There was a time when Val Venis was considered the kind of performer who might reach the upper echelons of WWE cards and become a main event player. In 2000, the company tried to move Val away from his porn star origins and simply make him an aggressive heel character. The change didn't work, and he returned to playing his more familiar guise soon after he left Right To Censor. Using pain medication to dull the pain of bumps and bruises suffered on the road, Venis admitted to the Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling that he was on a slippery slope right up until 2009. That year, the man managed to clean up his act and move away from popping pills. The reason for his newfound sober thinking was the death of one of his friends. In March, '09, Andrew 'Test' Martin passed away at the young age of 33. Venis was just 4 years older than his peer, and knew that if he didn't make a change he could end up following the same path. The withdrawals were reportedly horrendous for the man, but he managed to come through them and clean up his lifestyle.