Why Jim Ross 'Wasn't Shocked' By The Death Of Former WWE Star Andrew 'Test' Martin

During his WWE stint, Andrew "Test" Martin was a regular on television and even made appearances in numerous video games, but he never elevated himself out of the midcard. 

The late star battled substance abuse until his death in 2009, and Jim Ross — who worked with Test –  recently commented on Martin's passing in an episode of his "Grilling JR" podcast, explaining why he wasn't surprised by the tragic news.

"[It was] his biggest opponent — drug addiction. He couldn't win, he didn't win, and it killed him," Ross said. "That is as abrupt an ending as you can ask for. I must tell you that when I heard that he had passed away, I wasn't shocked because he became very dependent on painkillers, muscle relaxers, and downers in general."

Ross then pointed out how many wrestlers forget that downers tend to be antidepressants and worsen mental issues like depression. "The boys forget that s**t's antidepressant, so, if you have depression issues, and you're in the pill bottle too much, you're digging your own grave. I felt bad about that."

Looking back on Martin's career, Ross suggested that the late star's dream became a nightmare. "Andrew got swept up in the hype. He was living his dream but it was just sad it became a nightmare. It wasn't a dream anymore," Ross noted. "We never tapped into what he could've done. He could've been a bigger star than most people ever dreamed he could've become, but we never got to see that. It ended too quickly."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Grilling JR" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcript.