’t know is Walker can be a lot better, but he’s already calling out Ramy… He said winter doesn’t happen in Orlando, so he’s already ready,” Cutler said.
The 2021 Olympia will take place from Oct. 7-10 in Orlando. All of the top competitors will be there and this includes Walker. There are high expectations for him heading into the event and many believe he will live up to the hype.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Arnold Classic 2021: Nick Walker & Steve Kuclo Leading The Pack With Epic Face-Off
Nick Walker and Steve Kuclo battle for first going into the Arnold Classic 2021.
Leading up to the Arnold Classic 2021, Nick Walker was hyped to be the lead for first place. This was largely due to many other athletes dropping out – including returning champion William Bonac. With many legacy competitors dropping out last minute, the competition was wide open for a new champion. In what may have been a surprise to some fans, Steve Kuclo rose to the occasion challenging Walker during the pre-judging. The Arnold Classic 2021 comparison rounds ended with an epic top two face-off between Nick Walker and Steve Kuclo.
First, let’s talk about the individual posing routines. The moment Nick Walker walked out on stage, something in the air changed. Walker built much hype after his win at the New York Pro. Despite his massive and impressive physique – he held some structural flaws that might have been hard to fix in a year. Any doubts some may have had were erased upon seeing Walker’s individual pre-judging posing routine. Walker truly put the word monster back into mass monster. He’s incredible size, separation, and intensity were a sight to behold. It’s almost as if the ground shook as he walked out.
On the other hand, Steve Kuclo also pleasantly surprised fans. After falling behind Iain Valliere at the Texas Pro just six weeks earlier, there was a question of how high Kuclo would place at the Arnold Classic. Kuclo’s individual posing routine showed a finely tuned bodybuilder – far more on point than what we saw in Texas. It became immediately clear that Kuclo would land at the very least in the top three.
Pre-Judging: The Battle Of Nick Walker And Steve Kuclo
When the comparison rounds began, our first callout pulled Nick Walker, Steve Kuclo, Iain Valliere, and Justin Rodriguez onto the stage. This was our presumed top four. Very quickly, the judges moved Kuclo and Walker into the center. Things started to become more clear – Kuclo was making a big impression.
But this didn’t fully lock into place until the final top two callout. Nick Walker and Steve Kuclo were invited back onto the stage. All became clear – these were our two options for Arnold Classic champion… it’s also where the fun began. The judges certainly were torn between Walker and Kuclo. The final comparison round was stretched out to a much longer length – a trend that has been increasing in recent years.
Nick Walker and Steve Kuclo posed, and posed… and posed. Each mandatory was gone through at least twice in a cycle. Not only that – but the most muscular was held for an extended period of time. This seems to reveal just how close this competition is as the judges double and triple checked each pose comparison. Not only that but this extended comparison tactic is a way to push the athletes farther. Who would fade first? Who has the most stamina to hold their pose for a full minute? This could give the edge that either Walker or Kuclo needed to pull ahead.
The crowd went wild (and commentator Amanda Kuclo also couldn’t help but cheer for her husband on stage). With each new passing pose, Walker and Kuclo became more intensified. Who would break first? Would one fade? Ultimately, both competitors held their composure extremely well.
Steve Kuclo’s height over Nick Walker is certainly an advantage in this moment. He seemed to tower over Walker with each pose. That being said, Walker’s insane conditioning and musculature can’t be ignored. This is the best version of Nick Walker we’ve seen yet. If we had to choose at this moment – we predict that Walker will pull ahead ultimately for the prize.
But a lot can change between the pre-judging and finals. Both of these competitors are neck and neck. Their success lies on a razor’s edge. One wrong move can throw off their finals routine. Alternatively, we’ve seen competitors rise up with a surprising transformation between pre-judging and finals. Perhaps one of these two can show up even better – or perhaps even a wild card throwing off this current face-off.
Only time will tell – and Generation Iron will continue to provide updates, analysis, and result updates later tonight when we return for the Arnold Classic 2021 finals!
Nick Walker Provides Physique Update Ahead Of 2021 Arnold Classic
Nick Walker looks insane in preparation for the 2021 Arnold Classic.
