Bob Cicherillo is laying out his expectations for Nick Walker at the 2026 Arnold Classic. On Jan. 15, 2026, via YouTube, he predicted that Walker would finish fourth in Ohio. Additionally, Cicherillo recommended he compete at the Detroit Pro as a backup plan to qualify for Olympia.
Walker was a huge favorite heading into the 2025 Mr. Olympia. He took Derek Lunsford to a sudden-death round at the Pittsburgh Pro, though he ended up finishing in second place. To earn his ticket to the Mr. Olympia, Walker dominated the 2025 New York Pro for a third title.
When pressure was at its highest, Walker took a misstep. He was unable to nail his peak for the Mr. Olympia, leading to a drop to sixth place, the lowest finish of his career. With redemption serving as his biggest motivation, Cicherillo discussed where he might place at future events.
Bob Cicherillo Says Walker ‘Looking at 4th’ at 2026 Arnold Classic, Tells Him to Enter Detroit Pro
In the video, Cicherillo emphasized that no one should count out Walker despite his performance at the Olympia.
“Nobody should be writing him off. Listen, I may not be a fan, but I respect Nick for his work ethic and for the fact that he’s going to put it back out there, and he should. He absolutely should be in the Arnold. If I was running his camp, I wouldn’t have him in the Arnold for a couple good reasons.”
He predicted Walker would place fourth at the upcoming 2026 Arnold Classic. As a backup plan to qualify for Olympia, he recommended that he participate in the Detroit Pro.
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“One, again, he’s looking at fourth, might be an okay paycheck, but certainly not what he’s looking for. Two: I don’t know if he can sustain all year because he’s going to have to qualify for the Olympia again,” said Cicherillo.
“I think that would be smart. If he’s going to do the Arnold, then he should absolutely do Detroit.”
He also thought Walker should throw his name into the Pittsburgh Pro again.
“He should do Pittsburgh. If you’re going to cash in your chips, go for it, kid. Then, take a nice break assuming he can win one of those, be it Detroit or [the Arnold Classic],” explained Cicherillo.
Although he and Walker have a contentious history, Cicherillo argued fans might see the best Walker yet in Ohio.
“Nick is not stupid. He’s a smart kid. He’ll figure it out, and I think you might see the best Nick that you’ve seen coming off the Olympia. Listen, that did not sit well with him, nor should it have. Like any good competitor or top guy, he wants to put his best out there, and he wants to prove everyone wrong, or himself right. He’s got every ability to do that.”
Overall, he prefers taller physiques right now, like Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea.
“I don’t not like Nick. I don’t have a preference for his type of physique. I have a very Andrew Jacked preference for physiques, that type of big man. The Classic components of a physique.”
Cicherillo’s co-host on the Voice of Bodybuilding Podcast, Shawn Ray, also discussed Walker’s future. He believes “The Mutant” should sit out until a late qualifier. He also stated that should Walker compete at the Arnold Classic, he’ll finish 10th at the Mr. Olympia later in the season.
Walker intends to restore his momentum at the 2026 Arnold Classic. Arnold Schwarzenegger confirmed the event will award $750,000 to its Open winner and is set for March 5-8 in Columbus, Ohio.
