Andrew Martin, Ex-WWE Champ, Found Dead

TAMPA, Fla. — Authorities say former professional wrestler Andrew Martin, who was known as "Test" and "The Punisher" to fans, has died at his Tampa home. He was 33.

The former World Wrestling Entertainment champion was found dead at his apartment Friday night. Police say a neighbor reported that she could see into his apartment window and that Martin appeared motionless for several hours.

Police say there was no indication of foul play. A cause of death will be determined after an autopsy.

During his time with Stamford, Conn.-based World Wrestling Entertainment, Martin held the Intercontinental, European and Hardcore belts. He was also a tag-team champion.

Martin most recently worked for TNA Wrestling under the name "The Punisher."

Comments

[dugum]

When I was a kid i used to watch the Road Warriors, HAWK and ANIMAL. Animal died of an enlarged heart. Remember the heel Adrian Adonis, dead. Mr. Perfect Kurt Angel, dead. Even Miss Elizabeth- the hot heroine for Macho Man Randy Savage, she died under questionable circumstances- dead in a hotel room with Lex Lugar and mountains of illegal growth hormone and enhancements. The list goes further back and will continue. This is on top of all of those drug indictions for steroids and the like. WHAT IS GOING ON?

[KB2000]

Kurt Angle is not dead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Angle

[Bankenstein]

Scared me for a second when he mentioned Angle...

[GabrielVH]

i think he meant "mr. perfect curt henning"

[FatherWolf]

I don't suppose that anybody wants to make a comparison between pro "wrestling" and the dark sides of American society.

The rigged events controlled by promoters to give customers the chance to indulge their dark fantasies toward artificially-created Good Guys and Bad Guys, the ridiculous arrogant trash talk staged for the customers, the actors who die young because of the dangerous chemicals they're putting in their bodies to get that grotesque pumped-up look, and the general celebration of violence and arrogance in an environment where nothing is genuine.

No, that has no place in any part of America, does it? A lot of America isn't that way at all.

[Fernando]

You make a good point. Yet, I think that the same argument could be made of Rock music, movie stars or any other celebrities. Unfortunately, there have been some high profile cases of dead wrestlers but those numbers are in average not different than other celebrities, there just has been more of them lately. Most celebrities have one thing in common, they crave attention, and sometimes they are the least equipped people to deal with that type of fanatical worship. May he rest in peace.

[ImWithStupid]

FatherWolf, please with your "celebration of violence." Pro wrestling is what it is. It's fiction. It's acting. It's stunts. No one -- and I mean NO ONE -- with half a brain thinks its real. They're upfront that it's not real. that's why they call it sports "entertainment." ... Are you one of these people who get offended by a movie that shows violence? Give me a break, will ya. I grew up on slasher flicks like Friday The 13th, and I'm not out there hacking co-eds with a machete. The problems with violence in our society has nothing to do with TV or movies or music. It has to do with you poor excuses for parents who are more concerned about buying a beach house or another BMW rather than focusing on raising your children. And the rest of us have to pay for it. Meanwhile, the incompetent parents pass the buck for these problems and blame Hollywood. Sorry, it doesn't wash.

[pfc1369]

It's fake fake. In fact, it's fake, fake fake.

[FatherWolf]

You're spot on. I don't like slasher flicks either.

[blimie]

I think those professional wrestlers have a pretty tough life, despite the glitz.

[marignymitch]

Life expectancy of roided-up athletes is falling.

[Anonani]

Too young. A prayer of sympathy for those who loved him and will miss him.

[fanifesu]

Why is baseball on a higher radar level than wrestling is what I'd like to know.

[FatherWolf]

Because nobody seriously claims that pro wrestling has any real integrity. It's (sadistic) entertainment, nothing more.

MLB claims that the games and the players are on the up-and-up, with teams and players succeeding or failing on their own merits. When an individual baseball player cheats, by whatever means, it's a big scandal because everybody believes they shouldn't.

