Real Name: Jerry Tuite
AKA:The Wall, Sgt. Awol, Gigantes, and Malice
Jerry Tuite, who worked under several different ring names including The Wall while in WCW, Malice for NWA: TNA, and currently Gigantes for All Japan Pro Wrestling passed away early Saturday morning after working the final show of a tour for All Japan.
Nikkan Sports in Japan reported that Tuite was found unconscious in his hotel room and rushed to the hospital. Tuite was found by La Parka and Nosawa when they had returned from a meal and wanted to say their goodbyes before heading for the Narita Airport to return to Mexico. The report listed Tuite’s age as 36 and the cause of death as “an acute heart attack.”
Tuite wrestled his last match on Friday 12/5 at All Japan's PPV from Budokan Hall in Tokyo, working a six man tag, teaming with (Bull) Buchanan and Justin Credible to defeat Nobutaka Araya, Tomoaki Honma and Kazushi Miyamoto.
A native of Ocean Grove, New Jersey, Tuite trained at the Iron Mike Sharpe Wrestling Academy, breaking in alongside Crowbar and Nova, among others and building a close relationship with Bam Bam Bigelow. Tuite debuted in 1994.
After working out at the Power Plant, Tuite was brought into World Championship Wrestling in 1999 during Kevin Nash’s booking stint as The Wall. Utilizing a chokeslam as his finisher, Tuite was among many of the younger performers rushed onto WCW television time in an attempt to stop the bleeding once WWF overtook the Monday Night Wars of the 1990s, even getting the chance to work Hulk Hogan on Nitro.
Tuite was given a Mohawk and renamed Sgt. A-WALL as a member of Bill DeMott’s Misfits in Action group during Vince Russo’s fabled stint booking WCW in 2000. When the MIA ran its course, Tuite returned to the Wall persona.
Following the purchase of WCW by the World Wrestling Federation, Tuite was sent to the WWF’s developmental territory. While waiting to be called up to the main roster, Tuite was given his release so he could deal with personal issues and was told once he had dealt with them, the door was open to come back down the line. Tuite was later given dark matches by WWE, but at the time noted he was rusty and didn’t give a good showing.
"In our business there are so many different types of personalities, it's a shame that the drug use is very frequent. Some guys have some major injuries, have chronic pain, but it becomes habit forming... Some people get hooked." said Tuite on an appearance with Long Island, New York radio show Get In The Ring in May 2003. "I didn't have to, if I utilized my chiropractor right, and I took Ibuprophren I could have kept the pain down. You are thrown into that lifestyle, everybody has it and 'When in Rome.'"
By all accounts at the time, Tuite had cleaned up after his WWE release and hit the independent scene. He had remade himself in an attempt to freshen his look and help pave his way back to the big time. He had worked on his physical appearance, shedding his trademark shirt and tie for simple tights, exposing the many tattoos that had inked on his body. While he may have used the Wall name on the independent circuit, between the tattoos and the longer stringy hair, only the most hardcore fan would have realized it was the same performer at first glance.
Tuite began as regular on the Northeastern independent scene, working for such companies as USA Pro Wrestling (as part of a duo with old friend Crowbar), Phoenix Championship Wrestling (where he held the promotion’s championship), and NWA New Jersey (where he also was champion), among a host of other independent companies. He had brief stints in XPW (using the name Snuff) and appeared on the first MLW show as well. Tuite worked the final World Wrestling All-Stars tour, competing in the main event of what proved to be the promotion’s final event in December 2002 in Zurich, Switzerland, as Tuite was pinned by Sting to win the WWA championship in a Three-Way that also included Lex Luger.
When NWA: TNA debuted in June 2002, Tuite was brought in and worked the main event of the promotion’s first PPV, surviving to the end of a “Gauntlet for the Gold” Royal Rumble under the name Malice, losing to Ken Shamrock in a match to determine the new NWA champion. Although he received a strong initial push in NWA: TNA against Shamrock and Sabu, managed by Jim Mitchell as a member of Mitchell’s New Church, TNA cutbacks kept him from appearing regularly. He was eventually brought back, but got a regular gig with All Japan and with the exception of a few appearances from time to time, was pretty much done as a regular with TNA.
Tuite, under the name Gigantes, had been touring regularly with All Japan since early 2003.
On behalf of 3Strandwrestling.com & TheInteractiveInterview.com, I’d like to extend my condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Jerry Tuite. We spoke with Jerry's father a little over a month ago, and were scheduled to speak with Jerry upon his return from Japan. He will be missed.
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