Ep. 383: TLF's Tribute to Virgil (Part 2)

We continue on the verge the laps fans hold, sorry the hell? Oh
no, okay, go ahead, we continue on the verge the lapsed fans.
One of a kind tribute to Mike, Virgil Jones boss, and we
reconvened with everybody that we could find that could recollect the bachelor party we did
twenty twelve or Virgil walk through those doors. What a blast to catch up
with those guys and see it through their eyes. Oh totally. I mean
that's that's kind of it, like the to see it through you know,
because I mean we've I've talked about it with them, but to actually watch
it and revisit it, I can also have. Really, I'll tell you
what the most surprising thing is is because you know how oftentimes your memory will
make things come across as more inaccurate. It's like, you know, you
remember things a certain way. Yes, everything that happened is exactly how I
remembered it. Wow, which is wild. And I was so surprised about
the little nuances I forgot, most importantly that Virgil was the one who wanted
to go out to eat afterwards, and we were actually not intending to do
that. I always tied it up in my mind with the idea that he
was haunting us for meat sauce the whole night at the cigar bar. And
so we just acquiesced afterwards. But it was really a thing where we were
ready to split and he wasn't. Yeah, he was not. He's like,
I mean food and yours for brilliantly. That's the most Virgil thing possible.
Yes, And so as we ended our recollection of that memorable night on
a poetic note, now it's time to grapple, if you will, with
the n ring career of Virgil and what it was he did on WWF television
that would have caused us to want to pay him to come to a bachelor
party all those years later. Yeah, I'm sure by the time this one's
over, people are going to get it right. Yeah. So absolutely,
it's about a lot of things. But we have to figure out where the
man came from. First. We have we have to establish how Michael Jones
became Virgil and who Michael Jones was. And do you think that would be
an easy task for a carneie like this guy. Oh no, no,
it's not. It's a fucking it's a fucking hassle. A Yeah, enlisted
you on this one, which was great because you were able to find quite
a bit yourself. Yeah, in terms of trying to track down anything genealogical,
anything you know, in terms of like the places he's been. And
as a lot of people may have seen upon and we've mentioned it, Virgil's
passing just a couple of days ago. A few days ago, there was
reporting out through his management team confirming that the birth date everybody had had for
Virgil all these years was was inaccurate, that in fact he wasn't born in
sixty one or sixty two, but in fact was born, according to his
management team, in nineteen fifty one. And now we went through, as
you heard on part one, the emails that we exchanged with Virgil to get
him to come to the bachelor party. And of course, when you book
a flight ticket for somebody, you need their date of birth, right,
Oh my fucking Christ. And he gave us the nineteen sixty one day of
birth. So say what you will, whether that's a cafe birthdate or not,
it was enough for him to confidently have us book an airline ticket for
them. That says a lot about the security around taking the date of birth
in the first place. I don't even know why they bother. But I'm
here to tell you as we look back on the life and times of not
only Virgil but Mike Jones, I'm here to tell you, yes, that
there's reason to believe that Virgil got paper on two different birthdays. That it's
not just that he lied to people throughout the course of his life, but
that he actually had reason to change the year of his birth because well,
if you knew his real birth date, you might be able to connect why
all of a sudden, what seemed to be a very, very promising football
career disappeared into thin air, and why Virgil an interview after interview over the
course of his life, particularly in the latter stages of his life when he
was a hot interview. Yet for wrestling geeks, sure, Sam Roberts,
across the spectrum of wrestling websites, he never told even a shoot interview he
did with our video, which, of course, those are always predicated on,
like tell us where you grew up, tell us when you first saw
pro wrestling, tell us what your parents were like? Yeah, a blank
slate. Nobody really knows what the hell Virgil did growing up. He write
what endeavors he sought to pursue before taking on pro wrestling. It's clear from
his ar video shoot interview that he did not set out to be a pro
wrestler for his whole life, that he was only vaguely familiar with it.
Feinstein asks him, like, who are your favorites, and he says Sam
Artino because he's from Pittsburgh. But you can tell he didn't watch wrestling.
He barely cared about it. He makes passing reference to getting involved with a
boxing promoter early in his athletic career and apparently training to box, if not
having some boxing matches, and it was that promoter recorded in virgil Or video
that put him in touch with the Wild Siamoans saying hey, you know what,
you could be a pro wrestler too, that that might work for you,
mm hmm, and Virgil realizing he had quite the physique, and I'd
imagine that boxing background is what led to them putting the boxing trunks on him.
When he turned babyface right, got with the Wild Samoans and trained there
and was, according to Virgil at least a well liked pupil of Afa and
Cicca, and went on in the business with their tutelage at his back.
