When the news broke that Hadi Choopan would be working with Milos Sarcev, the news spread like wildfire. It seemed like everyone in the industry had to weigh in. Whether fans chose to speak up on Facebook Groups, IG, Tiktok or the various message boards, the conversation was pretty much the same. Most people started out by saying “did you hear?” And it went from there.
Milos is a class act. His coaching style, though sometimes criticized, has rendered undeniable results (e.g. helping guys like Samson go all the way to the top). He knows how to work with big guys that like to suffer and aren’t scared of a little hard work. One look at what he did with Samson would be enough for any top guy to take a chance with him. WHY NOT, right?
Another big piece of news came with Nick Walker. Nick had gone around telling the world he was embarking on a lean bulk while all the fans were scrambling, trying to figure out what show he would do to qualify for the ’26 O. After a very impressive 2nd place in Columbus at the 2026 Arnold, it seemed The Mutant was going to sit out the 2026 Olympia. Many fans remembered him doing so for two consecutive O’s and they didn’t want him away from the biggest stage on the planet.
As it would seem, Nick also wanted to work with someone new. Especially after the mystery of his self-prep journey was outed. For all intents and purposes, Nick’s last coach was Guy Cisternino. That said, Guy worked behind the scenes and more or less ghost-prepped Walker. Instead of sticking to that formula, Nick hired Prabh Dhaliwal (known online as prodbyprob), who will prep him for the 2026 Tampa Pro. Beyond Tampa, it’s anyone’s guess what the plan is.
The big question on everyone’s mind is whether or not the coaching changes will have any impact on Hadi’s and Nick’s placings. Hadi wants to win back the Sandow. Nick needs to get himself to the Olympia. Also, while it looks like Hadi is going to give Milos a real shot, others aren’t so convinced with Nick. It seems that Nick is doing somewhat of a trial run with Prabh. I’d imagine if he wins Tampa, Dhaliwal will have a job moving forward. That said, even if Nick wins in Tampa, will Prabh have enough time familiarizing himself with The Mutant’s physique to really be able to get him higher up the placings at the O? Will Milos have enough time with Hadi?
As fans, we wish all these guys the best. Sure, we have our favorites, but we don’t want see celebrated champions fade away into obscurity. Does anyone talk about Big Ramy these days? That’s a hell no! Does anybody even get excited when guys like Kai Greene and Phil Heath hint at a comeback? No. The fans are too keen to all those shenanigans by now. They don’t fall for it anymore. The last thing anyone wants to see, is for guys on the level of a Hadi Choopan or a Nick Walker to just give up on themselves. Maybe these coaching changes will translate to big wins for them. Or maybe, it’s too little, too late. Only time will tell.
What say you?
