Virgil loss of life: Former WWE star dies aged 61

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Former WWE wrestler Virgil – actual identify Michael Jones – has died. He was 61.

Referee Mark Charles III, who is named The Count, introduced the information in a Facebook put up.

“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,” wrote Charles.

“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!”

Within the world of WWE, Virgil was properly generally known as the private bodyguard and assistant of “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase.

In latest years he had been coping with critical well being points, together with a number of strokes and a dementia prognosis.

The information of his loss of life was confirmed with an announcement on his Instagram account.

“This is to confirm the sad news about our beloved Meatsauce God and Wrestling Superstar Virgil/Michael Jones has passed away,” the assertion learn. “There is so much to say here and would love to share stories but for now it’s a rough day as our friend is gone. We would only ask at this time to remember him as the man that he was. Wishing him all the unlimited pasta in heaven. We love you Mike.”

Jones was born on 13 June 1962, in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. He made his wrestling debut in 1985 underneath the identify Soul Train Jones, primarily working for the Continental Wrestling Association in Tennessee.

He joined WWE in 1986, first wrestling underneath the identify Lucius Brown earlier than being rebranded as Virgil, Ted DiBiase’s assistant, in the summertime of 1987.

Virgil turned on DiBiase on the 1991 Royal Rumble, and the pair feuded all through that 12 months. Arguably the top of Virgil’s wrestling profession got here on the 1991 SummerSlam, the place he defeated DiBiase to win the Million Dollar Championship.

Jones left WWE in 1994 and spent two years on the unbiased scene earlier than becoming a member of WCW in 1996. He retired from wrestling 4 years later, apart from occasional appearances. In 2010, he briefly returned to WWE as Virgil to tackle the function of Ted DiBiase Jr.’s bodyguard.

His remaining appearances in wrestling had been at AEW in 2019 and 2020, the place he returned to showing underneath his authentic identify, Soul Train Jones.