Former WWE Star Virgil (Michael Jones) Reportedly Dies Peacefully At Age 61

Former WWE star Michael Jones, known to fans as Virgil, has reportedly died at the age of 61. Wrestling referee Mark Charles III, known as THe Count, announced news of Jones’ death in a Facebook post.

“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,” the post reads. “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’ health had deteriorated over the years. In 2022, he suffered two strokes and was diagnosed with dementia. Earlier in the year, Jones had announced he’d been diagnosed with stage II colon cancer. Late last year, Jones set up a GoFundMe, seeking aid for minor expenses.

Born on June 13, 1962, in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, Jones debuted in wrestling in 1985 under the name Soul Train Jones, primarily working for Jerry Jarrett’s Continental Wrestling Association in Tennessee. He would join WWE in 1986, first working under the name Lucius Brown, before being repackaged as Virgil, Ted Dibiase’s manservant, in the summer of 1987. The repackaging would launch Jones’ career and also begin the trend of him being named after other figures in wrestling, with him taking the Virgil moniker as a rib towards Dusty Rhodes, whose real name was Virgil Runnels.

Jones would serve as Dibiase’s servant for nearly four years before turning on him following a tag match against Dusty and Dustin Rhodes at the 1991 Royal Rumble. The duo would have a lengthy feud throughout the rest of 1991, with Jones arguably achieving his pinnacle at the 1991 SummerSlam, where he defeated Dibiase to win the Million Dollar Championship. Following the end of the feud, Jones was relegated down the card, and eventually left WWE in 1994, though he briefly worked live events for the promotion again in 1995.

After two years on the independent scene, Jones re-emerged in the national spotlight when he joined WCW in 1996 as a member of the nWo, reuniting with Dibiase and serving as the group’s bodyguard. Taking the name Vincent, a shot at WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, Jones generally served the role of the nWo’s jobber until the group’s initial incarnation dissolved in 1999. From there, Jones would have run with the West Texas Rednecks as Curly Bill, the bodyguard for Creative Control as Shane, a knock at Shane McMahon, and bodyguard for Ernest “The Cat” Miller as Mr. Jones, before departing WCW in late 2000.

Jones retired from wrestling after his WCW departure, though he continued to make occasional independent appearances, and even briefly returned to WWE as Virgil in 2010 to serve as Ted Dibiase Jr.’s bodyguard. In his later years, Jones became best known for his colorful personality on the convention circuit, leading to him being the subject of several memes. Jones’ last notable appearances in wrestling came for AEW in 2019 and 2020 under his original name, Soul Train Jones, where he aligned with Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle stable.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE NXT Preview 2/27/2024

Here is the lineup for tonight’s episode of WWE NXT in Orlando, Florida at the Performance Center on the USA Network: 

  • NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov & Carmelo Hayes face-to-face
  • Heritage Cup Championship: Noam Dar (C) vs. member of No Quarter Catch Crew (Drew Gulak, Damon Kemp, Charlie Dempsey, or Myles Borne)
  • Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Andre Chase & Duke Hudson
  • Von Wagner vs. Lexis King
  • Kiana James vs. Kelani Jordan
  • Dijak vs. Luca Crusifino
  • Ridge Holland speaks

TNA Looking To Make Big Changes To Weekly TV

Impact Wrestling recently brought back the TNA brand at the Hard to Kill pay-per-view, which was a successful move for the company. However, there have been changes in leadership, with Anthony Cicione now serving as TNA President following the departure of Scott D’Amore.

Dave Meltzer mentioned on Wrestling Observer Radio that TNA Wrestling is planning to do live weekly television for TNA Impact on AXS TV every Thursday and is considering various venue options, including Full Sail University.

The move is expected to take place in 2025, with a few live shows scheduled for later this year. Full Sail was previously the home of WWE NXT before they relocated during the pandemic.

Source: eWn

Ole Anderson, founding Member of The Four Horseman, Passed Away at Age 81

A founding member of The Four Horsemen and one of the biggest heels from the territory area of wrestling, Ole Anderson, has died. Ricky Morton shared the news of Anderson’s death via his Instagram account last night.

“Rest in Paradise, Ole Anderson,” Morton wrote. “You taught me so much in professional wrestling. You were tough as nails. You will be missed, my friend.”

During last night’s “WWE RAW,” Michael Cole acknowledged Anderson’s death on air before a graphic was shown. Anderson famously hated Vince McMahon (and vice versa) after he took over GCW in 1984.

