Reunited! Can Nick Walker and Matt Jansen Make History Together?
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By Roger Lockridge
The bodybuilding community rejoiced on September 30th when 2021 Arnold Classic Champion Nick Walker posted an image of himself in a most muscular pose with the caption “home.” The home that he was referring to was Revive Gym in Stuart, Florida. That rejoice was because the fans realized that Walker was once again working with his one-time coach, Matt Jansen. Jansen confirmed the news with a comment on the post.
“There is work to be done!”
This reunion came after Walker and Jansen parted company in early 2022 as both coach/athlete and as Walker’s supplement sponsor. Walker would eventually sign with Fouad Abiad’s Hosstile brand. He hired Domenick Mustacio to work with him during his offseason, with hopes that the new duo could improve on Walker’s fifth place finish at the 2021 Mr. Olympia.
We’re not sure what happened between Walker and Mustacio that led to them going their separate ways, but Walker is very familiar with Jansen and they have a track record of success. Under Jansen’s guidance, Walker turned pro at the 2020 North Americans, then he won both the New York Pro and Arnold Classic in 2021.
As for his relationship with Hosstile, Walker announced on October 6th that Abiad released him from his contract, so he is no longer with Hosstile. He hasn’t signed with any other company as of this writing.
The combination of Walker and Jansen could have potential to make a lot of history together. They are both young for their respective roles, and they can have long careers ahead of them. If all goes according to their plans, they may go down as one of the greatest athlete/coach combinations in bodybuilding history. A few other candidates for that honor are below.
Ronnie Coleman and Chad Nicholls
Flex Wheeler introduced Ronnie Coleman to his coach, Chad Nicholls, and the Diet Doc was able to help Coleman establish a legacy that will never be forgotten. Together, they won eight Mr. Olympia titles in a row from 1998 until 2005, and they won the 2001 Arnold Classic together. Nicholls currently works with the current Mr. Olympia, Mamdouh “Big Ramy” Elssbiay, and they hope to put together a similar run themselves.
Jay Cutler and Chris Aceto
Chris Aceto started working with Jay Cutler as an amateur, similar to Jansen with Walker. Aceto and Cutler put together an incredible run of success, including two Mr. Olympia wins in 2006 and 2007 (Cutler won the other two with Hany Rambod), four Olympia runner-up finishes, and three Arnold Classics from 2002 to 2004. Walker’s popularity already gets compared to Cutler’s, so maybe there is something to this comparison.
Phil Heath and Hany Rambod
Phil Heath never entered a pro contest under anyone else’s guidance than that of Hany Rambod. Heath was known as “The Gift” and he was considered by many in the mid 2000’s to be the future. That came true with seven Mr. Olympia wins in a row from 2011 to 2017. Heath lost the title in 2018 to the late Shawn Rhoden while suffering from a hernia. Nonetheless, Heath is in the conversation for the greatest bodybuilder of all-time while Rambod cemented his legacy as a coach as well.
Neil Hill and Flex Lewis
Another seven-time championship duo is Flex Lewis and Neil Hill. The Welsh Dragon and the master of Y3T training also joined forces during the athlete’s amateur days and never looked back. Lewis is considered one of, if not the greatest non-heavyweight bodybuilder of all-time thanks to his seven consecutive Olympia 212 titles from 2012 to 2018 when Lewis retired from the division. Lewis hoped to enter the open before his career ended, but it never happened because he retired in 2022. Hill’s mentorship and support was a key component that led to Lewis’ dominance for so many years.
So, what can Walker and Jansen do together now that they are side by side once again? The future only knows, but Walker has shared multiple posts since, including this one that showed he is already pleased with the progress.
One thing is for sure. The 2022 Mr. Olympia contest was already exciting, but now the anticipation is at an all-time high.
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