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Test aka Andrew Martin deserves more discussion when looking back at his career in the Attitude Era and some of the Ruthless Aggression Era. WWE was often hot and cold with his booking, but he was certainly viewed with a lot of potential. Few new talents were positioned in the same manner as Test.
Unfortunately, that potential of Test was never fully realized due to multiple variables, preventing him from having a top role. WWE does have a history of giving up when names don’t get to that top spot, but his journey was a bit more interesting. Test had a fascinating career that warrants another look back at why he didn’t become a main eventer for WWE.
Triple H & Stephanie McMahon’s Romance Killed Test's Momentum
WWE introduced Test as part of The Corporation when he initially debuted as Motley Crue’s bodyguard when performing in 1998, and eventually helping The Rock defeat Triple H. Test then became part of The Corporation with the likes of Ken Shamrock, The Big Boss Man, and others to protect The Rock, Vince McMahon, and Shane McMahon from their enemies.
However, this eventually turned into a romantic storyline for Test falling in love with Stephanie McMahon. WWE believed in Test enough to make this Stephanie’s first character-based storyline after the previous introduction saw her being abducted by The Undertaker. Shane refusing to accept the relationship led to a huge victory of Test winning a violent match to gain the respect of Shane and the WWE audience.
The big wedding segment between Stephanie and Test ended with Triple H revealing he was the one married to Stephanie. Even though this started off as an angle of Triple H drugging Stephanie and refusing to get divorced, Stephanie ended up being part of that plan for a heel turn. Triple H and Stephanie instantly became the most hated heels on the show, but this angle badly hurt Test. WWE didn’t give Test any revenge, and he quietly moved back into the mid-card picture.
Test Had Multiple Failed Pushes
Everything Test did after the Stephanie McMahon relationship showed promise without paying off. Trish Stratus managing the new T&A tag team of Test and Albert ended with Stratus as the main person fans cared about. Test underwent some bigger heel turns after treading water by joining The Alliance in the Invasion storyline, and the Un-Americans, referencing his Canadian background.
The Invasion was actually a good scenario for him, with WWE wrestlers accusing Test of being a mole due to his friendship with Shane McMahon, but it was their distrust that saw Test turning on them to join The Alliance. Unfortunately, the Invasion angle flopped and ended that faster. Test’s time in the Un-Americans showed a great heel faction with a world of potential, but that ended due to reports of Test and Christian not wanting that much heat in their personal lives.
The next noteworthy stint came when Stacy Keibler managed Test before he turned heel and played an abusive boyfriend. Stacy was the star of that angle, and Test struggled to get over. It ended with him being released by WWE. He was brought back a few years later for the ECW brand, but that also flopped and saw him gone again in just under a year.
What Could Have Been With Test's Career In WWE
The main reason for this being a compelling story of a wrestler not panning out is that WWE viewed Test as a future main eventer. An early association with Stephanie McMahon, Shane McMahon, and other big names was intentional. Test had the look that WWE loved from their stars of the time, with the height, jacked physique, long hair, and the believable look of a fighter.
The opportunities of having a romantic story with Stephanie, friendship with Shane, singles matches vs Undertaker in the Un-Americans, and even the time with Stacy Keibler were all designed to set up bigger things. Test won five different mid-card or tag title belts in WWE in his overlooked career, as WWE always tried to make him seem important.
Things just never worked out due to bad timing, like the Stephanie angle moving into a bigger Triple H push, or the Invasion ending when he was one of their better heels. Test deserved some blame as well for not stepping up in his biggest matches while others were constantly improving. Names like Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Edge, and others took the next step despite once being below him in the pecking order. Test could never get over the hump, and it felt he never fulfilled his true potential in WWE.