The 2026 Arnold Classic will be a definitive show for both Nick “The Mutant” Walker and Martin “The Martian” Fitzwater. For nearly two years, the sport has been privy to an artificial rivalry between extremely popular bodybuilders. One of these competitors is very much on the ascent, while the other has been crashing and burning show after show. Martin Fitzwater has accomplished so much since win the Detroit Pro, getting robbed at 2024 New York Pro, winning back to back EVLS Prague Pro titles, and placing Top 5 in the Olympia. While he missed his mark ever so slightly at the 2025 Pittsburgh Pro, he understand that life isn’t always going to be peachy keen. Despite being one of the most picked-on bodybuilders in recent memory, The Martian has had a lot to deal with, from a sponsor who didn’t truly believe in him to a number of independent media outlets gunning for him at every turn. Nick Walker, on the other hand, gets pass after pass. He hires and fires coaches, signs and leaves sponsors, hell, he even skipped out on two consecutive Olympias. In a sport that no longer allows the point-system and where the special invite couldn’t be any more political than it is, skipping out on the Superbowl of Bodybuilding (twice) should be ground for sanctions. But not for Nick. Nick always gets special treatment. This is why he was given that 2024 New York Pro win. He didn’t “edge out” Martin. He was given a gift. If Walker didn’t win that contest, he wasn’t going to requalify for the O. In the end, it didn’t matter because he sat that year’s Olympia out because “his body wasn’t responding well to prep.”
Martin is cut from a different cloth than Nick. Perhaps Martin could have dropped out of the Pittsburgh because his body wasn’t responding perfectly, but he pressed on, and took a top placing. Other times in his career, Martin has processed defeat by being congratulatory of guys who placed better. He’s never stormed off stage like Hadi did. He’s never trashed competitor’s for their good fortune like Nick. He’s never let his placings go to his head. Take Nick, for example, at the 2025 Olympia. He was almost insulted that he was being compared to Martin. He never gave the guy his props for nearly beating him in New York. The 2025 Olympia was a wakeup call for the former North American champion. He could have totally changed his image in the court of public opinion. But what did he do? He fired a coach he had burned once before in the past. He fired him like he was a complete non-factor, forget the fact that the guy was his friend and it was because of that friendship that he gave him another chance. Now, recently, Nick has even gone on to low key trash the guy.
Nick also foolishly tried to create a secondary rivalry with 2x Mr. Olympia Derek Lunsford backstage with Tony Doherty on a double interview for NPC News Online. Not only did Derek deny him his much-anticipated comeback at the first-ever 2025 Pittsburgh Pro Bodybuilding Open, but Derek went on to reclaim the Sandow (becoming only the second man in 60 years of bodybuilding history to do so) in Las Vegas. And where did Nick place? He placed behind a hard and diced Martin Fitzwater and above much more deserving guys like Brandon “The Prodigy” Curry and Tonio “The Predator” Burton. Was it another gift? You tell me. But I can all but guarantee you that if anyone asked Nick if Tonio was more deserving of a better placing at the 2026 Olympia, Nick would be as offended at that question as he was when asked about Martin during the press conference. Nick is as delusional as he is self-absorbed. It’s never his fault and he’s just leagues better than everyone else. Sadly, reality and his perceptions do not align. Tonio wiped the floor with him at the Olympia – so did Brandon.
The rivalry between hype and hard work will come to a hilt at the 2026 Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH. Much to the chagrin of many Team Nick diehards like Fouad Abiad, Martin will settle the score once and for all. But besting Nick will just be one of many accomplishments for Martin in Columbus. Nick is not the defending champion, Martin beat Nick (handily) at the 2025 Olympia, and Martin is going to C-Bus to win. Beating Nick is almost a non-factor, but it will still be enjoyable. It’ll shut all the critics up. And Nick Walker, who apparently is self-prepping, will have no one to blame but himself if the wheels from his tricycle fall off. Then again, as sure as I am that his diehards will make excuses for him, Nick will find an out. He always does. That said, promoters love him because he sells tickets. Soon though, once his placings keep dropping, that mouth will get less and less play. A point will become when he’s the butt of everyone’s jokes. And butts to jokes don’t sell anything.
In closing, it’s one thing to pose and look impressive while standing in a mirror by yourself and it’s quite another to make it all come together on show day. Nick looks phenomenal standing in front of his toilet, but Martin looks phenomenal in front of the judges.