Anderson, whose real name was Alan Robert Rogowski, was 81 years old. Following his wrestling career, Anderson worked as a booker for Georgia Championship Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions, notably beefing with Vince McMahon over the takeover of GCW in 1984. 

Eventually, Anderson would wind up as part of WCW’s executive team but kept to his word as far as McMahon goes, reportedly refusing to agree to participate in documentaries and WWE Hall of Fame presentations, still hanging on to the animosity stemming from McMahon’s territory takeover. 

Anderson’s spot as an original Horseman next to Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, and Arn Anderson, managed by J.J. Dillon, was ultimately ceded to Lex Luger in 1987. He was also part of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew, alongside his kayfabe brother Gene Anderson, replacing Lars Anderson (also not related) in the group upon his departure from the territory. In 2007, it was reported that Anderson had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis although there is no word as of yet as to an exact cause of death.

At the same time, WWE posted about Anderson’s death, as did AEW and NWA.

AEW and the wrestling world mourn the passing of the legendary Ole Anderson. Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fans.

Fellow Horsemen, Ric Flair said that he was “forever grateful for giving me the opportunity to become who I am today.” Veteran journalist Dave Melzter commented on the impact of Anderson on the pro wrestling industry.

Sorry to hear about the death of Ole Anderson. One of the major characters in pro wrestling of the 70s and 80s. Excellent talker and great heel.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE RAW Preview 2/26/2024

WWE Raw will air live tonight on the USA Network from the SAP Center in San Jose, California. 

  • Fallout From Elimination Chamber
  • Sami Zayn vs. Nakamura
  • Street Fight: New Day vs Imperium’s Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci

Ronda Rousey To Appear At WrestleCon Philadelphia

Ronda Rousey is scheduled to appear in Philadelphia during WrestleMania 40 weekend for WrestleCon. Fans can catch her at WrestleCon from April 4 – 7 for autograph signings.

She recently competed in a WWE match against Shayna Baszler at SummerSlam, which resulted in a loss.

Since then, Rousey had been doing independent wrestling events in late 2023.

Source: eWn

Jack Perry To Make In-Ring Return Soon

Jack Perry is on his way to Japan. CM Punk’s departure occurred after a physical altercation with Perry during All In, which almost caused a major disruption to the show. The match proceeded as planned.

Perry appeared in the NJPW Battle in the Valley event, where he targeted Shota Umino, marking his wrestling return.

The upcoming New Japan Cup tournament, organized by NJPW, is scheduled to start on March 6th and will feature a total of 28 wrestlers. Notable names such as Shota Umino, Kenta, and Taichi will participate in the tournament, which will end on March 20th.

Perry will also participate in the tournament, marking his promotional in-ring debut on the opening night. His first match since All In will be against Shota Umino.

Source: eWn

Reported Date For The Rock & Roman Reigns Vs. Seth Rollins & Cody Rhodes In WWE

To say that the road to WWE WrestleMania 40 has been eventful would be an understatement, as the proposed main event between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes has been confirmed, dropped, and re-assigned within a few weeks. Not only that, but The Rock has gotten involved and joined The Bloodline, while Seth Rollins has put his differences with the “American Nightmare” aside to fight the good fight for WWE. This story took another turn at Elimination Chamber in Perth when Rhodes challenged The Rock to a match, prompting Rollins to offer his support in the battle against the Bloodline. 

The idea of the Bloodline against Rhodes and Rollins is enough to get even the most casual WWE fired up, and it might be on the cards. According to Dave Meltzer on the latest edition of “Wrestling Observer Radio,” he’s heard that the match could headline night one of WrestleMania 40. While this is all speculation at this time, it would mean that both Rollins and Reigns would pull double duty over WrestleMania weekend, as they would both have to defend their respective championships on night two.

While Reigns vs. Rhodes has been officially confirmed for some time, Rollins is scheduled to defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 40. This follows McIntyre’s victory in the men’s Elimination Chamber match this past Saturday in Perth. The Rock and Reigns have yet to answer the callout made by the “American Nightmare” at Elimination Chamber, a topic of discussion that might crop up this Friday when the Bloodline makes an appearance on the March 1 edition of “SmackDown.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Report: Raquel Rodriguez Almost Missed Elimination Chamber 2024 Due To Medical Condition

Raquel Rodriguez returned to in-ring competition on “WWE Raw” last week to qualify for the women’s Elimination Chamber match. However, according to Dave Meltzer on the latest “Wrestling Observer Radio,” the former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion almost missed out on competing inside the steel structure in Perth, Australia. 

