Pro wrestling legend, Michael Jones, who was greatest often known as “Virgil” in WWE and “Vincent” in WCW through the Eighties and ’90s, has handed away on the age of 61.
The information was first introduced by Jones good friend and wrestling referee, Mark “The Count” Charles III, who wrote:
“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!”
Jones was a profitable beginner wrestler earlier than making his professional debut as “Soul Train” Jones in 1985. He signed with WWE (then WWF) in 1987 and rapidly turned a staple of our tv screens portraying the character of “Virgil” — the long-suffering assistant and bodyguard to the “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. That iconic function noticed him and DiBiase assist Andre “The Giant” to win the world championship from Hulk Hogan in 1988, when “The Million Dollar Man” paid off the referee’s twin brother to screw “The Hulkster” out of his title. That match drew an unimaginable 33 million tv viewers and Jones was additional immortalized on basic video arcade video games comparable to “WWF Superstars” in 1989. In 1991, Virgil lastly turned towards DiBiase and have become a fan favourite, defeating his former boss at SummerSlam 1991 and profitable the coveted “Million Dollar Championship” within the course of.
Jones was additionally part of the well-known professional wrestling “Monday Night Wars”, signing with WCW in 1996 because the “Head of Security” for the red-hot NWO faction. He was renamed to “Vincent” nonetheless, in a transfer by WCW that was mentioned to mock WWE’s then proprietor, Vince McMahon. While Jones left WCW within the yr 2000, he was a mainstay at fan conventions and autograph signings, and built-up a following on Twitter/X , for his humour and infrequently controversial remarks, referring to himself in jest as “The Meatsauce God.”
It is known that in recent times, Jones had been struggling with various severe well being points together with battling a number of strokes, and being recognized with each dementia and colon most cancers.
An array of stars from the worlds of showbiz and professional wrestling have paid tribute to Jones together with 80s icon, “The Honky Tonk Man,” who took to X to pay his respects. “Condolences go out to the family of Virgil,” he wrote. “Such a great guy. A real gentleman. Will miss you my friend!” Rest in Peace Michael Jones 1982 – 2024.