Nick Walker is primed and ready for some of the biggest events of the year. He won the 2021 New York Pro back in May and this gave him qualification to the 2021 Olympia. Before Walker has a chance to compete at the biggest event of the year, he will be on stage at the 2021 Arnold Classic.
The Arnold Classic will take place on Sept. 25 in Columbu, Ohio. We are about four weeks out from the competition and Walker gave a physique update ahead of the event.
“4 weeks out New York proVs4 weeks out Arnold classic
Changes have been made.”
It has been almost four months since Nick Walker was walking across the stage of the New York Pro as a winner. As crazy as he looked during that event, Walker has added visible size. His back and arms have been pumped up ahead of the Arnold Classic. This is in attempt to pick up another victory and the lineup will pose a great challenge.
There are some big names set to compete in Columbus. Walker will go up against the likes of Maxx Charles, Iain Valliere, Akim Williams, and more.
Nick Walker has been giving frequent updates of his progress on Instagram. In his pictures, the poses are similar and they are taken with great lighting. Walker is looking to continue to be one of the up-and-coming stars in the sport of bodybuilding for years to come. He picked up a victory in the New York Pro and will now compete for the first time in the Arnold Classic and Olympia.
Three short days ago, Walker shared a post where his goals are simple — “I’m coming to win.”
We will be seeing more of Nick Walker over the next four weeks leading up to the Arnold Classic in Columbus. At this point, Walker will enter the competition as one of the favorites and there is still some more time to progress. It will be a must-watch event and Walker wants to take home the victory.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Matt Jansen Answers: Did Big Ramy Cement Mr. Olympia As A Size Game?
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Matt Jansen believes that Big Ramy further cemented Mr. Olympia as a battle of size… but there’s one wild card catch.
Matt Jansen is the trainer who has been working with Nick Walker during his rising success. Walker has been compared to Dorian Yates and his size is being praised as he continues to improve and prepare for the Mr. Olympia. With Big Ramy’s win in 2020, it seems he is further raising the bar when it comes to muscle mass. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, we ask Matt Jansen if Big Ramy has cemented Olympia as a game of size – and how that may help Nick Walker’s future.
During our conversation with Matt Jansen, we asked him how he first got into bodybuilding and coaching. What brought him to the place he is today – now known as an iconic modern coach responsible for fantastic physiques? Jansen goes into detail about his past as a bodybuilder and how his entire world was changed when he started focusing on a new training strategy that included a bigger focus on rest.
This change of pace opened Matt Jansen’s mind towards the power of coaching and training knowledge. He later then became mentored under Neil Hill – which began his path towards becoming the coach and trainer he is today. He’s now coaching one of the most threatening up-and-comers in the pro league – Nick Walker.
Nick Walker is a bodybuilder who brings unprecedented amounts of mass for his age. Still in his 20s, he already looks like a mass monster who had been training well into his 30s or 40s. Of course, he still has improvements to go – but he already has become highlighted as a big contender in the sport.
That’s why we also asked Matt Jansen about Big Ramy’s win at the Mr. Olympia 2020. Ramy represents true mass monster size unseen since Ronnie Coleman. While he has struggled to match the same kind of sharp conditioning that made Ronnie Coleman one of a kind – Ramy pulled it together for a truly rewarding physique last year.
Does Big Ramy’s win finally put the nail in the coffin when it comes to size? Has the Mr. Olympia proper become a battle for the most shockingly massive bodybuilder with good conditioning?
Matt Jansen believes so – and also jokingly admits that this will help Nick Walker’s future at the Mr. Olympia. If judges will all be pairing up competitors against Big Ramy in the center – having mass monster size will be of huge importance.
But Matt Jansen does also admit that the mass monster battle is not 100% set in stone. There is one wild card that can change the way judges lean – whether it be this Mr. Olympia or down the line. Matt Jansen believes that Shawn Rhoden presents a smaller but immensely aesthetic physique that can still overcome the likes of Big Ramy. Of course, Rhoden is not able to compete as of Mr. Olympia 2021.
If Shawn Rhoden were able to compete – Matt Jansen believes it can skew the Olympia lineup to favor both aesthetic and mass monster equally. Shawn Rhoden won the Mr. Olympia before against many mass monsters larger than him. He has the talent to do it again.
