Andrew 'Test' Martin Found Dead At 33
Andrew Martin, best known for his days as Test in WWE, has been found dead in his apartment at the age of 33. He would have been 34 in four days. Authorities in Tampa, Florida, where Martin lived, have stated that a body was found in a condo. Police say there was no indication of foul play. At about 8pm last night, officers were dispatched to Andrew 'Test' Martin's apartment after his neighbor reported she could see a man laying motionless inside. The officers forced entry and found Martin dead. His body has been transported to the local Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Martin was released from WWE back in February of 2007 after failing a drug test. He then worked for TNA but was not offered a contract and went on to work a bit in Japan. He was seen at WrestleMania 24 last year where he was presented as Kelly Kelly's boyfriend. At that time, he told friends that he didn't want to wrestle past the age of 35.
Martin had been due to go to Europe on March 16 for a wrestling tour. "This is with the crew from Ireland," he wrote on his MySpace page. "These guys hold a special place in my heart because they stuck by me when I was going thru some hard times and we all ended up becoming good friends. Great guys and fantastic people to work for, from Martin, to Mick, Joe, Jamie, Grant, Patty, Justin Shape, Lizzy, Anne, Ken, the whole crew are just great and I'm looking forward to this trip."
In April, last year, Martin made local news headlines when he was arrested on a drunk driving charge in Florida.
He was formerly in a relationship with Hollywood actress Stacey Keibler and WWE Diva Kelly Kelly. In a February interview on the Bubba Love Sponge radio show, Kelly said that although she was no longer dating Martin the couple had remained close friends. She said their relationship ended due in part to her busy WWE travel schedule. "He's never been one at home waiting around," Kelly said. "He's on the other side of the coin now. I think that had a lot to do with it." She said he was planning to quit wrestling this year and go back to college to become a personal trainer.
Here is the official comment from the Tampa Police Department on the passing of Andrew "Test" Martin:
At approximately 8:00pm on Friday, March 13, 2009, Tampa Police Officers responded to the Post Harbour Apartments, located at 725 Harbour Place Drive to check on the welfare of Mr. Andrew J. Martin. A neighbor reported that she could see into his apartment through a window and that Mr. Martin appeared motionless for several hours.
Officers entered the apartment and discovered Mr. Martin to be deceased. At this time there is no indication of foul play. The deceased was transported to the Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. The date of the autopsy is undetermined at this time. The next of kin has been notified of the death.
Andrew "Test" Martin is a former wrestling champion with the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment).
Lieutenant William Ferguson
Tampa Police Department
Kelly Kelly, who used to date Martin, posted this on her MySpace page:
"You were my world my best friend the one i always ran to u were always there for me..what happened to our plan...Why did god take u away from me...my heart is always with u and u only..I know your in heaven watching over me now my angel..."
World Wrestling Entertainment issued the following statement:
Test passes away
Written: March 14, 2009World Wrestling Entertainment? has been made aware of the passing of Andrew Martin. The WWE extends its deepest condolences to the Martin family. Mr. Martin was under contract with WWE at various time periods and performed under the name "Test." He last performed for the WWE in February 2007.
In February 2007, Martin was suspended by World Wrestling Entertainment due to a violation of the company's drug testing policy and released from his contract shortly thereafter. Martin made a few appearances for TNA Wrestling later in the year and often talked about retiring from the business, but has made several appearances overseas since then, including working a match in Japan last month. Martin was scheduled to head to Europe for a wrestling tour in Europe on Monday.
TNA issued the following statement:
TNA REMEMBERS ANDREW "TEST" MARTIN
Everyone at Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is saddened by the passing of Andrew "Test" Martin.
TNA sends its deepest condolences to the Martin family, and we hope our fans will keep Andrew in their thoughts in the coming days.
We here at Wrestling Inc. would like to send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Andrew Martin.