"He will only win if the others fail!" Lunsford's harsh truth about Nick Walker's chances

The 2026 season is off to a strong start and all eyes of bodybuilding fans are on Columbus, Ohio. This year, the Arnold Classic is offering a record $750,000 prize for the winner of the Open category, which has attracted huge names.

Clash of the Titans.

Lunsford, who decided to skip this year's Arnold, is clear about the favorites. In an interview with Dennis James on the Menace podcast, he predicted that Hadi Choopan and Andrew Jacked would duke it out for the title.

"I see it probably going to Hadi because he seems the most complete of all of them. But then there's Andrew, who has been a big fan favourite since the last Olympia. Those are the two fighters I see in the top two," L unsfordsaid .

Does Nick Walker have a chance to win?

The big topic is the return of Nick Walker, who finished sixth at the last Olympia and is now preparing on his own without a trainer. Lunsford believes Nick still has a chance to win, but several factors have to come together.

According to Lunsford, Walker will face a tough battle with Martin Fitzwater, who looked great at the Prague race. For Nick to think about gold, Derek said he needs to bring the form he showed in the Pittsburgh exhibition (the "Pittsburgh look").

"If the other guys are a little out of shape, yes, he could win," admitted Lunsford.

"Nick has to bring his 'Pittsburgh look' and the others would have to have a worse day. But I don't think Hadi is significantly out of shape. We've seen Hadi when he hasn't been 100 percent, but he's still incredibly consistent."

Lunsford's plans: the road to a third Mr. Olympia title

While his opponents will be fighting for a quarter of a million dollars at Arnold, Lunsford is fully focused on this fall's Mr. Olympia, where he wants to win his third title.

He revealed that he plans to show the fans probably only during an exhibition at the Pittsburgh Pro. His training now focuses on the weaknesses that have been faulted - specifically his arms and chest.

"I'm definitely focusing on the areas Milos [Sarchev] talked about. People have been talking about my arms and chest for a couple of years now. I'm improving them year by year, so I think focusing on those areas will help. I want to get that muscle maturity, density and better mind-muscle connection," explained the champion.

Although he won't be competing in Columbus this year, Lunsford hasn't ruled out returning to the Arnold Classic podium in the future, perhaps as early as 2027. For this year, however, his goal is clear: to keep his Sandow statue.