Martin Fitzwater FTW Arnold UK

Martin Fitzwater FTW Arnold UK

Martin “The Martian” Fitzwater is about to hit the stage at the 2022 Arnold UK. He’s put a great deal of work into his prep all the while creating amazing content and keeping the fans appraised every step of the way. At a time when bodybuilders are more distant than ever Martin has made it a point to be one with the people. The reigning Mr. Olympia is one of the most absent in history, even snubbing the President by missing the 2022 Pittsburgh Pro, and not offering any sort of an explanation until some ten days later. When he does post photos it’s to show the fact he’s got more oil in his body than a BP gas station. On the flipside you have a guy who not only didn’t qualify to compete at the Olympia – but didn’t even try – getting blessed with a Special Handout. The sport isn’t in a good place.

There’s a scarcity of guys who can honestly be deemed People’s Champions. I can’t tell how much we miss active competitors like Jose Raymond, Jay Cutler, and Evan Centopani. Very few active competitors today care to post anymore. They just compete, make their money, and disappear.

Martin, on the other hand, has really stepped up. His Instagram is always on fire, his website and branding are second to none, and his desire to compete is a throwback to guys from the previous decades. He’s not asking for handouts; he’s fighting hard for his place among the best in the world. In an industry where many of the biggest stars have the personality of a block of cheese, it’s nice to see someone with something to say and that’s not all about talk when it comes to what he brings on game day.

We’ll get to his physique momentarily, but I’d like to continue to focus on Fitzwater’s innumerable contributions to the sport of bodybuilding. It’s hard to believe someone this active and well-placed is just in his mid 20’s. If he continues at this rate he could very well be one of the most popular and beloved pro bodybuilders on the planet by age 30. While that may not have any impact on the scorecards, it most certainly will elevate his status and make anything he touches turn into gold.

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One such project that’s become the talk of the town is Bodybuilding University. It’s based on this work that I actually noticed him. Prior to hearing his commentary on some of the most controversial topics in the sport I only knew of Martin through his physique. And while bodybuilding is a physique-based sport those whose role is limited to that don’t usually have a career after the stage.

Look at the late great Rich Piana. Someone with his contest record would normally not have a pot to piss in once done competing. His biggest title was the amateur Mr. California. At best that would amount to him getting a free gym membership and maybe the occasional complimentary protein shake. No one would have ever thought he’d command 3-4 block-long lines at the Arnold Classic while Mr. Olympias had all of ten people.

The fact is it’s what Piana did on social media, by being honest, and knowing when and where to sound off that made him a megastar. Piana wasn’t a negative kinda guy nor is Martin. Unfortunately a lot of people make the mistake of confusing honesty with harshness. Yes, there’s a time when honesty may involve critiques, but many times honesty comes in the form of accolades. The thing is Martin Fitwater is not a shill. 

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Speaking to his physique, what can I say that hasn’t already been said? He’s got a truly complete look and THAT should be rewarded on the score cards. Everyone was jumping on the Andrew Jacked train, post-Texas Pro. And while I concurred that he looked very good, I couldn’t help but notice the guy who took runner-up.

When a guy presents a hard-as-nails complete physique and that gets almost no love from the fitness media that’s pretty alarming to say the least. Texas was a very unique contest for a variety of reasons. While Jacked could have been a gracious champion and shown respect to his fellow competitors, he used the opportunity to create riffs. To say that he won the contest at 60% is wholly inappropriate. It’s like spitting in the face of the guy who pushed him the whole show. And don’t just take my word for it, the judges gave 2nd to Martin for a reason. It was most definitely a battle.

The idea that Jacked didn’t even try and that Texas was basically a warm-up show for the Arnold UK was probably the most insulting of all. What’s crazy is that it seemed Jacked couldn’t compete at the UK contest because of visa issues. Suddenly his cover for the Texas Pro was blown. Who does a warm-up for an international show and has no visa. Whatever the case may have been, it lit a fire under Fitzwater and if things are truly fair, the judges will take Jacked at his word. After all, bodybuilding is about being the best you possible. If they gave him a win in Texas and the guy said he didn’t even try, well then judge him according to his own standard. Raise the bar considerably higher and let’s see if the Arnold UK is a contest he actually wants to win or it’s another bullshit warm-up, maybe for the Olympia.

When it comes to Martin he’s not only promoted himself and Martian Inc., but he’s done what every promoter hopes competitors will do for their shows. For weeks, everything The Martin has done has been done with letting the world know he’s getting ready for the Arnold UK. This has undeniably increased the contest’s production value and directly generated buzz for the show. Whether or not the showdown with Jacked takes place, the fans know that countless elite-level bodybuilders are bringing their best. If Fitzwater is able to bring his solid, complete look with even better condition than Texas, I think he will be very hard to beat. I also think the trash talk from Jacked built a very serious fire under Fitwater. It should also be noted that the sport’s love affair with the Texas champ may have contributed to a very underdog-like feeling in an already hungry competitor. All of these ingredients make for a dangerous competitor taking the stage. Martin’s not going there just to do well, he’s going to war. As long as he never loses that tunnel vision, he should do very well.

Martin Fitzwater is also a man who wants to compete at the 2022 Mr. Olympia. He’s my pick to win the Arnold UK and if that should happen he will continue to create insane buzz for the Olympia Weekend. That sells tickets, PPV, and merchandise. After all, the Olympia is a business and competitors like Martin Fitwater are everything a promoter could ask for.

Much like Branch Warren, Martin Fitzwater doesn’t need handouts. He’s either going to qualify by winning a pro show or by accumulating enough points to get there. Let’s hope he’s able to achieve this through the former as opposed to the latter.

I predict Martin “The Martian” Fitzwater will win the 2022 Arnold UK.