tna Archives

Jerry Tuite Death

By Mike Rickard on January 7, 2018 / 2000s, 2003, Dead Before 50, Heart Attack / Leave a comment

Jerry Tuite Death – Heart Attack 1966-2003 (Age 36) Jerry Tuite’s 6’10” 320-pound frame made him a natural for the squared circle, wrestling during the Monday Night War. The big man performed in WCW under a few variations of “The Wall” (including “Sergeant AWOL” and “Sergeant A-Wall”). When WCW was absorbed by the WWF in 2001, Tuite signed a developmental deal, but never made it to TV. He later wrestled for TNA under the moniker “Malice.” Jerry Tuite was described by announcer Mike Tenay as “a gentle giant” and someone who constantly worked to improve himself in the ring. Tuite toured All-Japan Wrestling, the last place he would wrestle before his shocking death at the age of 36, just weeks shy of his 37th birthday. A Jersey Big Boy Michael Jerome Tuite was born on December 27, 1966 in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. Tuite trained with wrestler “Iron” Mike Sharpe at

Umaga Death

By Ryan on January 2, 2016 / 2000s, 2009, Dead Before 50, Drug Overdose, Most Popular / 7 Comments

Umaga Death – Drug Overdose 1973-2009 (age 36) To die at the young age of 36 is tragic. Such was the case for professional wrestler Umaga. Here is the Umaga death story. About the Wrestler Umaga was born in San Francisco, CA, on March 28, 1973, as Edward “Eddie” Fatu. He was also known to some as Ecki. He started his wrestling career in the WWE with a brief stint from 2002-2003 under the ring name Jamal. He was partnered with Matt Anoa’i, his real life cousin, who went by Rosey. Sadly, Rosey passed in 2017. The duo formed the tag team 3-Minute Warning. Unfortunately by mid 2003, Fatu was dismissed from the WWE after rumors surfaced about his involvement in a bar fight. Then Eddie Fatu reemerged on the wrestling scene, this time under the name of Ekmo. He wrestled for TNA and went overseas to partake in All-Japan Pro Wrestling. The time

Roddy Piper Death

By Ryan on January 1, 2016 / 2010s, 2015, Heart Attack, Most Popular / 5 Comments

Roddy Piper Death – Blood Clot / Heart Attack 1954-2015 (age 61) Wrestling fans everywhere mourned when the Roddy Piper death story made news headlines around the world in the summer of 2015. The wrestling superstar was one of a kind in many ways. He is right up there with Randy Savage, Warrior, Andre the Giant, and Hulk Hogan for the most iconic wrestlers of all time. About “Rowdy” Roddy Roderick George Toombs was his real name, but he was much better known as “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. He was born April 17, 1954, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Piper first got his first taste of wrestling at the young age of 15 at a weight of 167 pounds. A legendary personality in professional wrestling, Rowdy Roddy may be best remembered for his work on the mic, but he also had success in the ring. He won his first championship title, the NWA Americas, in 1976

Dusty Rhodes Death

By Ryan on December 30, 2015 / 2010s, 2015, Cancer, Most Popular / 6 Comments

Dusty Rhodes Death – Stomach Cancer 1945-2015 (age 69) One of wrestling’s greats passed away in June of 2015. He was “The American Dream.” Below is the Dusty Rhodes death story. The Son of a Plumber Virgil Runnels or “Dusty Rhodes,” as he was better known, was born in Austin, TX. The son of a plumber, his story was an amazing one as he rose to the wrestling limelight with jiggles and jabs. Rhodes had charisma for miles in the squared circle. Outside of the ring, he was a powerful mind that encouraged and created as a trainer, booker, and commentator. He was also a producer for WWE’s NXT. He died on the morning of June 11, 2015 at the age of 69. Rhodes was captivating. In the 1980s, he was a top draw for the NWA. He was popular for his charm and stood out from other wrestlers because of his “common man” physique

Chris Kanyon Death

By Ryan on December 20, 2015 / 2010, 2010s, Dead Before 50, Suicide / 5 Comments

Chris Kanyon Death – Suicide 1970-2010 (age 40) Most professional wrestlers gain fame for their antics in the ring, but every so often, someone in professional wrestling ends up making a name for himself or herself due to what they do out of the ring. Chris Kanyon is one such wrestler. Although Kanyon won the WCW World Tag Team Championship twice and both the WCW United States Championship and WWF Tag Team Championship once, Chris Kanyon will forever be known for his legal battles and criticisms of professional wrestling. This is the Chris Kanyon death story. Drama and Stress Surround the Retirement of Chris Kanyon In 2001, Chris Kanyon suffered a leg injury that greatly impacted his career. Over the next few years, his relationship with the WWE would become rocky. First, he sued World Wrestling Entertainment, accusing the organization of trying to deny him health care benefits. After he was released

Andrew “Test” Martin Death

By Ryan on December 20, 2015 / 2000s, 2009, Dead Before 50, Drug Overdose, Most Popular / 10 Comments

