Shawn Ray says Nick Walker will never win Mr. Olympia

The world of professional bodybuilding is full of rivalries and honest opinions, and this time Nick Walker took center stage. After his recent triumph at the prestigious New York Pro 2025, one of the sport's most respected voices, legend Shawn Ray, spoke out, and his words were certainly not complimentary.

On the Voice Of Bodybuilding podcast, on which he was a guest of Bob Cicherill, Ray bluntly criticized Walker's potential to win the Mr. Olympia title. Although Walker qualified for the Olympia thanks to his win in New York, Ray believes that his physique simply doesn't reach the qualities needed for an absolute champion.

"He would never get my vote. He wouldn't even get my vote twice on Sunday," Ray said uncompromisingly.

According to Ray, Walker's victory at the New York Pro was not as clear-cut as many of his fans believe.

"It was a very close contest. People are still talking about it. Nick's fans say it was a clear win, but he's going to need a dose of reality," Ray said.

He said the question is whether Martin Fitzwater was that good or whether there is too much hype around Walker.

Shawn Ray, known for his emphasis on symmetry and aesthetics, doesn't consider Walker's physique representative of the Mr. Olympia title.

"I don't want a figure like that to represent bodybuilding at its peak, and I don't want his name and physique to be lumped in with Lee Haney, Dexter Jackson and other greats."

On the other hand, Ray acknowledged Walker's incredible work ethic and determination.

"That doesn't change the fact that he's a hard-working, hardcore bodybuilder. Nick deserves his day in the sun," he admitted.

Nick Walker has worked his way up to the top of the Men's Open division in recent years, finishing in the Top 5 twice at Olympia and was considered one of the favorites. But his path to the top is now being challenged by the voice of one of the sport's greatest icons.

So the debate is open: Is Shawn Ray right and is Walker's character too "mutant" to become the standard of beauty and symmetry that the Mr. Olympia title requires? Or can Nick Walker shut up all the critics and rewrite history? One thing is for sure - the battle for the Mr. Olympia 2025 title will be more exciting than ever.