Old school bodybuilding fans will remember the rivalries that made the sport so interesting. Names like Schwarzenegger and Oliva or Haney and Gaspari might come to mind. Fans of the last few decades might think of Coleman and Cutler or Heath and Greene. There's plenty of anticipation for a potential new rivalry - Lunsford and Walker.
The two men first faced each other at the 2022 Mr. Olympia, where runner-up Lunsford placed one spot ahead of Walker. The comparisons and post-contest chatter have kept fans in suspense ever since. The Prime Time Muscle crew explored the potential of this matchup in a recent episode.
Terrick El-Guindy started the discussion by talking about Lunsford and the conspiracy that he skipped the 2023 Arnold Classic to avoid another Walker matchup.
"Derek Lunsford is not afraid of anyone," said the IFBB Pro League judge. "He went to Pittsburgh to do The Posing Routine (2022) when he wasn't as well-respected. So he's not afraid of anyone. I can speak for Derek, he's not scared."
Chris Cormier knows the feeling of being third at the Mr. Olympia, a position he held behind Ronnie Coleman and Flex Wheeler in 1999. He can speak firsthand about Walker's mindset.
"You look at the guy who's one spot above you in second place, that's Derek, and you're picking that person apart," he told co-host Tim Wilkins and El-Guindy. "I did the same with Flex-Wheeler."
Reigning Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan has no intention of relinquishing his title, but the co-hosts nonetheless felt the 2021 Arnold Classic winner and 2021 Olympia 212 champion could be involved in multiple finals in the years to come will be.
"It's one of the greatest rivalries in bodybuilding, in our opinion," Wilkins said. What do you think? You can share your thoughts in the comments section of the video on the Olympia TV YouTube channel. If you're there, subscribe so you don't miss future episodes.