Andrew “Test” Martin Death – Drug Overdose 1975-2009 (age 33) Andrew Martin has a story that has become all too familiar in the world of professional wrestling. His career showed early promise, but sadly, his demons would get the best of him. Martin debuted in the WWF as “Test” in 1998. His scripted storyline was that he was a former bodyguard for Motley Crue. The gimmick was a good fit as the WWF was transitioned into the Attitude era. Test took part in several memorable storylines, including one involving an engagement to Stephanie McMahon. He would go on to win several belts in the WWE, including the hardcore championship, as well as a tag-team championship run with Booker T. Test was ranked among the top 50 wrestlers by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2001. Still, Test never seemed to break out of the midcard. Drug Abuse Begins the Andrew Martin Death Story Martin struggled with substance abuse. In late 2007 into 2008, he was arrested on multiple

Mike Awesome Death

By Ryan on December 8, 2015 / 2000s, 2007, Dead Before 50, Suicide / 3 Comments

Mike Awesome Death – Suicide 1965-2007 (age 42) You have to be a confident person to choose “Awesome” to be part of your wrestling name, and in the ring, Mike Awesome, or Michael Alfonso, definitely carried himself with confidence. During the course of his 17-year career, the heavyweight won the ECW World Heavyweight Championship twice and the WWF Hardcore Championship twice. He also won several titles with Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling and was ranked in the top 10 of the annual ranking of top singles wrestlers published in Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2000. Sadly, the events surrounding the Mike Awesome death have largely overshadowed his career in the squared circle. 7 years before his death: Mike Awesome manhandles Kevin Nash in his WCW Nitro debut on April 10, 2000 An Early Retirement After a brief stint with TNA in 2003, Mike Awesome began to compete as a singles wrestler on the independent circuit. He wrestled in

Chris Candido Death

By Ryan on December 5, 2015 / 2000s, 2005, Dead Before 50, Most Popular, Pneumonia / 6 Comments

Chris Candido Death – Pneumonia 1972-2005 (age 33) Before his life was cut short, Skip Candido had an impressive wrestling career spanning several promotions. He is arguably most remembered as being “Skip” from the WWF. Alongside valet (and real-life girlfriend) Sunny – the duo were known as The Bodydonnas. The Bodydonnas gimmick portrayed Skip and Sunny as arrogant work-out freaks, continuously taunting the crowd for being fat and out of shape. Aside from his run with the Bodydonnas, Candido spent a brief period in the WCW. He stayed long enough to pick up a Cruiserweight title, but ultimately would head to the independents. Prior to Candido’s WCW run, he spent 1996-1999 with ECW. He had a successful run with the promotion and was given the moniker “No Gimmicks Needed” – appropriate considering the WWE had given him a pretty ridiculous gimmick with the Bodydonnas. In 1995, Wrestling Observer named Chris Candido the Most Underrated Wrestler of the Year,

Curt “Mr. Perfect” Hennig Death

By Ryan on December 5, 2015 / 2000s, 2003, Dead Before 50, Drug Overdose, Most Popular / 6 Comments

Curt Hennig Death – Drug Overdose 1958-2003 (age 44) Curt Hennig was undoubtedly one of the most beloved wrestling personalities in and out of the ring during his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling. The son of Larry “The Axe” Hennig, Curt came from Minnesota – a wrestling territory that also gave us greats like the late Rick Rude. Over the course of his more than 20-year career, Curt won numerous titles, including the AWA World Heavyweight Championship. But it was the WWF where he would hit the national stage. Curt would go on to win the Intercontinental Championship with the WWF, working under the gimmick that wrestling fans still fondly remember today as “Mr. Perfect”. Many people believed Hennig would wrestle long into his 50s, but ultimately, the Mr. Perfect death story would cut his career and his life tragically short. The Events of the Mr. Perfect Death

Big Daddy V Death

By Ryan on October 20, 2015 / 2010s, 2014, Dead Before 50, Heart Attack, Most Popular / 2 Comments

Big Daddy V Death – Heart Attack 1971-2014 (age 43) Big Daddy V was a true heavyweight in the world of professional wrestling. Standing at 6 feet, 9 inches and weighing roughly 500 pounds, the wrestler from Harlem had a big personality in and out of the ring. Known as Nelson Frazier, Jr., to friends and family, he achieved modest success in the WWE during the 1990s and in the late 2000s. Sadly, his career was cut short, as he passed away at the age of 43. The Many Faces of Big Daddy V Nelson Frazier first entered the pro wrestling scene at the age of 21 as Mabel in 1993. By 1994, he and partner Mo secured the Tag Team Championship under the moniker Men on a Mission. Although fairly cringe-worthy today, the goofy, colorful gimmick worked well with the WWF’s family-friendly image at the time. By 1995, Mabel was competing on

Paul Bearer Death

By Ryan on September 5, 2015 / 2010s, 2013, Heart Attack, Most Popular / 5 Comments

Paul Bearer Death – Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) 1954-2013 (age 58) Best known as the charismatic manager of the Undertaker with an unforgettable high pitched voice, Paul Bearer was one of the most recognized wrestling managers in the WWE throughout the 90s and 2000s. For Paul Bearer, real name William Moody, death was a part of life, as he was also a licensed mortician and worked for many years in the funeral industry before his employment in the wrestling world. Sadly, the beloved wrestling personality’s death came much too soon at the age of 58. Although TMZ reported Moody’s death as a heart attack, William Moody’s son, Daniel Moody offered us the following: “He died of A-fib. He had a booking in Chicago, forgot to bring a jacket, got sick and was put into the hospital three days after returning home.” Breaking Into the World of Wrestling William Moody AKA Paul Bearer had wrestled as

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