by Christian Duque

Okay so this is got to be one of the dumbest topics yet, but it’s also not a totally novel one, either. I am, of course, speaking of bodybuilding fans going to task on bodybuilders preparing for a competition doing guest posing appearances at shows leading up to their contests. Over the years we have seen top tier athletes take abuse from the fans because when they see them they are not at their best. But why should they be at their best? They are guest posing, they’re not competing.

One look at Martin Fitzwater from last year’s New York Pro to last year’s Olympia to then Prague, you see a steady progression. The Martian has already long-qualified for the 2025 Olympia, but yet he’s competing in more contests. He has become a driving force in the sport of bodybuilding in just two years time. He has grown by leaps and bounds, his condition comes in better and better, and he has also been able to battle against some of the best in the sport. Even though in my opinion he should have placed higher than Derek at last year’s Mr Olympia and even though he beat Nick Walker last year in New York despite the fact they gave it to him, Fitzwater is not considered a favorite to win Pittsburgh. He’s the man who single-handedly sent Chris Bumstead, The G.O.A.T. of classic physique into retirement. He battled him in Prague and made mincemeat out of him. But nonetheless Martin is not considered a favorite to win the Pittsburgh. Even though he was one of the first to have thrown his hat into the ring – he still gets no love. So what’s the deal with bodybuilding fans trashing him for not looking 100% entertaining the audience?

It’s like you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you’re not. At least that’s what it seems to be. I, for one, have never liked guys that compete once a year. I always spoke out against this because I thought that it shortchanged the fans. Bodybuilding is a sport that has always wanted to grow out of its niche limitations into somewhat of a mainstream draw. We understand it’s never going to be like basketball or football, but it could once again be on cable news (e.g. Fox Sports and ESPN).. It could once again be portrayed in a positive light by the mainstream media. if these things took place, we could see some unprecedented growth. Unfortunately, the sport continues to limit itself. and it’s not the mainstream media’s doing, the trolls, or haters. It’s this obsession with constantly rewarding those that sell the most tickets. It’s not really about the physiques or the symmetry or the flow, it’s devolved into who does the best trash talk and who’s the most active on social media. But even still being active is not what it’s all about. Even though Martin is out there competing more, he’s not the one selling the tickets. and there’s a few reasons for that.

The Martian has made some very serious gains. He has put on more muscle and he has improved his condition and polish. If bodybuilding were a purists’ sport and it were about only that, then Martin would be a top draw. But The Martian doesn’t mix it up with the trash talk or the clickbait. He doesn’t have to. He’s in the Top 4 in the world and he has won major titles. Even though Nick Walker has dropped out of two consecutive Mr Olympia’s, he is the top draw wherever he goes. Derek Lunsford lost the Olympia last year but placed first at the 2025 Arnold Classic Columbus. He beat the reigning Mr O in doing so.

For all intents and purposes, Lunsford is the de facto number one bodybuilder in the world. And I said this not only when Derek won in Columbus, but when it became abundantly clear that Samson was doing the competition. It was not a good move and he paid the price yearly for it. On the one hand, I admire Samson for the same reasons I admire Martin. They’re getting out there. They’re not sitting on their laurels and they’re not simply qualifying for the Olympia and ghosting the fans. But at the same time, Samson’s decision to compete after having the Olympia for a little over a couple of months was a catastrophic mistake. Samson will be hard to beat in Las Vegas, but the damage from Columbus is done.

But even though Martin and Samson guest posed and brought the house down at the 2025 Detroit pro, it still isn’t the kind of fanfare that is necessary to sell tickets. This is why I believe that Martin will more than likely get screwed in Pittsburgh and why all of this blowback about his guest posing appearance last week is just par for the course. It’s almost like they’re setting him up to fail. When in reality, he’s on track and he’s doing the business of bodybuilding.

The business of bodybuilding means that you get out there. You compete, which Martin is doing. You do expos, which Martin has done. You do guest posing appearances, which Martin has done. Martin has done everything necessary to solidify his position as a top-tier athlete in the sport of bodybuilding. He also signed with Hosstile Supps, one of the fastest growing supplement lines in the world. As a result of his partnership with Fouad Abiad, Martin has also cemented his position as someone to look out for. He is sponsored by a company hat also has Mr O Samson Dauda. Nonetheless, Martin is still not on the same level as Nick and Derek when it comes to media fanfare. Ultimately, these guys are far more into sabre rattling than Martin will ever be. Talk is cheap, but it apparently gets some people famous.

But it’s not just Derek and Nick getting all the love. Just look at Michael Krizzo, There’s a guy that’s getting a tremendous amount of love from the media, but why? Because he’s posting freaky content from the gym, from the kitchen, and from posing rooms. The only problem is that no one else is there. You can’t win a show on Instagram. You want to win a show by bringing your best on game day and walking away with the win.

The problem though with that scenario is that that would be the case in a fair and just world. But after seeing the decision of last year’s New York Pro and then seeing the decision of last year’s Olympia, I think it’s safe to say that we consistently see Martin get screwed. The question now will become, can he win in Pittsburgh? Well he can definitely win it just like he could have won the NY Pro last year. But is he going to?

I highly doubt that we will see Lunzford or Walker give up the win to Fitzwater. Even if Martin deserves the win, I just don’t see them being good sports about it. Moreover, Nick Walker needs to qualify for the Olympia and I believe Pittsburgh is going to be the place for it. It’ll be a special invitation of sorts. Because no matter what Derek brings and no matter what Martin brings, I have a really bad feeling Nick Walker’s going to walk away with the win. But it’s going to be a hollow win just like last year’s New York Pro, but that too is the business of bodybuilding.

You have to sell tickets and you have to create buzz. And sadly, those who have the best physiques are not always the ones that are responsible for achieving these business goals. Sometimes the loudest barkers sell the most tickets. Sometimes the biggest bullshiters, who can’t back up any of it on stage, end up being the ones that get the most butts in seats. At the end of the day, which course the judges take, remains to be decided. Do you think Martin can win? More importantly, do you think Martin will win The Pittsburgh Pro?

As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my article, here, at IronMag. I hope people lay off Martin and start realizing how much he has really done to improve as an athlete and make his claim for the 2025 Olympia that much stronger. In any event, I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all of your social media feeds. Expect a lot of people chiming in!