Alas, we don’t know when or if that will ever happen at this point. So for now it seems mass monster size will dominate as Big Ramy returns as the Olympia champion. Of course, the joy of competitive sports is that anything can happen. Nothing is set in stone – but for now Matt Jansen is feeling good about Nick Walker’s future pairing up against the likes of Big Ramy.
You can watch Matt Jansen speak in detail about his coaching origins, Big Ramy, and the Mr. Olympia in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
Get Ready For Pro Bodybuilders Roelly Winklaar vs Nick Walker at The 2021 Arnold Classic!
IFBB Pro Bodybuilders, Roelly Winklaar and Nick Walker will face off at the 2021 Arnold Classic USA.
It looks like fans will be in for quite the show at this year’s 2021 Arnold Classic. While many expected to see IFBB Pro bodybuilder Roelly Winklaar at the show, it appears that the 2021 NY Pro Men’s Open Champion, Nick Walker will be joining him on stage on September 25th-26th in Columbus, Ohio. The men’s open list list now has grown to 14 competitors.
The news broke on the official Arnold Sports Festival Instagram page, hyping up the show. Below is the current list of the Men’s Open Bodybuilding Lineup at the 2021 Arnold Classic.
2021 Arnold Classic Competitor List
Men’s Open Bodybuilding Lineup
Lionel Beyeke
William Bonac
Maxx Charles
Seung Chul Lee
Mokhamed El Eman
Steve Kuclo
Cedric McMillan
Hassan Mostafa
Sergio Oliva Jr.
Justin Rodriguez
Iain Valliere
Akim Williams
Roelly Winklaar
Nick Walker
This comes as a very surprising turn of events, especially when you consider Nick Walker and his current position. Walker has already qualified for the Olympia with his win at the New York Pro. That said, it appears that Walker wants to challenge himself, which should come as no surprise.
Nick Walker recently spoke to Generation Iron about his sudden rise in the men’s open bodybuilding division and being called the next Dorian Yates. Nick Walker already qualified for the 2021 Olympia earlier this year and has confirmed that he was planning to focus on his Olympia debut. Here is the news from Arnold Classic.
BREAKING NEWS! The 2021 Arnold Classic just got a LOT bigger and the Men’s Open Bodybuilding lineup much deeper! Fan favorite Roelly Winklaar and rising star Nick Walker will take the stage when the #arnoldclassic returns to Columbus, OH on September 25th, with Walker making his Arnold debut.
Tickets on sale Thursday!
Roelly Winklaar’s Profile
Roelly Winklaar, the “Dutch Beast,” was born and raised in Curaçao, an island in the Dutch Caribbean. He and his brother were huge fans of bodybuilding growing up and would often watch and later participate in amateur competitions. However, all that changed after a near-fatal car accident in 2004. Winklaar had a sudden epiphany that he was wasting his life in amateur competitions and that his true calling was to be a professional bodybuilder.
He began his journey to IFBB pro status by moving to mainland Netherlands, where he sought out the best possible bodybuilding training. He began training with former bodybuilder Sibil Peeters, known as “Grandma” and “the trainer from Hell” because of her demanding and intensely physical method of bodybuilding training well documented in the award winning film, Generation Iron. In 2009, Winklaar finally succeeded in going pro after winning the NPC Arnold Amateur Championships. He later established himself as a rising star after his victory at the 2010 IFBB New York Pro competition. Winklaar is known by many to have the best arms in bodybuilding today.
A New Rivalry is Born
Nick Walker has pushed himself like this in the past. After turning pro, Walker wasted no time making an impact at his first show almost immediately. Walker showed significant improvement after placing fourth at the 2020 Chicago Pro. Walker’s willingness to improve and throw himself into the fire at the 2021 NY Pro allowed him win a qualification to the 2021 Olympia. He is one step closer to achieving his goal of becoming an Arnold Classic champion and one step way from the Olympia stage. Walker now has done what it takes to improve and put himself in position to face off against Roelly Winklaar.
Roelly Winklaar on the other hand is looking to get back on track. After missing the entire 2020 season, Winklaar is looking to make up for lost time. With his sights set fully on earning his spot at the 2021 Olympia, Roelly Winklaar will now have his work cut out for him as he trains in Kuwait.
