Andrew Martin, better known by his ring name Test, was a Canadian professional wrestler who worked for WWE from 1998 to 2004. He was involved in some of the biggest storylines of the Attitude Era, such as his romance with Stephanie McMahon and his feud with Triple H. He also won several championships, including the Intercontinental, European, Hardcore, and Tag Team titles. However, his life and career were cut short by a tragic death in 2009, when he was only 33 years old. What was the WWE Test cause of death and what led to his downfall?
Early Life and Training
Test was born on March 17, 1975, in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. He was interested in wrestling from a young age and met WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart in a restaurant when he was in his early 20s. Hart offered to train him and Test spent eight months learning from him and Leo Burke. He then moved to Florida to train with Dory Funk Jr. at his Funkin’ Dojo.
Test made his wrestling debut in 1997 on the Canadian independent circuit, using the names Martin Kane and T.J. Thunder. He caught the attention of WWE scouts and signed a contract with the company in 1998.
WWE Career
Test made his WWE debut on an episode of Sunday Night Heat in October 1998, as a bodyguard for the band Motley Crue. He soon joined The Corporation, a heel faction led by Vince McMahon, and aligned himself with The Rock. He had his first match on Raw in December 1998, teaming with The Rock to defeat Triple H and X-Pac.
In 1999, Test began a storyline relationship with Stephanie McMahon, Vince’s daughter. He proposed to her and they were set to get married on Raw in November 1999. However, Triple H interrupted the ceremony and revealed that he had drugged Stephanie and married her in Las Vegas. This turned Stephanie heel and started the McMahon-Helmsley Era.
Test never got his revenge on Triple H and moved on to other feuds. He won his first title in January 2000, when he defeated William Regal for the European Championship. He lost the title to Eddie Guerrero at WrestleMania 17 and then formed a tag team with Albert, known as T&A (Test and Albert). They were managed by Trish Stratus and feuded with teams like The Dudley Boyz and The Acolytes.
In 2001, Test won four more titles in WWE. He won the Hardcore Championship twice, defeating Raven and Rhyno. He also won the Intercontinental Championship from Edge and the WCW Tag Team Championship with Booker T during the Invasion storyline. He joined The Alliance, a group of former WCW and ECW wrestlers who invaded WWE. He turned on his partner Booker T at Survivor Series 2001 and cost him the WCW Championship.
After The Alliance was defeated, Test remained a heel and joined forces with Stacy Keibler, who became his on-screen girlfriend. He adopted a misogynistic gimmick and treated Keibler poorly. He feuded with Scott Steiner over Keibler’s services and lost her to him at No Way Out 2003.
Test then formed another tag team with Scott Steiner, who had turned heel as well. They won the World Tag Team Championship from Booker T and Goldust on an episode of Raw in March 2003. They lost the titles to Rob Van Dam and Kane at Backlash 2003 and split up soon after.
Test then became a face again and started a feud with Stevie Richards, who had attacked him with a steel chair. Test suffered a legitimate neck injury during this feud and had to undergo surgery. He was out of action for several months and returned in late 2003.
In early 2004, Test joined SmackDown and became involved in a love triangle with Torrie Wilson and Sable. He also competed in the United States Championship tournament but lost to John Cena in the semifinals. Test was released from his WWE contract in November 2004.
Post-WWE Career
After leaving WWE, Test wrestled for various independent promotions, such as NWA Cyberspace, Border City Wrestling, World Wrestling Legends, Nu-Wrestling Evolution, Jersey All Pro Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling Syndicate. He also made appearances for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 2006 and 2007.
In July 2006, Test was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Florida. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to probation and community service.
In March 2007, Test was one of several wrestlers who were named as clients of Signature Pharmacy, an online pharmacy that illegally distributed steroids and other drugs. Test admitted to using steroids and claimed that he had a prescription for them. He was suspended by WWE, who had rehired him in January 2007, and released from his contract in May 2007.
In February 2008, Test returned to TNA and participated in a gauntlet match at Against All Odds. He was eliminated by Abyss and did not appear for the company again.
Death and Legacy
On March 13, 2009, Test was found dead in his apartment in Tampa, Florida, by his neighbor. He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. He was four days shy of his 34th birthday.
The autopsy revealed that Test died of an accidental overdose of oxycodone, a powerful painkiller. He also had traces of other drugs, such as hydrocodone, carisoprodol, diazepam, and nordiazepam, in his system. His death was ruled as accidental by the medical examiner.
Test’s brain was donated to the Sports Legacy Institute, a research organization that studies the effects of concussions and brain trauma on athletes. The analysis showed that Test had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head injuries. CTE can cause symptoms such as memory loss, depression, aggression, and dementia. Test was the second pro wrestler to be diagnosed with CTE after Chris Benoit, who killed his family and himself in 2007.
Test’s death shocked and saddened the wrestling world. Many of his former colleagues and friends paid tribute to him on social media and in interviews. WWE also acknowledged his death on their website and aired a video package in his memory on Raw.
Test is remembered as a talented and charismatic wrestler who had a promising career in WWE. He had the look, the skills, and the charisma to be a main-event star but never reached his full potential. He also struggled with personal issues and substance abuse that ultimately led to his demise. He left behind a legacy of memorable matches and moments that fans still enjoy today.
According to Wikipedia, Sportscasting, Sage-Answer, and Popmatters, this is the WWE Test cause of death and the story of his life and career. I hope you learned something new from this article. Thank you for reading.
