Test (wrestler)

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"Andrew Martin (wrestler)" redirects here. For other people, see Andrew Martin.

Test
Test in 2006
Born
Andrew James Robert Patrick Martin

(1975-03-17)March 17, 1975[1]
Whitby, Ontario, Canada[1]
DiedMarch 13, 2009(2009-03-13) (aged 33)
Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Occupations
  • Professional wrestler
  • actor
Years active
  • 1997–2009 (wrestler)
  • 2001–2009 (actor)
Partner(s)Stacy Keibler (2001–2005)
Kelly Kelly (2007–2009)
Ring name(s)Andrew Martin[1]
Big Foot[2]
Martin Kane[1]
T.J. Thunder[2]
Test[1]
Billed height6 ft 6 in (198 cm)[3]
Billed weight285 lb (129 kg)[3]
Billed fromToronto, Ontario, Canada[4]
Trained byLeo Burke[1]
Dory Funk Jr.[1]
Bret Hart[1]
DebutOctober 26, 1997[5][4]

Andrew James Robert Patrick Martin[6] (March 17, 1975 – March 13, 2009) was a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He was best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/WWE) under the ring name Test.

During his nine-year tenure with the WWF/WWE, he found his greatest success as a singles performer, winning the

World Tag Team Champion with Booker T by winning the WWF and WCW
World Tag Team Championships once each.

Early life

Martin was born on March 17, 1975, in the Southern Ontario town of Whitby (Durham Region).

Professional wrestling career

Training and early career (1997–1998)

In the mid-1990s, Martin met professional wrestler Bret Hart in a restaurant. After Hart offered to train him to wrestle, Martin spent eight months training under both Hart and Leo Burke. Martin debuted in 1997, wrestling on the Canadian independent circuit under the ring names Martin Kane and T.J. Thunder. Martin continued his training with Dory Funk Jr. at Funk's Funkin' Dojo, a training center in Ocala, Florida.[1]

World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (1998–2004)

The Corporation (1998–1999)

Main article: The Corporation (professional wrestling)

Martin debuted in the

X-Pac by disqualification. Martin went on to join The Corporation, a wrestling stable consisting of numerous other wrestlers. During this time, he received the ring name "Test", since he usually checked the mic saying "test...test..."[7][8]

On the January 11, 1999, episode of Raw is War, Test competed in a

elimination tag team match, before quietly disbanding.[7]

Relationship with Stephanie McMahon and T & A (1999–2000)

Main article: T & A (professional wrestling)

Martin then began an on-screen relationship with

WWF Tag Team Championship by Edge & Christian. At Fully Loaded, T & A and Trish Stratus lost to the Hardy Boyz and Lita in a Six-person mixed tag team match. At Unforgiven, Test competed in a Hardcore Open Invitational for the WWF Hardcore Championship which was won by Steve Blackman. At No Mercy, T & A and Trish Stratus competed against the Acolytes Protection Agency (Bradshaw and Faarooq) and Lita, which ended in a no contest because of T & A attacking The APA before the match. At Survivor Series, T & A and Trish Stratus faced Steve Blackman, Crash Holly and Molly Holly
in a losing effort.

The Invasion and various feuds (2000–2002)

Main articles: The Invasion and The Alliance

On December 28, 2000, Albert attacked Test at the orders of Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, effectively disbanding T & A and turning Test face again.[7]

Again a singles wrestler, Test eliminated William Regal during the 2001 Royal Rumble match and subsequently defeated him the next night on Raw is War to win the WWF European Championship.[7] Test then feuded with Eddie Guerrero, losing the European Championship to him at WrestleMania X-Seven following interference from Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn. On the April 30 episode of Raw is War, Test defeated Triple H by disqualification after Triple H hit him with a chair and powerbombed him through the announce table.[7] At Judgment Day, Test competed in a Triple threat hardcore match for the WWF Hardcore Championship which was won by Rhyno. On the June 14 episode of SmackDown!, Test defeated Rhyno to win the Hardcore Championship but he would lose the title back to Rhyno on the June 25 episode of Raw is War.

During the

The Hardy Boyz on the October 8 episode of Raw. On the November 1 episode of SmackDown!, Test and Booker T defeated The Rock and Chris Jericho to win the WWF Tag Team Championship
, which they would go on to also lose to The Hardy Boyz eleven days later on Raw.

