On Episode 304 of The Menace Podcast, host Dennis James was joined by Milos Sarcev and Chris Cormier, and so they wasted no time speaking concerning the largest bodybuilding present of the yr. On September 27, Nick Walker turned the 2026 Mr. Olympia, whereas final yr’s victor, Derek Lunsford, was compelled into third place. However did the earlier champion should drop down to 3rd?
With Nick “The Mutant” Walker taking each the Individuals’s Champion award, and the $600,000 jackpot after his profitable weekend in Las Vegas, The Menace Podcast felt that inconsistency in entrance of the judges might have been Derek Lunsford’s downfall. “His abs had been washed out on Friday,” claimed Dennis James of Lunsford’s efficiency in pre-judging. “And he had it extra crisp on Saturday.”
Milos Sarcev famous that Lunsford had improved in sure areas, together with his capability to showcase his abs within the ultimate. “This time he had it,” noticed “The Thoughts.” Each James and Sarcev agreed that after the prejudging course of, Nick Walker and Derek Lunsford appeared to return out on prime. “No one actually anticipated the change that Samson was going to make in a single day,” added Sarcev, explaining why Samson Dauda in the end earned second, dropping Derek Lunsford down to 3rd. The panel additionally mentioned the likelihood that Dauda’s confidence might have been missing on Friday, however after making some tweaks, he then put himself proper into the combine throughout the ultimate.
Had been the Olympia Judges Proper to Put Derek Lunssford in Third Place on the 2026 Olympia?
“I feel that was the very best Samson, ever,” noticed The Menace, justifying the truth that he positioned forward of Derek Lunsford. Milos Sarcev added that Lunsford had put in a valiant efficiency on the Olympia however couldn’t match as much as The Mutant on the evening.
Nonetheless, the panel famous that the distinction between the highest 4 athletes (Nick Walker, Samson Dauda, Derek Lunsford, and Andrew Jacked) is now so shut that relying on the present and the day, both man has an opportunity of beating the opposite. “It’s going to be the toughest factor, for Nick to win that once more subsequent yr,” mentioned James. “He can do it. We already know he can, now. Nevertheless it’s going to be tremendous exhausting as a result of these guys are all so shut.”
To see this dialog in full on The Menace Podcast, the place the panel additionally mentioned the most recent bodybuilding information and outcomes, test it out on the Muscle & Health YouTube channel.
