Andrew James Robert Patrick Martin (March 17, 1975 – March 13, 2009) was a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He was best known for his tenures with World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/WWE) where he competed under the ring name Test.
After training under Bret Hart and Leo Burke, Martin began wrestling on the Canadian independent circuit in 1997. The following year, he signed with the WWF (now WWE) and initially debuted as an unnamed bodyguard, before adopting the name Test. During his nine-year tenure, he won the WWE European Championship and WWE Intercontinental Championship once each, the WWE Hardcore Championship twice, and the WCW World Tag Team Championship and WWE World Tag Team Championship with Booker T once each. Martin left WWE in 2004, but returned from 2006-2007 to wrestle on the ECW brand. After he briefly appeared for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 2007, Martin would continue wrestling sporadically on the independent circuit until his death in 2009.
Martin was born on March 17, 1975, in Whitby, Ontario, the son of Robert and Margaret Martin. He was the youngest of three children. He attended Henry Street High School, where he played football, hockey, lacrosse and rugby. In the mid-1990s, Martin worked as a bouncer and bartender in Oshawa.
Training and early career (1997–1998)
In 1997, while at a Planet Hollywood restaurant at the SkyDome in Toronto, Martin met WWF Canada president Carl De Marco, who introduced him to Bret Hart. After Hart offered to train him to wrestle, Martin quit both of his jobs and spent eight months training under both Hart and Leo Burke. He made his professional wrestling debut for the International Wrestling Alliance (IWA) on October 26, 1997, under the ring name Martin Kane, defeating Jamal Hughes and winning a battle royal on the same night.
Martin spent his early career on the Canadian independent circuit and wrestled under the gimmick of T.J. Thunder, a former bodyguard for Wayne Newton. He continued his training with Dory Funk Jr. at Funk's Funkin' Dojo, a training center in Ocala, Florida. In 1998, Martin wrestled for the World Wrestling Alliance (WWA) in Massachusetts. He also took part in the final event of Wild West Wrestling in Saskatchewan, where he won a triangle match for the WWW Heavyweight Championship against Burke and John Cozman.
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (1998–2004)
In May 1998, Martin signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He made his debut on the October 25, 1998 episode of Sunday Night Heat as an unnamed bodyguard for the band Mötley Crüe, who were performing on the show. In a scripted event, Martin threw an overzealous fan off the stage during the band's rehearsal. On the December 14 episode of Raw is War, he aligned himself with WWF Champion The Rock by attacking his rival, Triple H, establishing himself as a heel. Martin made his in-ring debut in a tag team match with The Rock on the following episode of Raw is War, defeating D-Generation X (Triple H and X-Pac) by disqualification after interference from Kane. He soon joined The Corporation stable and received the ring name "Test", since he usually checked the mic saying "test...test..."
On January 24, 1999, Test made his pay-per-view debut at the Royal Rumble, where he entered his first Royal Rumble match at number 21, but was eliminated by Steve Austin. At WrestleMania XV on March 28, Test and D'Lo Brown faced Jeff Jarrett and Owen Hart for the WWF Tag Team Championship in a losing effort. After being removed from the Corporation, Test turned face and joined The Union, who were known to carry 2x4 boards of wood with them. The Union feuded with the Corporate Ministry and defeated them in an eight-man elimination tag team match at Over the Edge on May 23, before quietly disbanding.
Relationship with Stephanie McMahon and T & A (1999–2000)
Test then began an on-screen relationship with Stephanie McMahon, leading to a "Love Her Or Leave Her" Greenwich Street Fight against her older brother Shane McMahon at SummerSlam on August 22, which Test won for Shane's blessing. The couple were eventually engaged, but during the in-ring ceremony in November, Triple H showed a video revealing that he had drugged Stephanie and taken her to Las Vegas, Nevada, where they were married in a drive-through ceremony. Stephanie subsequently turned on Test by aligning herself with Triple H at Armageddon. For the remainder of the year, Test briefly feuded with D-Generation X, and in early 2000, held the WWF Hardcore Championship for a month.
In March 2000, Test turned heel and formed a tag team with Albert known as T & A (Test and Albert), with Trish Stratus as their manager. They defeated Head Cheese (Al Snow and Steve Blackman) at WrestleMania 2000 on April 2 and The Dudley Boyz at Backlash on April 30. At King of the Ring on June 25, T & A took part in a fatal four-way elimination match for the WWF Tag Team Championship, which was won by Edge & Christian. T & A and Stratus also feuded with The Hardy Boyz and Lita, whom they lost to in a six-person tag team match at Fully Loaded on July 23. At Survivor Series on November 19, T & A and Stratus lost to Blackman, Crash Holly and Molly Holly. On the December 28 episode of SmackDown!, Albert attacked Test at the orders of Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, effectively disbanding T & A and turning Test face again.
The Invasion and Un-Americans (2001–2002)
On the January 8, 2001 episode of Raw, Test lost to Albert and Stratus in a handicap match after interference from William Regal. Test defeated Regal to win the WWF European Championship on the January 22 episode of Raw. After successful defenses against the likes of Christian, Regal, Raven, and Eddie Guerrero, Test lost the title to Guerrero at WrestleMania X-Seven on April 1 after interference from Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn.
During the Invasion storyline, Test developed a friendship with WCW owner Shane McMahon and helped him defeat Big Show in a Last Man Standing match at Backlash on April 29. At Judgment Day on May 20, Test failed to win the Hardcore Championship from Rhyno in a triple threat hardcore match also involving Big Show. Test defeated Rhyno for the title on the June 14 episode of SmackDown!, but lost it in a rematch on the June 25 episode of Raw. Test remained loyal to the WWF until the August 9 episode of SmackDown!, when he joined The Alliance by helping Alliance members Chris Kanyon and Diamond Dallas Page defeat the APA (Bradshaw and Faarooq) for the WWF Tag Team Championship, turning heel once again. At SummerSlam on August 19, Test and The Dudley Boyz defeated the APA and Spike Dudley. On the September 27 episode of SmackDown!, Test and Booker T won the WCW Tag Team Championship from The Brothers of Destruction (The Undertaker and Kane), but lost the titles to The Hardy Boyz on the October 8 episode of Raw. At No Mercy on October 21, Test defeated Kane.
On the November 1 episode of SmackDown!, Test and Booker T defeated The Rock and Chris Jericho to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. Test also won the WWF Intercontinental Championship from Edge on the November 5 episode of Raw, becoming a double champion. On the November 12 episode of Raw, Test and Booker T lost the WWF Tag Team Championship to The Hardy Boyz. At Survivor Series on November 18, Test lost the Intercontinental Championship back to Edge in a unification match for the WCW United States Championship and the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Later that night, Test won a battle royal which granted him on-screen immunity from being fired for a year. At No Way Out on February 17, 2002, Test and Booker T failed to win the WWF Tag Team Championship from Spike Dudley and Tazz.
As part of the 2002 WWF draft lottery, Test was drafted to the SmackDown! brand. Test competed in the King of the Ring tournament, but lost to eventual winner Brock Lesnar in the semi-finals at the titular event on June 23. On the July 4 episode of SmackDown!, Test, Christian and Lance Storm formed The Un-Americans. On the July 29 episode of Raw, The Un-Americans left SmackDown! and joined the Raw brand, where they attacked The Undertaker. At SummerSlam on August 25, Test lost to The Undertaker. After losing to the team of Kane, Goldust, Booker T and Bubba Ray Dudley at Unforgiven on September 22, The Un-Americans split in brawling fashion and disbanded on the September 30 episode of Raw.