Following this, Test returned to singles competition and began feuding with

Tazz and Spike Dudley for the WWF Tag Team Championship but failed to win the titles. At WrestleMania X8, Test, Mr. Perfect and Lance Storm lost to Rikishi, Scotty 2 Hotty and Albert in six-man tag team match on Sunday Night Heat
.

At the

2002 WWF draft lottery, Test was drafted to the SmackDown! brand. On the May 2 episode of SmackDown!, Test and Christian defeated Mark Henry and Faarooq. On the May 9 episode of SmackDown!, Test defeated Mark Henry. On the May 23 episode of SmackDown!, Test defeated Randy Orton. On the May 30 episode of SmackDown!, Test defeated Triple H. On the June 13 episode of SmackDown!, Test defeated The Hurricane in a King of the Ring qualifier. The next week, Test defeated Hardcore Holly in a Quarterfinals match but would go on to lose in the semi-finals of the King of the Ring tournament to the eventual winner, Brock Lesnar. On the July 4 episode of SmackDown!, Test, Christian and Lance Storm formed The Un-Americans. On the July 25 episode of SmackDown!, John Cena poked fun at him so he slapped him which led to a match where Cena won. On the July 29 episode of Raw, The Un-Americans left SmackDown! and joined the Raw brand. Later that night they attacked The Undertaker
.

The storyline culminated in a match at SummerSlam where Undertaker defeated Test.[7] The Un-Americans lost to the team of Kane, Goldust, Booker T and Bubba Ray Dudley at Unforgiven and after a series of losses The Un-Americans divided, and the stable split in brawling fashion and disbanded in September 2002.

Relationship with Stacy Keibler and departure (2002–2004)

Test at an ECW live event in 2007

In October 2002, after the Un-Americans dissolved, Test received

misogynist streak. At Bad Blood, Steiner defeated Test for Keibler's managerial services. On the August 18 episode of Raw, Test defeated Steiner, winning the services of Keibler and announcing his intentions to "make her a whore". At Unforgiven, Test again defeated Steiner, forcing him to become his manservant.[7] Steiner then attacked Keibler, blaming her for the loss and for him having to take orders from another man. Test then freed Steiner from his obligation, and the pair became a tag team once again, as now both treated Keibler like a slave. The two challenged for the World Tag Team Championship on multiple occasions but came up short each time. The pair were then fired by Mick Foley (therefore freeing Keibler from their control), who was the on-screen Co-General Manager for two nights, thus finally ending the year-long angle. They were then re-hired by Eric Bischoff, upon his return to the position of Raw General Manager. At Armageddon
, Test and Scott Steiner competed in a Tag Team Turmoil match for the World Tag Team Championship but failed to win the titles.

Test then had a short feud with Steven Richards in January 2004, which started after Test kicked Victoria (Richard's on-screen girlfriend) in the jaw. They fought several times on Sunday Night Heat, with Richards winning every match. On the January 19 episode of Raw, Test competed in a Triple Threat Royal Rumble Qualifying Match against Goldberg and Steiner. After Goldberg won the match Test and Steiner would officially disband. At the Royal Rumble, Test was found knocked out backstage by some officials and the Raw Sheriff Stone Cold Steve Austin when it was his turn to enter. Austin ordered someone to quickly replace Test as the 21st rumble entrant. The person who attacked him and replaced him was revealed to be Mick Foley. Test would gain some revenge on the February 2 episode of Raw, when he and Randy Orton attacked Foley in a backstage area. Test would start competing against the likes of Rico and Stevie Richards regularly on Heat. On the March 1 episode of Raw, Test and Matt Hardy were defeated by Rob Van Dam and Booker T. Test would go on to compete on house shows until he reaggravated the neck injury that had kept him out of action the past few months.

Martin had

Billy Gunn.[9]

Independent circuit, Italy, and Australia (2005-2006)

Test returned to the ring in May 2005, and began accepting bookings with various

The Masked Superstar, Steve Corino, and The Original Evil Clown losing to D'Lo Brown, The Blue Meanie, Tom Prichard and Dusty Rhodes in Philadelphia. One of his most notable victories during this tenure was against former TNA wrestler Samoa Joe for World Series Wrestling in Australia. His most prominent role in the independent circuit was in the Nu-Wrestling Evolution promotion in Italy, where he took on the ring name "Big Foot", due to his "big boot" finishing move. He also feuded with Mark Jindrak
in January 2006 in Italy.

