Industry expert Bob Cicherillo is never afraid to speak his mind. On April 27, 2025, he called out Golden Era talent Tom Platz for lying about his steroid use. In addition, he broke down the favorites headed to the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro, set for May 10-11.
Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Tom Platz emerged as one of the most iconic bodybuilders in the world. Revered for his quad definition, Platz made a huge mark on the sport without winning the Mr. Olympia title. To this day, he’s celebrated in gym circles for his relentless pursuit of improvement, strength, and perseverance.
The Open landscape has changed drastically since Platz last competed onstage. Size plays a more significant role in today’s IFBB climate, and many fans believe that could be the difference-maker when athletes swarm the Pittsburgh Pro. Among the on-paper favorites are Derek Lunsford, a former two-division Mr. Olympia winner, Nick Walker, and Martin Fitzwater.
Bob Cicherillo Torches Golden Era Bodybuilder Tom Platz for Lying About Steroids, Gives His 2025 Pittsburgh Pro Favorites
In a recent YouTube video, Cicherillo called out athletes from older eras who’ve claimed steroids didn’t significantly impact their physiques.
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“If there’s anything that grinds my gears, it’s listening to the oldtimers. I’ve heard many of them talk about how insignificant steroids were. ‘You know, we only took them for the show.
Yeah, I took like four D-bol over four months, and that was enough. We didn’t want to take too much.’ I think to myself, you guys are the biggest bullshitters.”
He shared that not only were steroids more accessible back then, but they were much cheaper as well.
“Who the hell are you kidding? You guys had no problem getting gear. It was cheaper than shit. There was no underground or anything back then because nobody gave two craps about steroids. They were a bodybuilding locker room thing.”
Platz has claimed that he only took two substances to build his legendary physique, but Cicherillo insisted that he and others were ‘taking handfuls of stuff back then.’ He went as far as to call them ‘full of shit.’
“These guys were taking handfuls of stuff back then, of course they were,” shared Cicherillo. “Like Tom Platz, god bless him. I love Tom Platz.
He’s one of those guys that was a fixture when I was growing up with the magazines. Him, Mentzer, Arnold, Zane, Ferrigno, Robby and all those guys but they are so full of shit.”
As for the frontrunners headed to Pittsburgh, Cicherillo explained that Derek Lunsford is the clear favorite to win, given his recent track record of success.
“Clearly, Derek is the favorite. Arnold champ, former Olympia champ, former two-time Olympia champ at that, he’s the man to beat and he looks as good as he’s ever looked. It’s his show to win or lose. It’s after Derek that to me, it gets more interesting.”
He’s not underestimating Martin Fitzwater or Nick Walker, adding that ‘The Mutant’ has more muscle than anyone in the league.
“Fitzwater has put on some size, hopefully it’s good size, and that conditioning is on point. He can contend, he can’t beat Derek but neither can Nick. Nick brings his own assortment. Everybody knows me and Nick have had our fun going back and forth with a little gamesmanship there, but listen, you can’t discount that this kid has more muscle than anybody,” he shared.
He believes Walker’s only shot at winning would be if Lunsford and ‘The Martian’ miss their peaks.
“He is thick. He’s got a lot of muscle, and he brings what we call the freak factor. Now, I’m a bodybuilding purist, I don’t ever have the freaky guy beating the better put together guy but you can’t discount them either.
Nick can win the show, but he needs help. He would need Derek to come in off, and he would need Fitzwater to come in off.”
Some notable voices in the sport have laid out their Pittsburgh Pro predictions. Dennis James, Milos Sarcev, and Chris Cormier think Lunsford will emerge victorious. Meanwhile, Guy Cisternino is the only bodybuilder thus far backing Walker to come out on top.
From steroid use to his thoughts on the current crop of Men’s Open stars, Cicherillo doesn’t hold back when discussing bodybuilding. He emphasized that Lunsford is the clear favorite heading into Pittsburgh in just a few weeks.
RELATED: “I Can Beat Everyone” – Nick Walker ‘Doing Everything Damn-Near Possible’ to Win 2025 Pittsburgh Pro
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