Former Editor of Muscular Development magazine and founder of RxMuscle, Dave Palumbo, has spoken about the Nick Walker situation. The former NPC competitor, infamous for being among the first bodybuilders to have a bubble gut, ran a poll on Instagram. In the poll, the bodybuilding icon asked his audience to vote on how they felt about Walker getting a special invite to compete in next year’s Mr. Olympia.

While most people voted no at the start, many people voted yes as the voting continued. However, many also asked for Palumbo’s opinion as he had over a decade of experience on the bodybuilding stage. Palumbo later uploaded a video voicing his opinion on the matter. Here’s what he had to say and how fans reacted to his opinion.

Does Nick Walker deserve a special invite?

“I think that the special invite was really designed for special circumstances,” said Palumbo in his video. The 55-year-old agreed that Walker’s condition would qualify as a “special circumstance.” With barely 48 hours left for the Mr. Olympia 2023, Nick Walker posted a video announcing he wouldn’t compete. The bodybuilder revealed he had torn his hamstring and couldn’t compete.

The news sent shockwaves around the bodybuilding world. The Arnold Classic winner was among the favorites to win the show, and the fans were devastated. However, Palumbo said that Walker getting an invite to the 2024 Mr. Olympia would depend on how quickly he recovers from his injury. The 29-year-old had uploaded a video after the Olympia stating he wouldn’t need surgery.

Hence, Palumbo concluded that if Walker recovers quickly and competes at the Arnold Classic in February 2024, he won’t require a special invite. Most fans also agreed with his view.

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The bodybuilding world gives its verdict

“No one should automatically qualify or get an invitation, it just trivializes the competition. Imagine past Olympic champions getting a free pass into finals – utterly ludicrous,” wrote one fan. However, interestingly, anyone who wins the coveted title becomes eligible to compete in future editions of the Olympia. “What was the point of only giving automatic qualification to the top 3 if they’re basically going to give them away? Make him earn it. The whole point was to have the top guys competing more often,” wrote another.

Even many of Walker’s supporters had a similar take. “No special invite. No surgery required. Injuries happen. I like Nick,” one fan commented. However, not everyone agreed. “Does he deserve it? Probably. Have they given special invites for worse reasons? Yes. I’m not into special invites but he should get one just because he has been a great Olympian open bodybuilder,” wrote a fan. “I think that if you give Nick Walker a special invite you have to give one to the guys who didn’t make it because of visa issues and I’m totally OK with that, after all, they qualified fare-and-square,” said another.

What do you feel about the Nick Walker situation? Do you think the 2022 People’s Champion deserves it? Write your thoughts in the comments. 

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