Dead Wrestler Wednesday: The Wall

Jerry Tuite, also known as The Wall, Sgt. AWOL, or Malice, is best known for the time he spent in World Championship Wrestling at the start of his career.  Like Kwee Wee, Tuite was a product of the WCW Powerplant.  Trained at the Atlanta institution, The Wall was the protégé of the “Beast from the East” Bam Bam Bigelow.  This likely had something to do with both wrestlers calling New Jersey their home.

When he debuted in 1999, The Wall was used as the bodyguard of Alex Wright’s rivethead character Berlyn.  In his first few weeks in the role, The Wall would only accompany Berlyn to ringside and occasionally provide physical interference on his behalf, but it didn’t take long for him to step into the ring himself.  Shortly after he did, he abandoned Berlyn and pursued a singles career.

During his run in WCW, The Wall feuded with the likes of David Flair, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Shane Douglas.  Never really getting over with the crowd, he was later repackaged as part of a new stable, the Misfits in Action.  Taking the name Sgt. AWOL to fit the group’s military theme, Tuite was part of the MIA’s feuds with rival stables, including 3 Count and Team Canada.  When the Misfits in Action went their separate ways, The Wall engaged in a small feud with former partner Hugh Morris before departing WCW.

After leaving World Championship Wrestling, Tuite reappeared, this time in TNA.  He performed there under the name Malice and played a major role in the company’s first show in June of 2002, losing to Ken Shamrock in the main event to crown the inaugural TNA champion.  He only remained with the promotion for a few months, wrestling as part of James Mitchell’s Disciples of the New Church faction.  In December of 2003, while touring with New Japan Pro Wrestling, Tuite was found dead in his Tokyo hotel room.  The cause of death was determined to be a heart attack.  Tuite, 35 years old, had wrestled has last match the previous night.