Archive for the ‘Professional Wrestling’ Category

Andrew “Test” Martin, 33,  was found dead at his Tampa home Friday.  Police responded to a call from a concerned neighbor who claimed she could see Martin lying motionless in his home and saying he was unresponsive to phone and doorbell attempts.  The officers who responded forced entry and proclaimed Martin dead.  Test had a history of steroid and alcohol abuse.  He got a DUI in April of 2008 and had problems passing drug tests eventually leading up to his career coming to a halt.

Martin started wrestling in 1997 after meeting with Bret “Hitman” Hart and performing on a Canadian independent circuit for a year or so under the names of Martin Kane and TJ Thunder.  He debuted with WWE in 1998 under the name of Test.   

While an active WWE wrestler, Martin was a European, Intercontinental, Tag Team, and a Hardcore Champion.  Perhaps his best known angle was his scripted onscreen engagement to Stephanie McMahon.  Triple H eventually drugged her and snuck her through a drive-thru wedding chapel in Las Vegas to complete the storyline.  He also had success as half of T & A, along with his partner Albert and managed by Trish Stratus.

Martin was romantically linked with current WWE Diva Kelly Kelly and had dated Stacey Kiebler in the past as well.  Martin would have been 34 in a few days.  Hopefully, for the sake of McMahon and the WWE the death is not performance drug related.  The WWE is reeling from the recent deaths of Davey Boy Smith, Eddie Guerrerro, Chris Benoit, and Brian Pillman, in drug related autopsies.

With Wrestlemania 25 right around the corner, I had to post what I felt was one of the highest risk moves ever attempted by a wrestler.  Jeff Hardy is fearless.  He has done amazing things in ladder and cage matches, but nothing tops this dive onto Randy Orton.  Hardy’s popularity is at an all-time high, mostly becuase of risks he takes such as this one.  He calls this move the Swanton Bomb and usually delivers it off of the top rope to an opponent laid out in the ring.  This particular Swanton Bomb is executed with significantly more air between Hardy and his target, the very “over” Randy Orton.

Wrestlemania XXV is still about a month away, and I am sure that many of my predictions will not be exact as Vince McMahon loves to add to storylines on the way there.  However, I see a few long-developing storylines I can predict.  There will be a final Wrestlemania XXV prediction post closer to the event.  Kick these around for now.

The money in the bank ladder match will be loaded with high flyers.  Usually WWE will pick five or six guys depending on how many are needed elsewhere.  I am going to predict this to be the end of Miz and Morrison as a tag team and as friends.  Miz is the consumate heel, but I think John Morrison would do fine as a babyface.  Look for this ladder match to start that push for him.  Others to compete in the ladder match will be R Truth, Evan Borne, CM Punk, and possibly Carlito and Primo Colon.  Morrison will win this thing and defeat whichever heel champ there is later in the year when he cashes his suitcase in.

When WWE brought Christian Cage back to ECW, it was because they knew he would be cheered no matter where they put him.  Edge has been active on both Raw and Smackdown lately, so McMahon had to keep Christian away.  Look for a big heel turn from Christian in April.  I am sure that he will appear in some form to help Edge soon.  Their chemistry was magical as tag champs, lest we forget “for those with the benefit of flash photograpy“‘ etc.  Speaking of Edge, if John Cena doesn’t get his rematch in the next couple of weeks, look for the Edge-Cena match at WM 25.

Triple H obviously has it out for Randy Orton.  Problem is how will WWE package the sides to be fair?  Who will be the people to keep Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes away?  Look for Sim Snuka and Manu to come to the aid of HHH as early as tonight.  Triple H will probably lose the title to Orton at WM25.

Jeff Hardy will probably face-off with his brother Matt.  I am looking for this to be a classic.  Jeff will keep his “I wont fight my own brother attitude”, for a couple of weeks more until Matt does something so horrible that it pushes Jeff over the edge.  Look for Jeff to win a battle here.

Finally, my last early prediction for WM 25 is Chris Jericho’s role.  Jericho has been disrespectful to legends, WWE HOF’ers, and future HOF’ers as well.  Look for Mickey Rourke to be in Jericho’s opponent’s corner.  I am guessing the opponent to be either Flair, Piper, and/or Ricky Steamboat, or Shawn Michaels.  There is a sleeper possibility that Stone Cold Steve Austin will be involved, either as an opponent or a ref.

I invite your comments, tell me whether you agree so far, or what you think that I may have missed.