Nick Walker is looking very impressive as he continues his bodybuilding journey. That said, Roelly Winklaar is no slouch and is looking just as impressive heading into the 2021 Arnold Classic against competitors like William Bonac, Cedric McMillan and Akim Williams.
Are you ready to see Roelly Winklaar vs Nick Walker? For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Managing Editor at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
Guy Cisternino: Bodybuilding Today Needs More Intensity
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Guy Cisternino talks about his bad luck in 2020 and how he wishes young bodybuilders today had more intensity.
It’s an understatement to say that 2020 was a bad year. That’s especially true for Guy Cisternino – but in a way that you might not expect. Beyond the quarantine, Cisternino had a string of bizarre bad luck that made his 2020 bodybuilding career disappointing to himself. But he doesn’t let him get too down so long as he can still train in the gym and help inspire the younger generation of bodybuilders.
But as he faces a new generation coming up in the ranks, he does have one wish for the future of bodybuilding. He wants there to be more young bodybuilders that exhibit the kind of training intensity he brings into the gym. Bodybuilders like Ronnie Coleman, Branch Warren, and Guy Cisternino are becoming a dying breed. According to Cisternino, there just aren’t that many bodybuilders who go truly hardcore in the gym. This goes beyond physique quality. It’s simply a mental attitude that Cisternino personally prefers. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Guy Cisternino details his hopes for a new crop of bodybuilders that bring intensity back to the sport.
Nick Walker is one of the biggest standout young bodybuilders coming into the pro league today. There’s no doubting that he has a massive frame and the promise to be a threatening competitor ranking in the top spots of competitions. Guy Cisternino has no doubt of that either. But what he’s noticed is that Walker is so powerful – that he can lift heavy weight with ease. He puts up a massive bench press without making a sound.
While this doesn’t affect Nick Walker’s physique at the end of the day – it does find Cisternino longing for an older era of bodybuilding. Guy Cisternino is similar to bodybuilders like Branch Warren. When he trains in the gym – he goes extremely intense and hardcore. Yelling, loud noises, and bursts of intensity are common. That’s because he puts every ounce of himself into ever rep.
While there is certainly some correlation between intensity in training and effectiveness of your workouts – it’s not necessary to scream in the gym to be a talented bodybuilder. Ultimately, Cisternino is not criticizing the younger generation for problems with the quality of their physique. Instead, he’s simply lamenting a dying breed of personality in the sport. The kind of personality that partially made him love bodybuilding in the first place.
“A part of me just hopes that, man, maybe a couple of these kids will just carry that intensity on because I just don’t see it that often,” Guy Cisternino states in our interview. He continues:
“I think bodybuilding needs some intensity sometimes. I think you need guys like Dorian, like Ronnie, like Branch, like Kai, like me, like Flex, like Jose Raymond. I think you need that, you know? I think it makes it a little more fun.”
At the end of the day bodybuilding is a sport. But you’d be a fool to think that part of what makes sports great is the culture behind them. For Guy Cisternino, that hardcore intensity is what made him love the sport to a large degree. As he gets older and as he sees that intensity slowly fall to the wayside – he misses it.
You can watch Guy Cisternino go into full detail about the new generation of bodybuilding and intensity within the sport by watching our latest GI Exclusive interview above!
Victor Martinez: Hunter Labrada Has The Mass Of Nick Walker & The Shape Of Blessing
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Victor Martinez critiques three of the biggest up and coming pro bodybuilders – Nick Walker, Blessing Awodibu, and Hunter Labrada.
In late 2020 and through the first half of 2021, three names have stood out as rising stars in the pro league. Those three athletes are Nick Walker, Hunter Labrada, and Blessing Awodibu. With a few pro shows under each of their belts, they have showcased extremely promising physiques. That’s why we’ve turned to veteran Victor Martinez for his analysis on these three bodybuilders – and what we can expect from them in the future. In our latest GI Exclusive, Victor Martinez discusses how Hunter Labrada hits the sweet spot of size and shape – standing out above Nick Walker and Blessing Awodibu.
Over the past few years, pro bodybuilding has been in a transitionary stage. We’ve had three different Mr. Olympia champions in three years. We’ve also seen a handful of new younger athletes rise into the spotlight. The torch is in the process of being passed – and a new generation of bodybuilders are ready to prove their worth.