Return to WWE (2006–2007)

Test making his entrance on ECW

On March 22, 2006, WWE.com announced that Test had verbally agreed to return to WWE.

ECW on Sci Fi, announcing that Test was debuting on the ECW brand. He officially made his return on the July 4 episode of ECW, defeating Al Snow.[7][11] In late-July, Test aligned with the fellow ECW newcomers, Mike Knox, Big Show, and Matt Striker to feud with the "ECW Originals", which consisted of Rob Van Dam, Sabu, and The Sandman. On the August 1 episode of ECW, Test and Mike Knox defeated Sandman and Tommy Dreamer in an Extreme Rules match, with Test pinning Dreamer. On the September 5 episode of ECW, Test and Mike Knox lost to Rob Van Dam and Sabu
in an Extreme Rules Match. On the October 3 episode of ECW, Test defeated Rob Van Dam in an Extreme Rules Match.

Test at December to Dismember

On the November 7 episode of ECW, Test defeated

ECW World Championship, before being pinned by the eventual winner Bobby Lashley.[7] On the January 16, 2007, episode of ECW, Test competed in a triple threat match for the ECW World Championship, which was won by Bobby Lashley. The following week, Test faced Lashley for the ECW World Championship but failed to win the title. He would fail to defeat Lashley for the title on two further occasions, at the 2007 Royal Rumble and on the January 30 episode of ECW.[7]

Following these defeats, Test would disappear from WWE television. On February 18, WWE commentator

MySpace saying that the release was mutual and he had requested it.[15]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2007)

After his departure, Martin debuted in

TNA Impact!. He allied himself with Abyss and Sting and helped them defeat A.J. Styles and Christian Cage in a tag team ladder match.[5][16] At Hard Justice, Martin wrestled his first and only match for TNA as "The Punisher" Andrew Martin, as he teamed with Sting and Abyss to defeat Christian's Coalition (Cage, Tomko, and A.J. Styles) in a Doomsday Chamber of Blood match, after Styles was slammed into a pile of broken glass and pinned by Abyss.[17]

Late career (2007–2009)

On December 19, 2007, Martin announced that he would embark on a final tour of Britain, Ireland and France in February and March 2008 before retiring from professional wrestling.

Lance Hoyt on February 1 and Mitsuya Nagai
on February 3.

Personal life

Martin dated WWE Diva Stacy Keibler from 2001 until 2005.[19] He also dated another WWE Diva, Kelly Kelly, from 2007 until just before his death in March 2009.[20]

On September 14, 2007, and April 5, 2008, Martin was arrested for driving under the influence in Hillsborough County and Pasco County, Florida.[21][22][23][24] He was booked into jail both times, but was released the following day after posting bail.[21]

Death

Martin was found dead in his Tampa, Florida apartment on March 13, 2009, four days prior to what would have been his 34th birthday.[18][25] Police were contacted after a neighbor reportedly realized Martin had been laying motionless on his couch for some time, prompting them to call 911. Authorities retrieved Martin's body after scaling his balcony and confirming his death.[26][27] Toxicology reports revealed that Martin's death was caused by an accidental overdose of oxycodone. It was reported that in August 2008, Martin entered a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in West Palm Beach, Florida after reaching out to WWE, his former employer, for help regarding his substance abuse.[28] Martin's body was cremated and his remains were flown to his family in his hometown of Whitby, Ontario.

Forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu later determined that Martin had severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain condition caused by repeated concussions and subconcussive head injuries. Fellow Canadian wrestler and one of Martin's idols, Chris Benoit, also suffered from CTE before his death in June 2007, and it was determined to be a factor in the Chris Benoit double-murder and suicide.[29]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2001
Biography
 		Himself Documentary; episode: "The Life and Death of Owen Hart"
2001 18 Wheels of Justice Nicolas James Barton Episode: "The Cage"
2002 Fear Factor Himself Television series
2002 Kim Possible Steel Toe (voice) Episode: "Pain King vs. Cleopatra"
2003 Girls Gone Wild: Live from Spring Break Himself Music video
2007 Grindhouse Nazi Boxer Film; segment: "Werewolf Women of the
SS
"; uncredited
2010 Medium Raw: Night of the Wolf Benjamin Jacobs Television film; posthumous release

