Jay Cutler Casts Doubt on Nick Walker’s Podium Finish at 2024 Mr. Olympia

Nick Walker has been a hot topic since winning the 2024 New York Pro, but not without controversy regarding his physique. In a recent episode of the Cutler Cast podcast, four-time Mr. Olympia champion Jay Cutler expressed doubts about Walker’s prospects for finishing in the top three at the 2024 Mr. Olympia.

Walker, nicknamed "The Mutant," secured his second NY Pro title by defeating Martin Fitzwater. This victory marked his return to the Open class after missing the 2023 Olympia due to severe calf and hamstring injuries. Despite his previous third-place finish at the 2022 Olympia, Cutler believes Walker needs to make significant improvements.

“He did not show up as expected, okay? We thought he was going to walk in here and demolish these guys,” Said Jay Cutler. 

Cutler said, noting that Walker's performance, though victorious, was not as dominant as anticipated. Cutler also pointed out that Walker's physique, particularly his waist, has drawn criticism.

He added, “He still won, yes it was a point decision [at the 2024 New York Pro]. They judge you on, I don’t care what they say, he’s not normal. Tyler said it, this is not the best version of Nick Walker we’ve seen.”

Cutler emphasized the steep competition Walker will face from current Olympia champions Derek Lunsford and Hadi Choopan, as well as former Arnold Classic champion Samson Dauda.

“Predictions for this year’s Olympia don’t have Nick at the top threatening Hadi and Derek,” Cutler noted.

Cutler believes Walker is ‘under a big pressure’ and has to ‘step up’ if he hopes to reestablish himself as a top threat at the 2024 Mr. Olympia. 

“Nick He’s under a big pressure right now because now he’s qualified, he’s one of the few by the way. We can go over that list but he has a lot of. He has to step up.
Because right now, they talked about him being third in the world, third in the world, even though he missed last year. I think it’s kind of crazy, it’s what have you done for me lately.”

Reflecting on Walker’s latest contest appearance, Cutler argued that he doesn’t have a physique worthy of a ‘third place’ Olympia finish, noting that his waist appears wider.

“He’s not showing the third-place physique based on my opinion, the feedback of the contest. He’s getting a lot of criticism because the waist was a little wider but, in a sense, it’s like he goes to the Arnold, they tell him you’re too lean, you need to be more powerful like he was when he got third at the Olympia, right? He comes in lean at the Arnold, smaller, whatever, he gets second. Then he misses the Olympia, and he comes here,” Said Jay Cutler.

Despite his doubts, Cutler acknowledged Walker's resilience and ability to overcome challenges.

“Nick seems to always fix the discrepancies. When you start to doubt Nick Walker, he proves you differently,”

He conceded, suggesting the possibility of a surprising turnaround.

With months to go before the Olympia, the bodybuilding community is keenly watching to see if Walker can address these critiques and rise to the occasion. Walker's preparation and performance will be critical in determining whether he can reclaim his spot among the elite and vie for the prestigious Sandow trophy.