Three standout athletes in particular are Nick Walker, Blessing Awodibu, and Hunter Labrada. Nick Walker just won first place at the New York Pro 2021, solidifying the hype surrounding his massive physique. Blessing Awodibu, while not winning any major competitions – remained in top placings with a threatening physique that simply needs some fine tuning.
Hunter Labrada has not yet competed in 2021, but his last appearances in 2020 caught a lot of attention. His aesthetic, conditioning reminded many of his father Lee Labrada. On top of that, he seems to be bringing in a more modern level of muscle mass. Will this make him a true contender to be a future Mr. Olympia champion?
We spoke with Victor Martinez during our video interview and asked him who he thought were the most interesting young bodybuilders rising in the ranks. Martinez gave immense praise to all three of these bodybuilders – but singled Hunter Labrada out as the one with most promise. The reason? He appears to hold the perfect combination of strengths between Nick Walker and Blessing Awodibu.
Victor Martinez had this to say about Hunter Labrada during our interview:
“Labrada has the mass of Nick and the shape of Blessing. He’s like an in between of both of them. Because Blessing has great shape, the mass, keeps dieting and it’s going down. Nick Walker is just staying massive but he doesn’t have the shape.”
Of course, time can change a lot of things. Victor Martinez’s comments were made just before the New York Pro 2021. While his opinion might still stand – Nick Walker’s win will certainly give him confidence to continue improving.
Big Ramy was a bodybuilder who many thought would never be able to find the right balance of size and conditioning. He ultimately proved them wrong. Nick Walker is too early in his career for anyone to make permanent assumptions. We’ve yet to see the full potential of his abilities – but as Big Ramy proved – either way incredible things can happen.
As it stands now, Hunter Labrada simply has the work ethic and the genetics to truly impress Victor Martinez. And he’s not alone. Many fans and fellow bodybuilders are surprised at just how on point Hunter Labrada has looked the past year. We can’t wait to see what kind of damage he can do when he next steps on stage.
You can watch Victor Martinez’ full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Sergio Oliva Jr. and Nick Walker Recent Beef Explained
Sergio Oliva Jr. and Nick Walker engaged in some serious beef.
Bodybuilding standouts, both looking to name for themselves got into a complicated beef. Sergio Oliva Jr. and Nick Walker had some back and forth online that sparking some beef between the two.
Beef makes the bodybuilding world go round it seems. Lately many bodybuilding competitors have been getting into some pretty heated exchanges online. In fact it seems as if Nick Walker continues to find himself in the middle of all these recent bodybuilding beefs. First it was Walker and Blessing Awodibu who had some beef ahead of the NY Pro. They have since put their rivalry to bed. But in the midst of that there appeared to be another beef brewing.
Nick Walker has since engaged in a bit of a back and forth with fellow Open Bodybuilding competitor Sergio Oliva Jr. The beef between the two appeared to have started because of some news revealed about Oliva.
During a podcast with Fouad Abiad, Nick Walker revealed that Sergio Oliva Jr. would not be competing at the Chicago Pro. It was news to everyone as Oliva had not commented on it himself. For that very reason, Oliva was pretty livid about the situation and decided to take his grievances to social media.
Sparked Beef
In the Instagram video Sergio Oliva Jr. explained that he trusted three people with the information. While he did not mention Nick Walker by name, the fact that bodybuilder had the info and shared it on the podcast would suggest that Oliva was speaking of Walker. This is speculation of course as nothing has been confirmed.
Sergio Oliva Jr. was certainly in his rights to be upset. As explained in the video it put him in a pretty bad spot from a business perspective to have the news break in that manner.
After this video dropped, Fouad Abiad left a pretty lengthy response in the comments. It revealed even more about what was going on between Sergio Oliva Jr. and Abiad. The two had a bit of a back and forth, both of them sharing their sides of the story.
So where does Nick Walker work into all of this? After all, so far it seems like the issue was between Oliva and Abiad. Well it appears that the beef between Walker and Oliva came to public fruition after a couple of social media posts made by the two.
