Virgil, the WWE legend best known as being Ted DiBiase's right-hand man, has died at the age of 61. Virgil, whose legal name was Michael Jones, had suffered from a series of medical issues in previous years. However, his death will still come as a shock to many of his fans.
Virgil debuted in 1985 and soon became a part of Ted DiBiase's "Million Dollar Man" persona after moving to the WWE. During the height of the WWE's soap opera-esque writing, Virgil was DiBiase's money man and enforcer. However, in one of the biggest twists of that era of WWE, Virgil would betray DiBiase at Royal Rumble 1991 and would later beat DiBiase, with the help of Rowdy Roddy Piper, at Wrestlemania VII. Virgil would retire in 2000 but made appearances across various promotions between 2006 and 2019.
Virgil Joins List Of Recent WWE Deaths
However, Virgil is just the latest WWE icon to pass away. In June 2023, The Iron Sheik was announced to have passed away at the age of 81. Sheik was called "a true legend, a force of nature, and an iconic figure who left an incredible mark on the world of professional wrestling." Born in Iran, The Sheik began his career as an Olympic wrestler and coach, moving to the United States around 1970. He first joined the WWE, then the WWF, in 1978 and even got a shot at the title against Bob Backlund. However, Sheik left the promotion in 1980. After fighting in a number of southern regional promotions, Sheik rejoined the WWF in 1983 and briefly became the WWF champion after forcing a submission from Backlund. However, The Sheik would only reign for 28 days before losing to Hulk Hogan.
Transitioning to tag-team fights later in the decade, Sheik won the first-ever tag-team belt at the inaugural WrestleMania in 1985. However, Sheik would leave the promotion in 1987 after being arrested and breaking kayfabe. The Sheik was arrested for being under the influence of cocaine. However, more pressingly for wrestling fans, he had been arrested alongside his on-screen rival, Hacksaw Jim Duggan. He briefly returned to the WWF in 1988 but left later that same year. Sheik would have one final stint with the WWF in 1991/92.
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