A native of Akron, Ohio, Martin Fleming attended Firestone High School from 1972-75. With a goal of improving in football, he decided to join the Firestone wrestling team, sparking a lifelong passion for the sport.  He attended the University of Nebraska, graduating with a degree in social studies education in 1981. While in Nebraska, Fleming volunteered to coach at Lincoln High School from 1979-81. Over 18 years, he would coach at 10 different schools in Nebraska, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. He would also direct over 50 tournaments between 1984 and 2014. It was in promotions, however, that Fleming would leave his legacy in wrestling.

While living in Nebraska, Fleming began doing radio broadcasts of meets and tournaments. He also organized an “old timers” tournament which raised funds to purchase a new mat for the team. After returning to Ohio in 1986, Fleming founded, wrote, and published the TakeDown Report, a wrestling newsletter in Northeast Ohio which grew to include subscribers in several states. For 25 years, the TakeDown Report published results, rankings, and records to promote wrestling, recognize athletes, and help grow the sport. In 1990, Fleming directed the USA-Cuba World Dual Meet which drew a crowd of over 2,000 fans. Moving to North Carolina in 1994, Fleming restarted the TakeDown Report in 1998 and has worked tirelessly for the past 19 years to promote wrestling in eastern North Carolina. Fleming also has 15 years of experience with televised state tournament broadcasts in North Carolina and Ohio. He secured funding to have the 2005 and 2006 North Carolina state finals shown on public television.  In 2005, Fleming was named Wrestling Man-of-the-Year for North Carolina by Wrestling USA Magazine.