Rodriguez, who has been open about her battle with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, unfortunately, suffered a flare-up during the flight across to Australia which put her appearance in the match in doubt. That led to it becoming touch-and-go for her being able to work the premium live event, especially since she missed the practice match that the ladies did once they were all in the country. 

Fortunately, Rodriguez was able to compete on the night and she did end up being part of the match that was eventually won by Becky Lynch. Rodriguez went with a make-up-free look for that match, which was due to the flare-up she was dealing with. She took to social media to release a statement about that and admitted she was proud that she was able to go out and perform, revealing her face was the same color as her satin-pink pillow case at one point.

Rodriguez had previously shared an emotional video that recounted her journey with the condition to this point, showcasing the hives and swelling that she has been having to battle with during her time away from WWE. The “Raw” Superstar was open about the fact that her journey is still far from over, as this past weekend highlighted, but she revealed that she’s got a fantastic support system.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Read: All The Alleged Vince McMahon Text Messages In Janel Grant’s WWE Lawsuit – (WARNING Contains Graphic Details)

The following article contains graphic accounts of physical abuse and sexual assault, as well as sexually explicit language throughout.

WWE was rocked in January as Janel Grant filed a lawsuit against the company, Vince McMahon, and John Laurinaitis under allegations of gross sexual misconduct. The complaint detailed graphic accounts of McMahon and Laurinaitis partaking in systemic exploitation of Ms. Grant, with alleged texts reflecting McMahon objectifying and degrading her, sometimes even as a bargaining chip in negotiations. Wrestling Inc. has read through the entirety of Janel Grant’s complaint, and what follows is a collation of those alleged text messages from McMahon in a chronological timeline.  

In Exhibit 63 of the complaint, it’s alleged that on April 1, 2019 — before her eventual hiring by WWE — Grant texted McMahon about a meeting she had with an unnamed corporate officer earlier in the day, during which she remarked on his signature T-Rex skull on his office wall. McMahon is alleged to have responded, “[sic] btw if Ur a BAD girl the T-rex will eat U.” “Seriously Janel wherever U land in WWE U will be a credit to the organization.” 

In Exhibits 72-77, it’s recalled that Grant visited McMahon at his condo on May 5, 2019; during this time, he allegedly made several sexual advances despite Grant making clear she felt uncomfortable with his actions. She had tried to talk to him about the product’s ongoing storylines, to which he suggested she watch “WWE Raw” and text him before the show. When she agreed, McMahon is alleged to have forcibly kissed her and attempted to undress her, spurring Grant to make an abrupt exit.

Vince McMahon allegedly filled Janel Grant’s inbox after starting with WWE

Exhibit 78 describes a subsequent text exchange between Janel Grant and Vince McMahon on the day of “Raw” as per McMahon’s suggestion. The complaint says Grant was shocked when McMahon appeared on the show and texted back in the middle of the live broadcast, noting that it was a nice message to receive.

The company hired Janel Grant in June 2019, and by this stage, it’s detailed how Grant engaged in sexual acts with McMahon under duress while her role was being finalized. She alleges that she attempted to break off their physical relationship after gaining employment, but McMahon insisted to the contrary and ignored her refusal to consent. 

In Exhibit 96, Grant said she was surprised that she hadn’t had much work assigned to her, especially in comparison to her colleagues, who had complained about having too much. Rather, she said her inbox was only filled with controlling and sexual text messages from McMahon. In Exhibit 106, it’s stated that by the summer of 2019, Grant’s life had been consumed by McMahon’s presence. Within the office, she said she felt under surveillance as his allies surrounded her. Outside of the office, McMahon’s interactions with her were mostly of a sexual nature. He is described to have reduced his communication with her outside of sexting and fantasy talk, and any non-sexual texts related to life and/or work were either ignored or given short responses. 

Sharing explicit content with a WWE referee

Exhibit 123 details Vince McMahon sending a message to Janel Grant, noting that he had been informed by a corporate officer that rumors were circulating about them on February 3, 2020. He said these rumors weren’t good for either of them, and she was temporarily relocated to the XFL’s workforce. Grant attempted to switch to XFL permanently, seeking an exit from her position with WWE, but McMahon denied her request. In Exhibit 126, it’s alleged that McMahon started to share explicit images of Grant with people, despite imploring her to remain quiet on the matter previously.

