34 year old Andrew "Test" Martin, former WWE Superstar, was found dead in his home yesterday. Martin, whose initial run involved becoming 'engaged' onscreen to Vince McMahon's daughter Stephanie before she 'left him' for Triple H, followed by a tag team run with A-Train, and whose second run was a stint in the new ECW, has been very vocal over the years about the working conditions, substance abuse and general health problems in wrestling, despite (or perhaps because of) clearly having substance issues of his own (he was arrested for a DUI last year; the change in his body between WWE runs was much-noticed, and he's since been blacklisted from both WWE and TNA; his very wrestling nickname is derivitive of the most common kind of steroid on the market). Professionally, Martin was speaking of retiring at the end of last year, and had just completed a tour of Japan.
Speaking on a personal note - Test was never the most technically sound, catch-as-catch-can type wrestler. Nor was he the most charismatic, and he clearly had his share of problems. But he was oddly one of my favourites years ago, as he really struck a chord with my romantic teenage girl self during his onscreen involvement with Stephanie McMahon, and while others have been hard on him (and probably deservedly so), I always had a soft spot in my heart for the guy. Andrew Martin had the look and enough ability that he could have gone much further in the business than he did, but he refused to play the corporate butt-kiss game and I respect that. While I don't respect some of the other choices he made, I for one will miss him nonetheless. Rest in peace.
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