If pro baseball degenerated into pre-scripted theater with pumped-up home-run hitters and designated villans preening around the bases, everybody would loudly decry the situation for awhile, then nobody serious would care anymore.

[Fernando]

Good point! I think it's because you don't get more American than "Baseball", it's a cultural thing.

[yoli647]

Oh gosh another one, this is so sad.

[thisoldbroad]

I was just thinking that.

Now we'll have another 15 minutes of WWE telling us all they do to keep their athletes off the drugs - except actually using the ones that aren't artificially inflated or drugged up in their shows. Shame on them.

The state athletic commission needs to step in, choreographed shows or not.

[JScott]

Musta not made very much he still rented, couldn't buy a house.
What a struggle for very little reward, the WWE just exploits.

[formerprosecutor]

The whole genre is a big fatal joke. Sick, scripted violence. The "stars" are even all hype. I pity those men and women. The people at the top should be investigated ; we all know who really is demanding the steriod use.

[ejay579]

Has it ever occured to you that he did not want to own a house? Project much?

[JScott]

I own.

[labman]

The wrestling fraternity is quite small compared to other "sports", I wonder if there are any statistics on the percentage of deaths in wrestling compared to other venues. There seems to be an inordinate amount of tragedies related to wrestling.

[SabrinaFair]

Here we go again. Another professional wrestler gone before the age of forty.

There should be no doubt that it was either an overdose, or a medical condition caused by the abuse of performance enhancing drugs and illegal drugs.

This cycle continues. And every time a professional wrestler dies, the WWE circles the wagons and puts out short, meaningless statements, designed to show concern. If they had any concern, this list wouldn't continue to grow.

My sympathies to his family. And there should absolutely be an investigation into the so-called drug policy of each pro wrestling organization.

[ConcernedAboutRFuture]

Those steroids just keep knocking them off like flies.

[Amsterdam83]

Very sad news. I remember Test from when I watched wrestling when I was younger (didn't he have long hair back then?).

Sadly hearing of Test's passing comes as little surprise given the brutal things these guys go through physical to put on matches. The Wrestler does a pretty good job at portraying what life is like for these guys after their days at the top come to an end.

[nothingmusic42]

these guys really do need a union. the NFL, NBA, NHL, etc all have a union whose job it is to make sure the players are given enough down-time, are given proper medical treatment, and to represent the players intrests with the owners. wrestling has, instead, vince mcmahon. vince gets to decide whats best for the wrestlers, how many shows per week they work, and who gets pushes for championships. and seeing as how vince likes big, buff guys to hold the championships, it really shouldn't suprise anyone that the wrestlers are pumping themselves full of crap to make themselves bigger.
i watch wrestling for the fun. yeah it's pre-planned, but so is everything on TV. i've never been a fan of the big, bloated guys, but it's fun as hell watching some average-sized guy do a flying back-flip off the turnbuckle onto thumb-tacks.

[jalowe1957]

Andrew "Test" Martin now joins Chris Benoit, Curt Henning, Eddy Guererro, and countless others in the annals passing way too young, and being engulfed in the mentality of the pro wrestling industry.

Watch "The Wrestler," if you need further proof.

[sweetwhine]

I plan to. These guys are dropping like flies.

[zenwhenicanbe2]

Yeah, what gives?

[klandish]

Aside from the anabolic steroids many of these athletes use they dose with high amounts of testosterone. Use of artificial testosterone can create high levels of Hemoglobin which cause blood clots that result in heart attacks or stroke. Anyone using testosterone should have their red blood cells monitored.

[UnknownSoldier]

What about the pain killers these guys take

[Bruupo]

Testosterone IS an anabolic steroid. The only methods to artificially administer testosterone are all technically classed as anabolic steroids.

"However, over the years, as with every hormone, testosterone or other anabolic steroids has also been given for many other conditions and purposes besides replacement, with variable success but higher rates of side effects or problems."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testosterone

The whole point of doping with anabolic steroids is to increase free systemic testosterone or the relevant muscle building compounds that the body derives from free systemic testosterone. There is no meaningful distinction in this context.