by Christian Duque
I think it’s safe to say that no one will ever confuse Nick Walker with the inventor of the Rubix cube. He’s a nice enough guy, but he’s dumb as rocks when it comes to anything beyond lifting weights. I say this largely because of the fact that I’m annoyed he blocked me. I feel that top pro’s who do this generally lack the ability to think beyond play dough and eating paste. It doesn’t matter if they have a college degree (e.g. like Phil Heath) or if they’re from different generations or parts of the world.
The fact of the matter is that if you’re a main draw in a sport as vain and as niche as bodybuilding and you block people because of unpopular opinions or in Nick’s case “because you’re negative,” then you’re in the wrong line of work.
Why was I negative? Because I took exception with the fact that Shaun Clarida got dropped from RAW despite the fact that his coach was a part owner of the company. At the time Walker was coached by this guy as well. He’s a great coach and if he didn’t block me for being critical, why did Nick? Again, it goes back to intellect.
I was vocally supportive of The Mutant and even wrote some flattering articles about his rise to the top for Iron Magazine. And let me tell you, the articles here make the rounds. If you could only see Iron Magazine’s analytics you’d know that having multiple articles written on you is grounds for a huge thank you – if anything else. That being said, I don’t write for the pats on the back. I write from the heart and I’m generally unfiltered.
Nick was very supportive when he deemed me to be “postive.” In fact, when I met him in New York at the Natural Vitamins Epic Block Party he warned me half-jokingly to not be negative. As he made the statement he grinned yet was serious. I was like WTF? I literally felt like I was speaking to a man child.
It’s bad enough he felt the need to warn me – a journalist – to refrain from being negative, but it’s quite another that he actually acted out on it. How the hell am I supposed to be an objective writer if I have tiptoe on newstories? Maybe he only respects shills and if that’s the case, he’s certainly not going to help grow this half-dead sport.
While Nick doesn’t like writers or commentators that are unfiltered, he sure loves to talk a lot of shit about others as of late. Just a couple weeks ago, he felt the need to attack several top guys in what amounted to a shameless attempt at clickbait. He attacked Samson Dauda who beat him in Columbus for the second biggest title in bodybuilding. He threw shade at reigning Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan. He then attacked 2x Mr. Olympia Big Ramy saying that the guy was essentially finished. He also indirectly attacked Brandon Curry by stating he wouldn’t be in this year’s Olympia Top 6. And if that wasn’t enough, a few days later he made a number of statements about legendary bodybuilder Reagan Grimes.
Walker sent shockwaves throughout the fitness industry when he said Grimes should “stick to IG.” How’s that for negative? Then he went on to say that Grimes lacked the “mindset, consistency, and the heart” to succeed in the sport. While Walker didn’t seem to enjoy denigrating Reagan, he basically decimated the guy to the point that all he thinks he’s capable of is posing by himself with a million filters and effects on IG.
I mean how else can you take he should “stick to Instagram” than that?
I don’t care if the guy was gasping and sobbing with a face full of tears when he said it. That doesn’t matter. What Walker did amounts to a pretty negative take on a great bodybuilder. Furthermore, Nick even stated that he’s around Grimes a lot, and you’d think maybe that would have given him pause? It didn’t.
When Walker says “he doesn’t look any different to me” it also suggests he can’t seem to shut up. Nick craves attention and after failing to win the Olympia in 2022 and after failing to successfully defend his title this year in Columbus, the guy probably feels like he’s lost some of that buzz that surrounded him from winning the North Americans to winning the Arnold. Most people don’t believe he’ll win the Sandow this year, either. Everyone is looking at Derek Lunsford and the fact the former 212 Mr. Olympia is likely to hold Walker down again in 2023 is probably psychologically damaging to The Mutant.. But it gets worse!!
Reagan Grimes is looking absolutely nuts! Whether Walker lit a fire under him or the stars coincidentally aligned, the legendary Canadian bodybuilder has tapped into a hidden reserve. He’s gained size, deepened his cuts, and his symmetry is on point. And yes Nick, he looks different!!
I still remember when I first met Grimes and where it was. He was at the BPI booth at the Arnold Classic and one of the biggest believers in him was none other than 4x Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler. Although Grimes has failed to live up to the hype when he was coming up, he has been able to grow a sizable fanbase and he has been able to make a great living doing what he loves. Moreover, he’s been a pro that’s not been afraid to look for the best possible fit in this sport. What I mean by that is that I applaud him for trying Classic Physique. You’ll hear guys like Walker knock him for that, but they’re the ones who are in the wrong as far as I’m concerned. Most bodybuilders who could have done this, wouldn’t. If we’re going to talk about heart, let’s talk about heart.
To me having heart means that you’ll do whatever it takes – including downsizing to a tighter division if that move is the best for your career. Most guys in open bodybuilding will ignore that possibility and just take more drugs and get bigger. The fact Grimes downsized shows heart. And it also shows heart when he went in the other direction and gained a truckload of size during his Oxygen Gym days.
Don’t talk to me about heart when it comes to Reagan Grimes. He’s got plenty of heart and he just might make Nick Walker look like a total moron if he can bring his best look ever to the stage. That said, Nick won’t stop. He needs attention and unless he can gain attention with his placings, he’s going to get it by throwing whoever he can under the bus. Whether he’s talking trash with a smile or talking trash seemingly painstakingly for the cameras, he’s going to flap those gums in the hopes of going viral.
Pretty sad, isn’t it?
