by Christian Duque
Is Nick Walker being “bombarded” with presents, as YouTuber IvanBodybuilding states – or – is he dealing with a collection of deadends and lowball presents, as I’ve speculated would occur since his very public break from coach, Matt Jansen, over the course of the previous couple of weeks?
Breaks are normally lower and dry, proper? However not this one. Earlier than we dive into the article, we have to set up a really distinct basis with this story. From the whole lot we all know, utilizing a mixture of sources, media studies, and admissions from the movers-and-shakers in query, we all know that each one the turmoil began by an uncommon ultimatum from Nick on Matt. From there, Walker eliminated all hyperlinks to each his coach, in addition to the businesses he owns in components. These firms sponsored Walker. On the opposite aspect of the weekend, The Mutant went public, reassuring followers and information shops that he was actually staying put and that the crew would experience it out, “until the wheels fell off.”
Not surprisingly, as I predicted in my article for Iron Journal, the rift created proved too nice to beat, even with conferences and pledges for good issues to come back. It’s at this level that I launched an installment of @StrengthAddicts Actual Discuss on Instagram, the place I made one other daring prediction. And that was, merely, that Walker’s inventory would take a substantial hit. On paper, his resume preceded him. He’s acquired the Arnold title, the NY Professional title, and the Olympia Prime 5 – all from 2021. In actuality, nevertheless, a serious part from his success was gone. Lots of the greatest complement firms can be far too skittish to dig deep into their pockets and provides the younger, rising star six determine contracts, when his future – on the most elite ranges of the game – remained in query. Bear in mind, earlier than Jansen, Walker was barely being talked about. Some thought he’d have bother turning professional. After Jansen, individuals had been furious he was crushed by Hunter Labrada on the Olympia and thought he may stand subsequent to Large Ramy at that present. That’s like an evening and day change.
Simply days later, nearly to seal the deal on the subject of predictions concerning the health trade souring on Walker, Nick Trigili of Bodybuilding and BS, reported that Walker had approached RedCon1 and was flat out rejected. Assuming that Trigili’s story is 100% factual, this may be a bombshell growth. Not solely did a serious complement firm not supply the reigning Arnold champion an enormous payday, they didn’t need him in any respect.
Whereas I might have been comfortable to have been improper, I wasn’t. To be sincere, RC1’s determination isn’t all that surprising. Why ought to they provide prime greenback based mostly on pure hypothesis? It’s speculative, at finest, if Walker will hyperlink up with one other top-notch coach, it’s speculative if his meteoric rise will proceed with out skipping a beat, and it’s additionally speculative if his loyalty to a brand new firm might be any totally different to his lack of loyalty to his earlier sponsors. All of those components are big unknowns, which I’ll focus on additional all through this text. All hypothesis apart, one certainty from the rumored Redcon1 determination is that it’ll invariably have an effect on future presents for the younger professional. Firms could reject him rather a lot quicker, since RC1 did it so shortly, and firms who could wish to take an opportunity, might be emboldened to make decrease presents than normal.
Everyone seems to be assuming that Walker will have the ability to select his subsequent coach, select his subsequent sponsor, and win no matter contest he units his sights on. He in all probability assumed numerous this, himself, solely to search out out that fantasy and actuality don’t all the time go hand-in-hand.
I’m certain Nick want to work with Chad, Hany, and even the retiring Chris Aceto. Perhaps he’d wish to hyperlink up with George Farah, Neil Hill, or perhaps, Grandma, however the reality is, numerous the most important names in teaching, could also be reluctant to work with him. What’s in it for them? Bear in mind, Walker acquired himself into this entire mess due to an unreasonable ultimatum. All the aforementioned coaches and lots of others on their stage, would have responded precisely as Jansen did.
For a guru, prepping athletes is their main supply of revenue, it’s their livelihood. Why would any prime coach wish to work with a competitor – irrespective of how gifted – who may probably run the identical recreation on them? Is Nick Walker the one who can win the NY Professional, the Arnold, or perhaps, even, the Olympia? No, he’s not, and apart from that, most prime coaches would relatively take longer, with the proper shopper, and make it occur when it occurs.
The very fact is, there aren’t any assurances that Nick has grown from his outdated methods. I imply, it hasn’t even been a month. And if there was hesitation when he first left Jansen/RAW/Revive, that’s simply grown into downright reluctance after the second break in lower than every week’s time afterwards. Let’s not overlook that Walker and Jansen didn’t simply half as soon as, however twice. This is sufficient to make Walker’s possibilities of touchdown one other nice teaching partnership as fleeting as touchdown one other main complement deal are. Firms and coaches, alike, wish to signal loyal individuals. Walker appears loyal solely to Walker.
The uncertainty insofar as teaching has even led some pundits to think about the chance that Walker could self-coach. That, even for somebody as brash as Nick, could seem to be a colossal error in judgment. Even when Walker had his earlier preps memorized, so what? It’s not about replicating previous preps. The place coaches actually shine is after they’re capable of deal with unexpected circumstances. What if impulsively a competitor turns into sugar-sensitive, fat-sensitive? What if they’ll’t pull the water in time? What if one thing that’s all the time labored, is out of the blue lacking the mark? The clock is ticking, perhaps the problem occurred simply an hour or two earlier than it’s time to hit the stage. What are memorized steps to previous preps going to do in that state of affairs?
To recommend that memorizing preps permits a competitor to then “self-prep” him/herself is a boneheaded assertion to make. Nick wants a coach, however that’s to not say he can have any of the coaches he desires. And he has solely himself accountable.
The identical means complement firms are reluctant to work with Walker, I feel prime coaches are, too. Nobody desires to sign-on for that bullshit. Not solely don’t they should, only a few wish to.
The most important elephant within the room is consistency. Except for the sponsor and training conundrums, is the large query of whether or not Walker will have the ability to proceed his ascent in 2022. Because it’s extremely unlikely that he’ll compete on the Arnold (which is in two weeks) and it’s unlikely he’d put his physique by way of a prep for the third greatest title (NY Professional) when doing so may sabotage his Olympia prep, it’s trying like the whole lot will come all the way down to December in Las Vegas, NV. Will he sink or swim? That’s the query.
Something lower than fifth on the 2022 O, may very well be argued, can be a loss or failure. Getting fifth once more, may be the very best case situation. To even recommend that Walker may finest his 2021 placings on the Tremendous Bowl of Bodybuilding, given all of the chaos in his profession at current, can be longshot speak. To say that Walker may win the Olympia, with no secured sponsor or coach locked-in, is sort of madness. And once more, that’s what potential sponsors and coaches need to look ahead to? It’s no shock they’re not banging on his door.
Getting rejected by Redcon is greater than only one firm saying no. It may spell much more bother for the younger bodybuilding sensation. It’s additionally attention-grabbing that Fouad Abiad’s Hosstile Supps hasn’t scooped up the Bro Chat common. However simply as I mentioned in my earlier article for Iron Journal – it’s one factor to do a podcast, it’s fairly one other to get into enterprise collectively. I extremely doubt Abiad would have an interest, however who is aware of?
In summation, Nick Walker will actually need to show himself. He’s having to undergo an actual trial by fireplace – and he’s the one who lit it.
