by Christian Duque
Martin Fitzwater has catapulted to the top of the bodybuilding scene for a variety of key reasons. Unlike athletes that strike it big with relative ease, Martin is the kind of working-class champion that has had to earn everything, rising from the ground up. From his first big win at the Detroit Pro, he’s even been overlooked. No one thought he would go to the 3rd biggest contest in the sport, the prestigious New York Pro (the former Night Of Champions) , and nearly topple former Arnold Classic champion Nick “The Mutant” Walker.
Nick was the strong favorite to win. He was, after all, making his much-anticipated comeback after missing the previous year’s Mr. Olympia and after being unable to successfully defend his ASC title against Samson Dauda. Walker had handed out trophies in Columbus in 2024 and everyone expected New York to be easy money, relatively speaking. Nothing could have been farther from the truth when the rubber met the road.
The Martian came out of the gate swinging. He was firing on all cylinders and had the confidence of a powerful champion. That’s always been a big sign of dominating a lineup. If you feel at home and you’re hungry, you can do very well. Even though Martin had never done an Olympia and even though he had only won a small show to date, he posed hard. He never took a backward step and he pushed The Mutant to the wire. At the end of the day, Fitzwater may have taken second, but to many writers and super fans, he was royally robbed. But did he complain? No!
Martin most certainly didn’t complain because that is not how he gets down. He took the opportunity to be grateful to have been runner-up and seized the opportunity to promote himself as a good sport. You can’t win all the time. He had already qualified for the Olympia and as a result of placing second to Nick Walker, he was now in the conversation as a frontrunner to be in the Olympia Top 10. Let’s not forget that Nick has been in the Olympia Top 6 in a very commanding role during his prime. Now who knows if Nick will ever regain that lost momentum, but Martin pushed him to the wire. And as a result Martin’s stock rose considerably.
From the New York Pro, Martin then went into the Olympia where he shocked the world and placed 4th at his first-ever Olympia. This is no small feat and many believed he could have been 3rd. Just think about that. Derek was Mr. Olympia when Martin nearly took out Nick at the New York Pro. 2024 was Derek’s first Olympia title defense and Martin had him beat. I can’t speak for what the judges were thinking, but from all the photos and footage that I saw, I think a strong case could be made for Martin having been in the Top 3.
What you also have to keep in mind is that Derek and Hadi had strong claims to get that honor by way of being former Mr. O’s. Although Brandon was also a former Mr. O, he barely stayed in the Top 10. Many insiders believe he’s being nudged to retirement. The last thing we want to see is a past Mr. O’s taking 11th, 12th, and worse. It’s a bad look. Nonetheless, Martin was pounding on the Top 3’s door. The next step is defeating Derek, Hadi, or Samson in battle. Only time will tell.
In the meantime Martin is not wasting any time. He competed in Prague and won a key show against the G.O.A.T. of classic physique. Now he is scheduled to compete at The Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Pro is the president’s show and brings with it tremendous bragging rights. This show draws out a who’s who in the sport. Since everyone is there to kiss the ring, it only stands to reason that if The Martian wins in front of the brass that it’s going to lead to more good fortune as he prepares for the 2025 Mr. Olympia.
Others are also anticipating his future plans, hoping that Fitzwater will also be at the FIBO and may also do the Dubai Pro. These appearances would fatten Martin’s wallet, but also get him in front of many more bodybuilding fans. As we’re all privy to, exposure is the name of the game. That’s, in part, why social media is so big. Everyone wants to be recognized and valued for their accomplishments. The more exposure an athlete has, the greater their reach. This creates more ROI for sponsors and in turn brings more revenue for the athlete. Don’t forget that Martin is with the same company as reigning Mr. Olympia Samson Dauda. The stakes are high, but it’s not a dog eat dog situation, either. The Martian has really come into his own and he wants to maximize his good fortune. This is why so many fans are excited to see him. He’s doing what the Olympia Top 3 won’t. He’s competing!!
Sure, he could lay low and train all year long as a result of his big 2024. But he won’t rest on his laurels and just hand out trophies. What’s the fun in that? Martin has the ability to compete more, make bank, and meet many more fans. By the time the 2025 Olympia rolls around, I have a feeling Martin will have toured the world extensively and gained a truckload of new fans in the process.
The only danger in competing as much as Martin seems to want to do is the burnout factor. If he’s going to compete in a number of competitions and also appear at large fitness expos, he needs to be trained for that. The same way that an athlete will train on a prep to get on stage, they also have to be conditioned to be able to handle the pitfalls of extensive appearances. Many of those expos will leave a competitor as drained of energy as if they did a full contest prep and show. Let’s not forget how intense it is meeting thousands of fans all while standing behind a booth, shaking hands, signing autographs, answering good questions and lame ones all the time. Having a million camera flashes in your eyes and interviews galore can be daunting in and of itself. It isn’t for everyone. You literally have to be ready for something like that, otherwise, it’ll eat you up alive.
The reality of the matter is Martin knows his stock is rising and he wants to invest as much time and effort and energy into making himself the biggest household name possible. Because at the end of the day, a big part of being successful in bodybuilding rests with how many people know who you are and what you’re all about. It’s how you make money with sponsors and it’s how you get noticed by promoters and fans alike. Martin is definitely doing that through the tried and true method of honest and transparent posts and content. There is no filter or bullshit with him. He’s the same guy on Instagram that he is when you meet him.
I have always been an advocate of putting everything towards the biggest show in the sport. That means hunkering down and resting and doing the business of bodybuilding. Then again, as long as Martin takes a few months off before the biggest contest of his life he should be okay. At this point if he could win a handful of smaller shows, continue to ride the momentum of his big year in 2024, and place 4th or better at the 2025 Olympia he will have another stellar year. Even if he moved up just one place at the Olympia to say third, that is also a massive achievement. And it’s not like that is impossible for him at all. If anything, he might even win the Olympia. Could you imagine that? I certainly could because again going from 4th to first is hardly as noteworthy as taking forth in your Olympia debut. Very few athletes have ever reached that pinnacle achievement in their career.
For many, fourth is the best they will ever see. For Martin, it’s the first he ever saw. Therefore it is very possible, it is actually very likely, that he will win a Sandow at some point in his career. By next year, the deference that was given to Hadi and Derek, may not be present either. Usually it lasts for one or two years of competition after losing the title. But look at poor Brandon. He barely made the top 10. I think it’s safe to say that any deference he had for being the 2019 champion is long gone by now. And he may even be contemplating retirement. Because what’s it going to take? Is he going to have to take 11th or 13th or worse to finally understand that he’s being pushed out?
The truth of the matter is that Martin Fitzwater is a workhorse. He eats this up like candy. He knows his star is rising and he’s going to go all the way to the top. But what say you? Do you think Martin is overdoing it? Do you think he’s doing exactly what he needs to? As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my article, here, at IronMagazine. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. It’s sure to drum up some great conversation.