"Nick is not the most symmetrically gifted" - Bob Cicherillo on Nick Walker and judging at the 2023 Arnold Classic

Ever since Nick Walker finished second at the 2023 Arnold Classic, various questions regarding the judging on the show have been raised by critics and fans alike.

Nick 'The Mutant' Walker became the front-runner in major competitions after the 2022 Olympia where he displayed an absolutely freakish physique. Leading up to the 2023 Arnold Classic, he was the favorite to win the show. His package at the Classic did not disappoint, but it wasn't enough to win him the title.

Despite disagreements from many, Bob Cicherillo, known for his commentary on a variety of shows, believes that the judges rightly called Dauda as the victor. In a recent episode of his show Voice of Bodybuilding, Bob said that Nick Walker lost his most appealing factor of being extremely muscular:

"First of all, Nick brought it down way too much, in my opinion. I think he lost some of that freak factor. Nick is not the most symmetrically gifted, I think he’d be the first one to tell you that. He’s very much Branch Warren 2.0. where he’s got a lot of muscle, he comes in great, grainy, gnarly condition and that’s what he brings to the table."

Bob added that Nick was most-likely trying to build a physique that resembles the mainstream ideal. However, Nick's dimensions are not ideal for a streamlined physique. He said:

"I know he was trying to streamline it, but he doesn’t have the kind of physique where you streamline it, it will do better."

One of the main differences between the Nick Walker we saw at the Olympia last year and the one we saw at the Classic this year was the size of his legs. Nick walked onto the Classic stage with great conditioning and a mature upper body, however, his legs were smaller, negatively affecting his shoulder-to-leg ratio.

Bob, speaking of the imbalance, said:

"He lost some of the legs because he trimmed them down. It makes his legs look like they’re a little bit weak in comparison to his upper body. His upper body is tremendous you can’t get around that, some of the best arms in the business currently. But that’s only half the battle."

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Bob Cicherillo believes Nick Walker was "closer to fourth than he is to first", thinks Andrew Jacked deserved to finish second

Nick Walker finished second-place in the 2023 Arnold Classic, behind Samson Dauda and Andrew Jacked followed him into third-place. According to Bob, Nick did not deserve a second-place finish:

"Personally, I had Andrew Jacked in second and I’ll tell you why. Andrew Jacked is closer to Samson in terms of physique, height, weight, proportions, symmetry, all that good stuff, tremendous physique, he looked great."

"At the end of the day, I would have had him as the runner-up and Nick I would have had him in a solid third but honestly, he’s closer to fourth than he is to first."

At just 28, Nick Walker has a long career ahead of him in the sport of bodybuilding. His quick rise in the professional scene has raised many eyebrows. Walker's conditioning is currently unparalleled in the sport. However, it seems as though some improvements need to be made before he can claim one of the two major titles.