He was Hulk Hogan’s “head of security” and had a legendary role in WWE: Mike Jones, alias Virgil, was recently seriously ill and in need of money, now he has died at the age of 61.
For Hulk Hogan he played the “head of security” of the legendary New World Order, for the “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase the servant and enforcer – who finally rose up against his lord and master to the cheers of the fans.
Michael “Soultrain” Jones, alias Virgil, is not remembered by WWE and WCW fans of the 1980s and 1990s as a top star, but as an incisive supporting character who crossed paths with many icons – and as a plaything for insider gags by league bosses at the expense of the respective competitor.
Now the former crowd favorite, who had serious health problems in recent years, has passed away at the age of 61. Jones had revealed in 2022 that he had been diagnosed with two initially undetected “massive strokes” and the onset of dementia – and that he would also have been in a dramatic financial situation.
Most famous WWE role had delicate undertone
Jones had gained international notoriety beginning in 1987 when the then-WWF cast him as the sidekick and valet to DiBiase, who had been introduced in the role as a stone-faced arch-villain at the time.
The name Virgil was a dig at legend Dusty Rhodes, then creatively in charge of competitor Jim Crockett Promotions (later WCW) – Virgil Riley Runnels was his real name. The fact that the Million Dollar Man character was considered the alter ego of WWE boss Vince McMahon made the message McMahon wanted to convey clear
WWE never explicitly addressed the often criticized political undertone that the portrayal of a black serf for a rich white man brought with it. Jones himself had repeatedly rejected the criticism as unfounded – in 2017, he himself attracted negative attention with an indisputable Twitter comment against WWE star Jinder Mahal, who is of Indian descent (“He just served me a slushie at 711”).
WWE career petered out after the biggest year of 1991
The biggest story in Virgil’s career came in 1991 when, encouraged by “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, he turned on DiBiase and became a crowd favorite. A great feud followed with matches at WrestleMania and SummerSlam, with Virgil winning the iconic “Million Dollar Belt” introduced by DiBiase himself.
After that, Virgil’s WWE career fizzled out and his appearances for WCW from 1996 onwards were mostly more of a running gag than a serious character. The most famous highlights of this period were his ongoing name changes, which followed on from the Virgil side-kick.
WCW boss Eric Bischoff initially dubbed Jones “Vincent” in response, later he was called “Shane” in reference to McMahon’s son and finally “Curly Bill” – when he joined the southern cowboy group West Texas Rednecks around Curt Hennig as a further punchline.
“Lonely Virgil” became a meme
After his full-time career ended, Jones became a math teacher in Pittsburgh and stayed involved with wrestling through guest appearances in WWE and minor leagues – which were not always without irritation: Companion DiBiase complained in an interview with ESPN a few years ago that Jones had given local promoters false promises of joint appearances with him on several occasions – which he himself never knew about.
Jones also gained rather curious post-fame through a famous photo among fans showing him at a then unattended autograph session with the banner “Virgil – Wrestling Superstar.”
How it started.
How it’s going.@wrestlecon pic.twitter.com/ARJTYij7YX
– Brian Zane (@zmanbrianzane) April 1, 2022
The “Lonely Virgil Meme” became a tragicomic symbol of a forgotten star trying to live off the remnants of his old fame. Now the sight has become even sadder
