Former WWE superstar Virgil has died

Michael Jones, who longtime wrestling fans remember as Virgil, the ever-present bodyguard for “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, has reportedly passed away.

The news comes from the Facebook account of Mark Charles III, a wrestling referee from Pennsylvania. , which includes tags to the accounts of several former and current pro wrestling personalities, said:

My dear friends, it is with great sorrow that I bring news from the Jones family of the passing of our beloved Michael Jones, whom we know and loved as Virgil, Vincent, Soul Train Jones and more.

Virgil passed peacefully at the hospital this morning and I ask that you pray for him and for his family.

May his memory be eternal!

Last December, a GoFundMe was created for the 61-year-old Jones, as he had been battling several health issues in recent years, including dementia and colon cancer.

Jones began his wrestling career in the mid-1980s. As “Soul Train” Jones, he teamed with Rocky Johnson, The Rock’s father, to capture the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship. But his big break came in 1987 when he joined WWE (then known as the World Wrestling Federation), where he was repackaged as the bodyguard for Ted DiBiase, who was returning to the company that year.

Over the next four years, Virgil stood quietly brooding in the background as DiBiase’s muscle, watching his employer’s back and illegally assisting him during matches. Occasionally, Virgil either joined DiBiase as his tag team partner or wrestled as his surrogate in matches against icons such as Hulk Hogan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage. In 1991, the two had a storyline falling out that saw Virgil become fed up with DiBiase’s abuse. At WrestleMania VII, Virgil defeated DiBiase by countout, but their rivalry was far from over.

Later that year at SummerSlam, Virgil scored the biggest victory of his career, as he defeated DiBiase by pinfall to claim DiBiase’s prized Million Dollar Championship. DiBiase would ultimately regain his personalized title, and the pair would later reconcile in World Championship Wrestling as members of the New World Order.

Virgil’s passing comes shortly after the death of Ole Anderson. Like Anderson, Virgil is another legend who left a strong impression on fans during his time in the industry.

Cageside Seats sends its condolences to the family, friends, and fans of the legendary Michael “Virgil” Jones.