Former WWE creative writer has slammed the company following the death of wrestler Andrew ‘Test’ Martin on Friday.

Martin, 33, was found in his Tampa, FL home. A cause of death may be known as soon as today (Monday).

Writing on his Newsday blog, Seth Mates told of his experiences working with the former WWE wrestler, noting that he tried to interview him on the subject of drugs and deaths in wrestling after he was cut by WWE following neck surgery in 2004. The interview didn’t happen after Test was re-hired by WWE, looking “bigger and more muscular than ever.”

Mates wrote: “It’s a sad reflection on the true nature of wrestling addiction — that the business itself is the ultimate addiction, and that high of one more run in the spotlight enables whatever is needed to get through the day.

“Reports indicate that at the time of his death, Test was going through WWE-sponsored rehab, but no matter how much the WWE statements try to push the fact that he hadn’t worked there in two years, make no mistake about it — Test IS another victim of WWE and their bogus wellness policy.”

He added: “I defy you to look at Test’s physique during his most recent run (and his own words in his posts from above) and tell me different.

“So again, to WWE, this becomes another guy where they’ll wipe their hands of any wrongdoing and point to the fact that they tried to help him through his problems, a guy they made sure was dumped from the payroll before something like this could officially happen on their watch again.

“So nothing will come of it, much like nothing came of the deaths of Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Ray Traylor, Curt Hennig, Mike Alfonso or Mike Lockwood — the other guys I worked with who died way too young.

“I’m sorry, but I still don’t buy that wellness policy for even one second.

“Noble as it might be for WWE to have helped Test through rehab, it would have been more noble had they not fired him after neck surgery, or encouraged what seemed to be — in my opinion — an unnatural look, or any of a million other things that no doubt contributed to his state.

“WWE, once again, has blood on its hands.

“I wish I could say that wrestling deaths still surprise me, but to be honest, they don’t. The thing that surprised me most when I heard about Test yesterday is the fact that it had been as long as it has been since the last major wrestling death.”

Mates makes some very valid points and like many, as sad as Martin’s death is, to me personally it doesn’t come as a huge surprise. I say that not because of Martin personally, but because stories of young wrestlers dying prematurely have become pretty much common place in the wrestling business over the past few years.

Mates’ blog entry makes for an interesting read and you can read it in full by clicking here.

Phil Lowe
phil@ifight365.com