In Exhibit 127, it’s noted that McMahon allegedly texted Grant on March 26, 2020, describing in detail the circumstances surrounding him sharing the explicit images with a former WWE referee. McMahon described how said referee left to masturbate and told Grant that she’s made him happy. Meanwhile, Exhibit 129 details messages from March 30, 2020, in which McMahon told her that the referee had shown an explicit image of her to their friend, marking the beginning of him allegedly sharing images without her consent and encouraging others to spread them around.

Vince McMahon shares a detailed fantasy

Janel Grant is later described as having expressed concerns over the sharing of images with people she did not know, especially as they were explicit and showed her face. She asked Vince McMahon to convey that she had no intention of engaging in sexual acts with these people. However, Exhibit 133 onward describes a harrowing tale of Grant being coerced into a threesome with an associate of McMahon’s, referred to as a physical therapist from Alternative Clinic. As shown in Exhibit 138, McMahon allegedly detailed his fantasies of seeing her engaged in sexual relations. 

“I LOVE it. That’s U Janel. U just can’t get enough can U? In the future it’s going to B so bad that you’ll demand to B fed twice a day and not just with [redacted] in a three way. Why not let others see the beautiful voluptuous body and watch U shake uncontrollably when U Cm. They’ll go out of their minds. Then I’ll find more friends and we’ll tie U up so Ur helpless. I’ll direct them to have their way any way they want! Who can make U [scream] the loudest!!! Maybe I’ll just line them up and have [them] squirt in Ur mouth, Ur py all over your ts and a all at the same time. You’ll B covered in cm and we’ll make U eat it all and taste everybody’s c*m. The next morning you’ll B a little sore but Ur still going to want more…”

These weren’t the only texts of this nature either. Afterward, it’s alleged that McMahon’s messages to Grant became even more sexually charged and highlighted similar fantasies of trafficking her among other WWE employees.

Texts that portray Janel Grant as subservient

Exhibit 142 describes Vince McMahon becoming more sadistic, with his fantasies focused on control and scenarios in which Janel Grant would be overwhelmed and subservient in group settings. 

“[Regarding] ur last picture. U need Ur panties ripped off and 3 BIG BLACK DS in ALL 3 holes at the same time!!! Way up ur py and way up ur a** as far as they will go but even farther. And the thickest ck goes down Ur throat so it makes U gag and convulse as those big black cks pound away it feels like from the start Ur being assaulted but it’s made U cm nonstop. Just one continuous orgasm and just before U pass out those big black dks squirt their loads of cm inside U! As U lay on ur stomach the c*m is coming out of all Ur holes, I’ll turn U over and jack off all over U.”

In Exhibit 143, it’s alleged that on one occasion, McMahon instructed Grant not to knock on his door, saying that he’d rape her in the hallway if he saw her. Exhibit 144 then details how McMahon is alleged to have texted about owning and controlling her, continuing to be sexually depraved in his messages. According to Exhibit 145, he ignored her when she mentioned her work anniversary with WWE. The next message detailed in the complaint reflects McMahon’s alleged bragging over the sharing of explicit imagery of Grant with other men, noting that they all wanted to engage in sexual relations with her.

A fantasy involving WWE’s tech crew

The complaint also notes that Vince McMahon openly shared explicit images and salacious stories about Janel Grant with WWE crew members at TV tapings. McMahon allegedly referred to this group as her “fan club,” and sent her a text in which he admitted to showing her photos to the staffers, before highlighting his fantasy to traffic Grant to each of them.

“I just passed my phone around to a bunch of guys on the tech crew. They were screaming!! ‘OMG’. ‘She’s fing beautiful’. ‘Look at that a‘. ‘I’d like to get that’. I paused to count out loud how many guys there were, 12. I then said ‘OK there’s 12 of U and she would love to f each and every one of U at one time’, (the guys cheered), ‘But she will only do it if she takes 3 at the time!’ (that brought a huge reaction) ‘She wants one deep in her a, one way down her throat and one in her p*y and U can pound her and keep on pounding her till U pop Ur load. She may scream and say NO!! Although it would B difficult to say anything with a ck down her throat,’ (they laughed), I then said ‘listen no matter what just pound away until U squirt!'”