Championships and accomplishments

See also

References

  1. ^
    Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original
    on May 8, 1999. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
  2. ^ a b "Test « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0
    .
  4. ^ a b "Test Profile". Cagematch Wrestling. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Finch, B. (August 5, 2007). "Who Is Andrew Martin Out To Punish In TNA Wrestling?". TNAWrestling.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
  6. ^ Andrew James Robert Patrick Martin Obituary. Toronto Star (March 13, 2009). Retrieved on August 24, 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Capsule Profile 335: Test". The Wrestler/Inside Wrestling. Kappa Publications. June 2007. p. 18. Volume 15, 2007.
  8. ^ "411MANIA". Bruce Prichard Reveals the Origin of Andrew Martin’s Test Gimmick.
  9. ^ "A-Train, Billy Gunn, Test released". World Wrestling Entertainment. November 1, 2004. Archived from the original on November 2, 2004. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  10. ^ "Test returning". WWE. Archived from the original on April 12, 2006. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  11. ^ "South Philly Screwjob". WWE. July 4, 2006. Archived from the original on October 20, 2007. Retrieved January 6, 2008.
  12. ^ Ross, Jim. "Hall of Fame.. Big Show.. Woody/Iraq.. AD/NFL.. Taker's Gloves.. Texas Hold 'Em.. Texas Dolly.. Last Voice Heard on Nitro.. Cornette's Temper". J.R.'s Blog. Archived from the original on October 4, 2007. Retrieved February 27, 2007. Yes, Test has been suspended for violating the WWE Wellness Program. I assume this is a 30 violation.
  13. ^ "Test released". Retrieved February 27, 2007. As first reported by WWE Mobile Alerts, WWE has come to terms on the release of ECW Superstar Test (Andrew Martin). We wish Test all the best in all future endeavors.
  14. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link
    )
  15. ^ "Andrew "Test" Martin issues statement on his release from WWE today". WrestleView. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
  16. ^ Wojcik, A. (July 31, 2007). "TNA Impact spoilers from Orlando". Wrestling Observer. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
  17. ^ "411MANIA". The Hard Justice 2007 Breakdown.
  18. ^ a b "Former WWE wrestler found dead in Tampa". March 14, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  19. ^ "Test Bio". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  20. ^ "Kelly Kelly Talks Almost Getting Back Together with Test Before His Death, Issues with the New WWE Womens Division, Vince McMahon Teaching Her to Dance". Wrestlezone. June 24, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  21. ^ a b "Former World Wrestler Andrew "Test" Martin arrested for DUI". ABCnews. Archived from the original on March 18, 2009. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
  22. ^ Bluth, Michael (April 7, 2008). "Andrew "Test" Martin Arrested For Driving Under the Influence (DUI)". Lords of Pain. Archived from the original on April 9, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2008. [unreliable source]
  23. ^ "Individual's Charge Report: Martin, Andrew J." Archived from the original on June 6, 2008. Retrieved June 6, 2008.. Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. June 6, 2008.
  24. ^ Cookler, Chad (March 15, 2009)"Former pro wrestler found dead in Tampa | WFTS-TV". Archived from the original on March 21, 2009. Retrieved March 15, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) . abcactionnews.com
  25. ^ "Former WWE Wrestler found dead in Tampa apartment". 10 Connects. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  26. World Wrestling Entertainment
    . March 14, 2009. Retrieved March 15, 2009.
  27. ^ "TNA Remembers Andrew "Test" Martin". March 14, 2009. Archived from the original on March 17, 2009. Retrieved March 15, 2009.
  28. ^ Robbyn Mitchell (April 13, 2009). "Wrestler's Death Ruled Accidental Overdose". Tampa Bay Times.
  29. ^ Garber, Greg (December 9, 2009). "Doctors: Wrestler had brain damage". ESPN.com.
  30. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2001". The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  31. World Wrestling Entertainment
    . Retrieved July 3, 2009.
  32. World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original
    on June 16, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2009.
  33. World Wrestling Entertainment
    . Retrieved July 2, 2009.
  34. World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original
    on April 1, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  35. ^ "WWE Intercontinental Championship". Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  36. ^ "Booker T and Test's first World Tag Team Championship reign". Archived from the original on December 9, 2012.

External links

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