On the most recent episode of the “Everybody’s Got A Pod” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase shared his reflections on the passing of Virgil. DiBiase and Virgil had collaborated during their time in the WWE and later in WCW as part of the NWO storyline.
Expressing his sadness, DiBiase, whose real name is Mike Jones, recounted their initial meeting at the WWE office when the Million Dollar Man persona was taking shape. DiBiase praised Virgil, known as Mike Jones outside the ring, for maintaining an impressive physique and highlighted his role as the bodyguard during their WWE days. He reminisced about their on-screen dynamic, where Virgil would step in when DiBiase’s trash-talking escalated. They even had a storyline where Virgil, tired of DiBiase’s antics, rebelled, leading to a match between the two.
DiBiase spoke warmly of Virgil as a person, commending his discipline in maintaining his physical condition. However, he acknowledged that Virgil lacked the wrestling savvy needed for an extended run. Despite the challenges, DiBiase maintained a friendship with Virgil, often encountering him at Comic Cons and inviting him to join him if they were both booked at the same event.
However, DiBiase shared that he eventually distanced himself from Virgil due to inappropriate interactions the latter had with fans. Reflecting on this decision, DiBiase noted that Virgil seemed to conceal his struggles and admitted that he was unaware of the details of Virgil’s living situation. The wrestling legend expressed his bewilderment at the tragic turn of events and underscored the sorrowful nature of Virgil’s story.
In the transition to WCW, DiBiase played a role in getting Virgil involved by securing him a booking. He explained that during this period, many wrestlers were joining WCW, prompting the need for security. DiBiase saw Virgil as the perfect fit, given their history together, and arranged for him to join WCW.
The narrative painted by DiBiase offers a glimpse into the complexities of Virgil’s life, blending professional camaraderie with personal challenges, leaving a lasting impact on both the wrestling world and those who knew him behind the scenes.
“I was really sad to hear that,” DiBiase said. “Mike Jones is Virgil’s real name or was Virgil’s real name. We met in the WWE office when this whole thing with the Million Dollar Man started. Back then, Mike had this tremendous body and kept himself in shape and eventually that was his role. He was the bodyguard. I would run my mouth and if somebody wanted to say something, I would back up and say, ‘Virgil, take over.’ We did a thing where basically as Virgil, he gets tired of my crap and says, ‘I’m not doing it anymore.’ We ended up having a match. Mike was a great guy, a nice guy. To keep your body in that kind of shape takes a lot of discipline and he was very good at that. He was much better at doing that than I obviously was in terms of keeping his body in great shape. I just wish that he had more wrestling savvy. I don’t know how to put it any other way because if he could have really wrestled, we could have had a good run, but basically it was on and it was over pretty quick. Good ol Virgil. He didn’t have the charisma. It was probably over before it really started, but we continued to be friends.”
“I would see him at some of the Comic Cons from time to time. I said, ‘If you get booked on any of the Comic Cons and we end up there together, then please come and sit with me.’ I did that much, but the reason that I stopped doing it was things that Virgil had said to some fans that just wasn’t right. I’m looking back at it from where I am now. He never would say that to me, but he didn’t want anyone to know that he was struggling. Later, I did find out. I can’t remember the guy’s name that was his caretaker, but he was seeing to it that he was taken care of a little bit better. I just don’t know. It’s mind-boggling to me because I don’t know who he was living with or how he was living, but I know that it was not good. It’s just a sad story.”
“When I went to WCW, that’s one of the things I did. They had all these people coming over. It was kind of like the wrestlers were taking over. If you’re taking over, then obviously you need security and I said, ‘What better security could I have than the guy who was my security for all those years’, so I got Virgil booked with WCW.”
