Writing Martin Fitzwater off as a guy who qualified for the 2024 Olympia by winning a show with six guys would be a marketing blunder of monumental proportions.
Christian Duque
Right now the Olympia media machine is busy at work creating a rivalry between Samson Dauda and Nick Walker. Derek doesn’t want to work with either one of them – by his own word on a hot mic blunder – and Hadi Choopan, who is the legitimate #1 contender, is off the grid. He didn’t even both guest posing at the President’s show in Pittsburgh. He’s very much doing his own thing, just like Big Ramy did during his reign, and just like Dorian did in the pre-social media age.
For all intents and purposes, Hadi can’t be used and Derek is bored with the guys he feels forced to create content with. One promoter, in fact, had to bark orders at the reigning Mr. O (“take your shirt off”). When Jake Wood hangs out with Derek, Samson, and Nick, it sends a pretty strong message about who’s going to get the Olympia love insofar as promo goes. Many times, perception is reality. Nick Walker shouldn’t even be in the room. And that’s just it; merit takes a backseat to buzz.
Guys like William Bonac, who have done so much, have routinely been ignored and likely always will. Ironically, William could beat every guy mentioned thus far, but you won’t see him prominently featured on any Olympia promos. Maybe he’s a guy in the background, but he’s never the star. It’s like he’s a ghost. Even in 2020, the year after placing runner-up at the Olympia and the year he won his 2nd Arnold title, he was still almost entirely ignored in Olympia promos. And about that 2020 Arnold, the guy who took 3rd there, was none other than Big Ramy. And Ramy didn’t even qualify for the 2020 Olympia, he got there by special invite. Just like Derek got to the 2023 Olympia – no qualifying, just another free lunch.
Olympia promotions should be about more than just hype. Merit should factor into the equation on some level. Being a 2x ASC champion and an Olympia runner-up, Bonac should get a ton of love – but doesn’t. Brandon as a former Mr. Olympia should be featured everywhere – but he’s not. In all honesty, Nick Walker basically got a special invite even though he’s vehemently opposed to the notion of getting to the Olympia stage in that fashion.
Most bodybuilding fans believe that The Mutant got his ass handed to him in New York, and many bodybuilding fans would love to see a rematch between Walker and Fitzwater. That would be a merit-fueled and very buzz-generating showdown that Jake Wood Media could start working up now. All it takes is some graphics, maybe have the hosts of Olympia TV drop the idea into their programs, and possibly run some polls on Olympia social media accounts. That would go a lot farther in terms of creating real interest in the contest than fabricating a bullshit rivalry between Samson Dauda (an actual Top 3 Olympian) and Nick Walker (who’s only there because the judges gave him a win in New York).
Samson isn’t any less interested in being compared to Nick Walker in 2024 than Derek is to pretend that either Samson or Nick are serious contenders for his title.
Christian Duque
Then again, maybe some comparisons are best left un-revisited. Nick looked like shit in Pittsburgh and looked like shit a week later in New York. Martin bested him at the President’s guest posing and he beat him at the 3rd biggest show in bodybuilding. I mean even guys like “Sugar” Shawn Ray and Bob Cicherillo, who are tied to the Olympia, gave the win to Martin. And on-air, too.
Much to his credit, Martin has remained pleasantly cordial, upbeat, and optimistic. Had it been King Kamali or Kai Greene, we would’ve heard the end of it. Those guys are good sports and all, but they wouldn’t have kept quiet about getting robbed. And maybe that’s Martin’s mistake. Maybe if he did all the YouTube shows and podcasts crying about shady judging and being the real winner, then maybe he’d be featured more. Maybe if he did a tasteful interview like Nathan DeAsha just did at Muscle Discord, maybe Jake Wood Media would be ringing him up or at least flying him out for lunch.
I sincerely hope that The Martian won’t be overlooked for the biggest show in bodybuilding. In an ideal world, where all competitors are judged fairly, without politics playing any sort of a role, then a battle between Nick Walker and Martin Fitzwater could spell dollar signs for Jake Wood Media and for growing the sport. Even if they’re not battling for the Sandow, it would still keep people at the edge of their seats. Imagine if these guys were fighting for a spot on the highly-competitive Top 6, that would create a contest within a contest. What would it cost to have a two-man callout? Don’t you think that would bring the house down? I think it would! Plus, if promos went out now, that might inspire a pose down at the press conference. When’s the last time that happened at that snooze fest? I’m just sharing some ideas.
I think it would be a huge missed opportunity to not use Martin Fitzwater in Mr. Olympia promotions.
Christian Duque
Time is of the essence. With the 2025 Arnold Classic offering $500k top prize and a webcast that rivals the Olympia’s $80 product for FREE, I’d think the Olympia would want to leave no stone unturned. But hey, that’s just me.
