The 2026 Arnold Classic shook up the Men\u2019s Open class in a way no one saw coming. On March 10, bodybuilder Brett Wilkin discussed the fallout Martin Fitzwater has faced due to bad sportsmanship at the Arnold Classic<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Fitzwater headed into Columbus as a top favorite. However, during the event, fans could tell he wasn\u2019t his usual self. He lacked the same detail and conditioning he displayed at the 2025 Prague Pro<\/a>, where he defeated Samson Dauda<\/a>. As a result, \u201cThe Martian\u201d took fourth place.\u00a0<\/p>\n His conduct onstage was brought into question after he aggressively celebrated Nick Walker<\/a> losing to Chinedu Andrew \u2018Jacked\u2019 Obiekea<\/a> in the finals<\/a>. He refused to shake Walker\u2019s hand during the awards ceremony. Then, rumors spread that he actually shoved and cursed at Walker backstage. Shortly after the show wrapped up, fans began congratulating Fitzwater on his performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n The day after the Arnold, Fitzwater shared multiple stories on his Instagram account depicting The Joker from Batman. One commenter on Instagram told him that real men shake every competitor\u2019s hand, to which Fitzwater replied, \u2018Gfys.\u2019 Fitzwater\u2019s behavior has rippled through the community, with RAW and Elev8 Foods deciding to no longer work with him<\/a>. In light of the ongoing drama, his closest friend and training partner, Wilkin, issued a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n Level Up Your Fitness: Join our \ud83d\udcaa strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n In the Instagram post, Wilkin was clear that he doesn\u2019t support Fitzwater\u2019s actions and believes some comments were warranted.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough I do not support Martin\u2019s actions these last few days, the reality is he is my brother and I care for him and at this moment it\u2019s just solely about him getting in a better spot mentally. I\u2019m not coming on here to make excuses for any actions or to go into a meaningless comment section interaction. A lot of the initial comments and reactions were warranted for sure.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n However, he admits the situation has escalated to the point where he is truly disgusted by messages online.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I AM going to say here tho is I am absolutely disgusted by the messages I have been receiving today and the hate involved. I\u2019ve received 100s of message requests that are full of crap that honestly just shows me people reflecting their own insecurities, jealousy, hatred, and personal problems.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n He added that he\u2019s spoken to Nick Walker, who also wants to see Fitzwater bounce back from this.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cTo continue to tear a man down now when he\u2019s at his lowest says a lot more about you than it does the individual. Even Nick Walker, who I\u2019ve personally talked to, wants to see Martin bounce back from this\u2026 meanwhile, there are so many internet trolls that are \u2018representing for Nick\u2019 getting some kind of high I guess from messaging me hateful things.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf that\u2019s what you call \u2018being a fan\u2019 then you\u2019re twisted in the head and truly your idol you look up to in the first place doesn\u2019t care regardless so you just look stupid in the end. I\u2019m a pretty positive individual all together, I could never imagine taking the time out of my day to write such things to somebody I will never know nor care to ever do so. It\u2019s a sad thing to see indeed. Be better than that,\u201d Brett Wilkin shared<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Thus far, Fitzwater shared a post with the caption \u2018Goodbye\u2019 and has only put out a single statement since the ordeal, which you can find below:\u00a0<\/p>\n Level Up Your Fitness: Join our \ud83d\udcaa strong community in Fitness Volt Newsletter. Get daily inspiration, expert-backed workouts, nutrition tips, the latest in strength sports, and the support you need to reach your goals. Subscribe for free!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Shawn Ray was one of the latest bodybuilding veterans to discuss the controversy. He compared Fitzwater to a \u2018Craig Titus 2.0\u2019<\/a> and said that social media is costing Fitzwater money, considering he\u2019s already lost two high-profile sponsorships.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fitzwater\u2019s future in the sport looks uncertain at this time. Bodybuilding is a tough sport; fans hope he finds peace and returns better than ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong>Arnold Schwarzenegger Says Shaky Posing On Stage \u2018Inexcusable,\u2019 Explains Why Andrew Jacked Won 2026 Arnold Classic<\/a><\/p>\n Follow the 2026 Arnold Classic<\/strong> live \u2013 prejudging breakdowns, event recaps, expert analysis, and complete results<\/a> as they happen. Get full coverage at our Arnold Classic hub: FitnessVolt.com\/arnold-classic<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \n Stay Updated with FitnessVolt<\/strong> Tip: If you’re signed in to Google, tap Follow.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nGet Fitter, Faster<\/em><\/h3>\n
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![\"Martin](\"https:\/\/fitnessvolt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Martin-Fitzwater-Instagram--168x300.png\"\/ "\\"Martin")
![\"Martin](\"https:\/\/fitnessvolt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Martin-Fitzwater-Instagram--168x300.png\" "\\"Martin")
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