Former WWE Talent Andrew "Test" Martin Found Dead

Some sad news to report today as former WWE talent Andrew "Test" Martin was found dead in his Tampa, Fla., home Friday night. An autopsy has yet to be performed, but authorities said there is no foul play suspected.

Martin was just 33 years old and was discovered when a neighbor said he appeared motionless for several hours from outside his apartment window.

The Canadian-born Martin was first discovered by Bret Hart while working in a restaurant and got his WWE shot after working for just one year on the Canadian indies scene. He worked for the WWE from 1998-2004 and was an Intercontinental, European, Hardcore and Tag Team Champion.

Surprisingly, the story is on the front page of ESPN.com under the Headline section. When it's negative, suddenly they decide that wrestling is worth covering, I guess.

Martin was mainly a mid-carder during his stay, but had a window of opportunity during an angle with HHH and Stephanie McMahon where HHH broke up their on-screen wedding after supposedly drugging her and taking her through a drive-through wedding chapel. (Pro wrestling, people!)

However, despite being over in that angle, WWE didn't push him as a legit threat and his shot at the big time was squashed...a running theme through that era, but I digress. After being released in November 2004, Martin worked in the indies before returning to WWE in 2006 as part of the revamped ECW brand.

In February 2007, Martin was suspended 30 days for violating the WWE's wellness policy and was released a week later. According to him, he asked for his release as part of a mutual agreement. He had a brief TNA stint as "The Punisher" Andrew Martin, but was released shortly after signing. He previously was in a relationship with Stacy Keibler and recently with the WWE's Kelly Kelly.

Read between the lines here: a professional wrestler dying at this age with no foul play, thanks in part to an industry that still continues to bury its head in the sand when it comes to steroid and drug abuse. Is there a doubt as to what the cause of death probably will be? At some point, the industry has to stop turning a blind eye to drug abuse, doesn't it?

Josh Nason - josh [at] ropesringandcage [dot com] - has published MMA, wrestling and boxing blog Ropes, Ring and Cage.com since 2007. He has been publishing on Bleacher Report since 2008 and attained Columnist status in 2009.