The rest of the text details how McMahon told Grant that the crew was driven wild by his stories of her sexual abilities, coupled with his fantasy to share her with them in a group scenario. He concluded by telling her to imagine the fantasy actually happening.

Trafficking Janel Grant to John Laurinaitis and others

John Laurinaitis is named in the complaint within Exhibit 152 as another third party with whom Vince McMahon is alleged to have forced Janel Grant to enter into a sexual relationship. McMahon is alleged to have facilitated explicit image exchanges between them, including telling Grant when to create them, what to say, and providing her notes to adjust her performance. Following a three-way encounter involving McMahon, Laurinaitis, and Grant, McMahon allegedly texted her that Laurinaitis had hugged him like a bear and thanked him a dozen times for setting up the encounter. On February 5, 2021, as described in Exhibit 158, McMahon wanted Grant to establish a schedule for when other men could engage in relations with her.

“[Redacted] called me this afternoon begging to eat U and f* U with his nice (hard) dk,” to which Janel Grant is shown to reply, “Give me another week baby and I’ll be ready. I’m feeling more like myself. It’s not great but it’s getting better. Tell him soon!!!!.” To this, McMahon replied, “I already told him baby. [By the way, John Laurinaitis] wants Tuesdays but not this coming one and the occasional Saturday but maybe I can shift it to Thursday nights?? ([Laurinaitis] would like ALL of the above).”

Exhibit 168 continues to describe McMahon’s reinforcement that Grant was expected to sexually perform for him and Laurinaitis. On March 22, he wrote, “Do U promise to make me proud Baby? Will U show him what a prno star u can be? Will U show off for me like never before????,” and, “On days when he’s in town, I want him to f** U every morning and later in the office too.”

Telling Janel Grant to obey John Laurinaitis

Per Exhibit 169, Vince McMahon indicated on April 2, 2021, that Janel Grant should obey if John Laurinaitis wanted to bring in more men during their sexual encounters. Furthermore, McMahon suggested that she try out other men with Laurinaitis before introducing them to him, believing it would make them feel more comfortable.

The complaint continues to describe the trauma that Grant had endured at the hands of McMahon and Laurinaitis, as well as executives who enabled and ignored the malpractice. Exhibit 179 displays another alleged message from McMahon to Grant, “Those compliments will keep on coming baby. Just wait and see. I totally understand and agree [regarding] being scared of communication and photos. [Laurinaitis] gets drunk and sloppy and could easily make a mistake that could cost him his job and Urs too. Verbal communication is the way to go. That said, have U and [Laurinaitis] talked about breakfast tomorrow?”

The rest of the text details Grant’s response to McMahon, revealing that she hadn’t scheduled a meeting with John Laurinaitis as he complained about a new phone. She then noted that she wanted reassurance that he’d erased everything, and told McMahon that it wasn’t worth the stress she’d been feeling regarding her and Laurinaitis’ communications.

Janel Grant’s Involvement in Negotiations with a WWE Superstar

After further horrific accounts of Vince McMahon violently sexually assaulting Janel Grant, coupled with continued attempts to solicit her to his associates, Exhibit 196 describes him texting a reminder that she was his slave. The next Exhibit alleges that McMahon continued to advertise a sexual encounter between Grant and a WWE Superstar in active negotiations with the company at the time, writing, “Here’s what [Redacted] said after I told him that part of the deal was f*ing U, ‘Lol, that’s your turf!! She will be ruined after me and leave your a! Plus after me your tool won’t fit anymore!!'”

Brock Lesnar was identified as the WWE Superstar described in the lawsuit. It’s alleged that McMahon ordered Grant to create personalized sexual content for the former UFC fighter, and a rendezvous had even been scheduled. However, plans fell through after Grant made excuses to back out. In 2022, McMahon was alleged to have abruptly distanced himself from Grant due to his wife, Linda McMahon, discovering their relationship and threatening him with a public divorce. Thus, McMahon allegedly pushed a non-disclosure agreement with Grant as the best way forward for all involved. 

On January 24, 2022, while talks of an NDA were ongoing, McMahon allegedly continued to engage in sexual text message exchanges with Grant, as described in Exhibit 213, including encouraging her to send an explicit image to the WWE Superstar and requesting that she send him the content she had sent to him. 

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Source: Wrestling Inc.