A lot of people aren’t ready for the fact that Martin Fitzwater could be Mr. Olympia in less than a week. He could literally walk off stage with a Sandow and all the respect and all the bragging rights. Many people aren’t ready for it because they don’t like him. And they don’t like him because they don’t understand him. Or maybe they don’t like him because they don’t like the fact that he’s so in touch with his feelings. The fans like comeback stories but they also don’t. I think we can all agree that Martin has had moments where his emotions got the best of him, but it isn’t entirely his fault. There are other factors at play, as well. Many media outlets do not have clean hands. They have taken it upon themselves to pick at this guy, to make him unravel, to mess with him to no end. I don’t care what anybody says. I know that a lot of people accuse me of being a Martin acolyte, but I call it like I see it. The guy has a lot of haters. And what’s worse, his haters act like they are just being impartial. Give me a break!!

I have been writing about physique-based sports longer than some of you have been alive. I have been covering the sport actively for the better part of the last 15 years and before that I was a fan for another decade or so. And even during that decade, I did cover the sport so that’s almost like 25 years of work. I may not be a Peter McGough or a Robert Kennedy, but I’m no stranger to physique-based sports and media. That being said, nobody can say that I don’t know a smear campaign when I see one.

There’s being objective and then there’s being critical. I would hope that all writers would strive for objectivity. I know that it can be difficult when you’re a fan to be impartial. I’ve never denied that. A lot of people who lash out for my support of Fitzwater always like to bring that up. They like to throw it in my face that I’m his fan. That’s no smoking gun, guys. You didn’t just break the story of the century. I will admit that being a fan of a competitor and being objective can be tough, but we’re professionals. When you’ve written as many articles and posted as many videos as I have, you can do that. Objectivity is not the issue.  Being critical isn’t really a major issue, either.

Being critical surpasses objectivity. That said, it’s still tolerable because it can come from many places. Some people are critical because they’re not convinced an athlete is good enough. That tends to border on being a hater, but critical coverage is still in the good faith department. You may not like someone, but you give them their props. They may be given begrudgingly, but flowers are still given. Then there are those who are critical because they might think an athlete has tremendous potential but maybe isn’t working hard enough. This could come from a writer or outlet that believes in the athlete. They might even be fans, only, they’re not just cheering, they’re laying out expectations. And when the athlete falls short of those expectations, they employ a take-no-prisoners style to their writing and/or commentating. Sometimes these writers can be angrier than the haters. This is because their support isn’t unconditional. They expect big things because they know that the competitor is capable of it. If they perceive the shortcoming to be the product of laziness, they’ll go berserk. They might seem like they’re employing a scorched Earth approach, but the athletes can usually see them for who they are (I know I can). They’re not haters or trolls; they’re fans who demand more. A lot of times, elite-level competitors will go out of their way to do interviews and/or programs where these critical writers/creators work. The reason is because they understand where they’re coming from.

Then you have haters. And sadly, Martin has A LOT of haters who are ALSO established and respected writers. It should be noted that a hater doesn’t always have to be a faceless troll, typing away in their boxers, living in their mother’s basement at damn near 30 years of age. (MIC DROP! LOL).

Haters can also be writers, anchors, and even company owners. Not only does hating on any given athlete make their heart race, but it’s the only reason they’re in the industry. Nothing brings them more joy than to shit on a particular competitor. Martin has amassed an army of these losers. No matter what he does, there they are, talking shit. Even when Martin apologized, do you think they gave him a pass? Maybe even a break for a few days? Hell Naw!! And that’s just it, the better he does in the placings, the angrier they get. When he lost his sponsors, it was almost like they all stopped what they were doing to gloat. But The Martian is a champion who never gives up. He might stumble, but he never quits. That’s one of the best qualities of a champion. You’ve got guys who have had everything handed to them. And then you have guys who have had to work for it. And if they lose it, they get it back. They don’t stop. They don’t quit.

Martin Fitzwater is the quintessential blue-collar bodybuilder. He wasn’t supposed to beat Samson or Bumstead in Prague, but he did. He wasn’t supposed to beat Nick Walker, but he did. He may not have beat him at the New York Pro (where he was robbed), but he beat him at the Olympia. He held his own in Pittsburgh against Lunsford. The truth of the matter is that The Martian has all the tools in his arsenal. His physique has no flaws. His posing is cut above the competition. This kills the haters. They may hate him, but when it comes to his presentation, they have to admit that he poses hard. You have to pose hard. You can’t hide what you’ve built, especially not at the Superbowl of Bodybuilding. Those are the best of the best when it comes to the judges, but just like the judges at a level 1 contest in a high school gymnasium, the judges at the O will only score what they see. They’re not going to leave the judging table to see if they can find what they’re looking for. If Martin comes peeled, full when he needs to be, if he poses hard, he has a very good chance of winning the Olympia. I don’t think that that’s such an Earth-shattering statement to make.

On the flipside, what will happen if Fitzwater wins? Will the haters embrace him and may tone down their rhetoric for the greater good? Maybe to grow the sport? Absolutely not. I predict that if Martin wins, the haters won’t waste any time to start the attacks. They might attack the Federation, the judges, they might even throw punches into the air. They will be absolutely livid if the guy they thought they almost ran off the sport earlier this year, was able to turn it all around, and emerge the next Mr. Olympia.

Something tells me, Martin is going to surprise a lot of people in just a few days. He won’t surprise me because I know who he is and I know what he’s all about. But the question remains, do you think Martin Fitzwater can win it all? Do you think he could be your 2026 Mr. Olympia?

As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my article, here at IronMag. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article for all your social media feeds, it’s bound to generate lively conversation.

Author Bio:

Christian I. Duque is the owner of StrengthAddicts.com, a physique and strength website founded in 2008. He has worked for a number of bodybuilding websites, including RX Muscle and Muscular Development. Christian has written nearly 1,000 published articles for IronMag Blog, as well as articles for StrengthAddicts, RX Muscle, and others. By day, he is also a licensed attorney practicing in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal defense.