Virgil (wrestler) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Virgil |
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Virgil in 2013
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| Birth name | Michael Jones |
| Born | June 13, 1962 Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | February 28, 2024 (aged 61) |
| Alma mater | Virginia Union University |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Curly Bill Lucius Brown Mr. Jones Mike Jones Shane Soul Train Jones Vincent Vince Virgil |
| Billed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Billed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Billed from | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Palm Beach, Florida |
| Trained by | Afa Anoa'i |
| Debut | 1985 |
| Retired | 2019 |
Michael Jones (June 13, 1962 – February 28, 2024), better known by his ring name Virgil, was an American professional wrestler and actor. He was best known for his eight-year tenure in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), primarily as Ted DiBiase's personal assistant.
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Early life
Michael Jones was born on June 13, 1962, in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, to Warren Jones Sr. and Elizabeth Jones. He had two older brothers, Warren Jr. and Donald, and a sister.
He attended Virginia Union University, and played as a defensive back for the college football team. He also wrestled as amateur.
Jones later worked at his Uncle’s loading and moving company and began entering bodybuilding competitions. After a chance meeting with Tony Atlas in a Pittsburgh gym; Atlas recommended Jones to Pro Wrestling in 1985. In the same year, he began training with Afa of the Wild Samoans.
Professional wrestling career
Jones started wrestling professionally as Soul Train Jones in the Championship Wrestling Association based in Memphis, Tennessee in 1985. On January 4, 1987, he defeated Big Bubba for the AWA International Heavyweight Championship.
After moving to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), he first appeared wrestling under the name Lucius Brown in 1986. His first WWF match was losing to "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff in Salisbury, Maryland on September 17, 1986.
Virgil played a significant secondary role in the WWF main event storylines throughout 1988; including some of the biggest moments in WWF History; assisting Ted DiBiase and Andre The Giant during the infamous televised “Main Event” special on NBC where Hulk Hogan lost the World Heavyweight Championship after nearly 5 years as the champion, at the ensuing Wrestlemania IV tournament, and in the main event of the inaugural Summerslam. At Summerslam 1988, Virgil was in the corner of Andre The Giant and Ted DiBiase as the Mega Bucks against Hulk Hogan, champion Randy Savage, and Miss Elizabeth as the Mega Powers.
In his four-year tenure in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Virgil wrestled with the ring names Vincent, Curly Bill, Shane and Mr. Jones; where he primarily was a member of the nWo. Since retirement Jones had continued to be a part of pop culture where he became relevant on social media as the subject of viral memes.
Career after Wrestling
Jones has a degree in mathematics from the University of Virginia and became a high school math teacher in Pittsburgh after retiring from full time in ring competition in 2000.
Post-fame, Jones has been attending fan conventions and has been seen at subway stations selling autographs. As a result, since 2012, there have been "Lonely Virgil" memes created where fans posted pictures of him at conventions with nobody lining up. Lonely Virgil was originally created by Sam Roberts of the Opie and Anthony radio show.
In 2014, Jones appeared in the Jason Michael Brescia film, Bridge and Tunnel as Kony, a neighborhood barfly. Jones was cast in the film after he met actor-producer Joe Murphy while selling autographs at Grand Central Station. In 2017, he reprised the role in Brescia's follow-up film, (Romance) in the Digital Age.
In 2015, a documentary featuring Jones was released entitled The Legend of Virgil & His Traveling Merchandise Table, which discusses his wrestling career and the recent upsurge of social media discussions surrounding him.
In 2016, he appeared on The Edge and Christian Show on the WWE Network.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Bridge and Tunnel | Kony | |
| 2015 | The Legend of Virgil & His Traveling Merchandise Table | Himself | Documentary |
| 2017 | (Romance) in the Digital Age | Kony | |
| Sweet Daddy Siki | Himself | Documentary |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends | Himself | Episode: "Wrestling" |
| 2004 | Penn & Teller: ...! | Episode: "12-Stepping" | |
| 2015 | The Special Without Brett Davis | 1 episode | |
| The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore | 2 episodes | ||
| 2016 | The Edge and Christian Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness | 2 episodes |
Personal life
Since 2018, he had resided in Marianna, Pennsylvania.
On April 16, 2022, Jones revealed that he had previously suffered two strokes and had been diagnosed with dementia. A month later, he claimed to have been diagnosed with stage two colon cancer.
Virgil died on February 28, 2024. He was 61.
Championships and accomplishments
- American Wrestling Association
- AWA International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rocky Johnson
- New Jack City Wrestling
- NJCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 74 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1992
- Ranked No. 483 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI Years in 2003
- United States Wrestling League
- USWL Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
- World Wrestling Federation
- Million Dollar Championship (1 time)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Gimmick (1996) – nWo
- Feud of the Year (1996) New World Order vs. World Championship Wrestling
See also
In Spanish: Virgil (luchador) para niños