Online Confrontation
It appears to have started with a post made by Sergio Oliva Jr. The caption in the post read as follows:
People get so upset when you say facts. I’m sorry I’m talking about your favorite bodybuilder. Doesn’t mean I’m lying when I say the shows have been weak. I’m not attacking anyone I said it’s not the winners fault they still killed it. I even said it’s no ones fault really. We all got screwed by COVID so people are getting their lives together and couldn’t do the beginning shows. But I just wanted to post this pic of @sas_heirati he got 5TH at NY Pro. This is what 5th place looked like.
Possibly in response to that post, specifically the notion of the shows being “weak” over the last year, Nick Walker posted the below.
Nothing weak coming in 17 weeks
Putting Things to Bed
From the looks of things, the beef has been heating up between the two. But it appears that Sergio Oliva Jr. tried to squash the beef in the comments of Walker’s post. They had a bit of a back and forth, but it appears like things have since calmed down.
The responses ended there, but it appears that Nick Walker recently commented in his stories saying that he and Sergio Oliva Jr. were now on good terms. It’s good to hear that the beef has been squashed, especially since the situation appeared for more personal than your usual trash talk. This situation was as much about friendship, family, and trust as anything else. To hear that things have since calmed down is certainly a positive outcome.
What do you make of this situation between Sergio Oliva Jr. and Nick Walker?
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Managing Editor at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
Joey Swoll: Blessing Awodibu Is Great For The Sport Of Bodybuilding
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Joey Swoll looks analyzes the most promising young bodybuilders rising in the ranks and highlights Blessing Awodibu’s contributions to the sport.
Joey Swoll might not be a competitive bodybuilder – but he is deeply passionate and involved with the sport. Which is why upon reconnecting with him for an interview, we asked for his thoughts on the Olympia 2020. We also asked for his thoughts looking towards the future. What up and coming bodybuilders seem primed to become a rising star in bodybuilding? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Joey Swoll discusses how Blessing Awodibu has both the physique and personality to bring something great to bodybuilding.
Blessing Awodibu is a bodybuilder who garnered a lot of attention going into the Indy Pro and the New York Pro in 2021. This is certainly due to his physique looking impressive on social media updates. But it’s also because of Blessing’s ability to stir up controversy and hype leading up to the show.
Blessing started up a rivalry with up and comer Nick Walker, who was also set to compete at the New York Pro. The rivalry led to some back and forth trash talk. It lit up the internet in bodybuilding. It was exciting, sometimes controversial, but 100% in the front of everyone’s mind.
Ultimately, Blessing Awodibu fell behind Nick Walker and placed sixth at the New York Pro 2021. Walker landed first place. This was somewhat disappointing to fans fo Blessing. But to Joey Swoll – that’s not too much to be concerned about. Blessing is still relatively new to the competitive world of bodybuilding. His physique shows promise and can always improve.
Joey Swoll believes that Blessing Awodibu is great for the sport of bodybuilding. He’s bringing an element of entertainment and excitement to the sport. If he can continue to combine that with a threatening physique – we can have another Kai Greene type athlete on our hands.
“Blessing, that kid, I think he’s great for the sport. He’s very, how do I say this, he has a lot of personality,” Joey Swoll states in our interview. He continues:
“He brings a lot of character to the stage. He’s not quiet. And I love that. I love that there was a little bit of beef between him and Nick. I didn’t get too involved into it but I like that. It’s good for the sport. It creates some, like you know, everyone is always going to talk about Phil and Kia. When Phil and Kai got beef and got on stage next to each other that was probably the most exciting Olympia finals ever.”
Joey Swoll goes on to clarify that it’s important to know the difference between competitiveness and disrespect. A rivalry and some trash talk is good for the sport, it helps engage the fans, and creates more drama. But if it becomes disrespectful, that’s not professional. That’s not what a pro athlete should represent. It’s a fine line – but Blessing seems to be the kind of guy who knows how to walk it.
Joey Swoll also mentions other standout rising stars such as the aforementioned Nick Walker and also Hunter Labrada. These athletes all show incredible promise that is starting to solidify in recent years. A new generation of athletes are on the horizon and the future looks bright.
You can watch Joey Swoll’s full comments on Blessing Awodibu and other young bodybuilding hopefuls in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!