Mm hmm, but we don't know anything about his upbringing. We talked about
how I mentioned rather in Part one about how I had this sense that he
came from a military family, and a rather strict military family. But as
I was going through his interviews and stuff in preparation for this, I couldn't
really find much string to pull there, and I was like, Wow,
where do I get this idea that he's from a military family. And then
we go back and listen to the audio of what he told us all at
the bachelor party, and he mentioned, right, that was a Navy seal,
right, which probably means he was an Air Force general or something which
didn't exist at the time. Let's not get into that. But yeah,
everybody's dad was a Navy seal, I'll don't you get right down to it
too, and mine too. And he was in the reserve. It was
the reserves, right, so whatever, And I'm sure he was. He
was a decorated gentleman. Now, I don't know what kind of records you
have at your fingertips, boss, but you were able to discern who you
basically think his father was, right, Yes, more or less, let
me bring up the the family tree I was creating. So we're working on
understanding, and it comes from I based it off of you know, you
know, I used the the uh, the Watchman call it the uh.
It's fine. No one cares Wikipedia as as kind of a reference point,
just to kind of see if there was if there was there, and and
so I was like, okay, I used the names, and a lot
of it was kind of it was kind of, you know, a little
a lot of guesswork, because there's not real there's not a lot out there,
and he has the most common name on the planet Earth. I know,
seriously, Michael, Michael Jones, like, are you fucking kidding me?
But I was able to find and I used the idea that you know
what you said about him being potentially in the navy, and I found a
Warren Wilbert Jones senior. And I knew he was a senior too, again
based on the Wikipedia, because there was a Warren junior and he was in
the military, and so I kind of figured out that and who this this
this Warren Wilbert Jones. Again, I'm not one hundred percent sure, but
it's the best guest that I have is was born June thirtieth, nineteen sixteen,
died September seventeenth, nineteen ninety two, which kind of fits the timeline
too. Yeah, you know, it works. It works to have someone
who was born, you know, either in the fifties or the sixties.
So according to Virgil, he had a you know, rather strict upbringing.
We didn't get a lot of detail out of them about it, but yeah,
this was before well Wikipedia existed, you know, of course it existed,
but I don't know, it probably wasn't as robust. And I feel
like this this string that we pulled on in researching Virgil's background, that he
had attended Virginia Union, which had division to college and played football there.
Yes, that revelation, as far as I can tell, while it's in
his Wikipedia, only only came out in an interview that someone he was close
with did for for slam wrestling. I believe it was after his death,
So I don't think that's been sitting in his Wikipedia page for very long,
this reference to Virginia Union. Okay, and I'm thinking myself, why the
hell I'm googling this six ways from Sunday. I'm trying to find interviews that
he's done over the course of his life where he talks about how he got
into the business and what is his upbringing, was like, yeah, why
doesn't he ever mention what seemed to be a very promising football career totally,
Like, I mean, from what it looks like, I mean, I
don't know. I don't want to. Obviously I have stuff that I sent
you, but I don't know if you want to divulge that yet. I
don't want to break your rhythm. No, You're not gonna break my rhythm.
No, this is definitely queuing you up in a lot of ways because
you helped connect some pieces. So I'm like, you know what, Virginia
Union, what is this? Tell the folks what you found about Virgil's gridiron
exploits? Well, that's the thing he was. He was a pretty well
rounded athlete. I mean, I found his high school number one. I
found out that he went to Wilkinsburg High School in Wilkeinsburg, Pennsylvania's it's just
outside of same same county as Pittsburgh. And you know in his yearbook,
Like I found a fucking year book. Oh yeah, and it's him.
You can tell by his face yeah, you can tell. I mean he's
got it's the same, yeah, the same droopy eyes, he's got the
same nose and you know, same head shape and everything. And he played
basketball and football at at at Wilkinsburg High School and he and then he went
to this this this college and it's I'll tell you something, there is something
fishy about the college thing because he's he's not really in the yearbook. He's
in a little bit, but like it's not I had to really hunt to
find him in the yearbook based on the years he would have been there when
he was supposedly playing football. Because he's in the thing is in the same
yearbook that he's playing football. He's not given a headshot like everybody else in
the whole fucking school is given a headshot. And it's very weird. I
did eventually find him in one. I'm trying to see which yearbook it is.
Oh yeah, and again this is high school, No, this is
college. Now is now Virginia Union. Virginia Union is where to me it
starts to get the little fishy in that he in that he's featured in athletic
team pictures, but he's not featured as a student very interesting. Virginia Union,
a historically black college Baptist university in Richmond, Virginia, which which kind
of aligns and tracks with with with kind of like his background, strict disciplinarian.
You know, this is like a this is a pretty high level,
pretty high level school. Yeah, totally with with with quite a heritage behind
it. Yeah. You know, even if you look at the yearbook,
you get the sense it's a very buttoned up kind of place. Yeah,
yeah, totally totally, not one that would necessarily tolerate a carnee in their
midst even if you could play football very well. So, yeah, you're
looking through this and I'm seeing these images of Yeah, that's Michael Jones,
for sure, that's Virgil. You can't you can't doubt the yearbook pictures.
So okay, why is it such a damn mystery? Then? Like,
why doesn'tnybody know this about this guy? Here? It is, it's out
there, it's why in the open. And then you're you're looking at some
of there's some newspaper coverage of some of his exploits on the football field where
he showed a lot of promise. Yep, oh, I think there's an
interception where you want to game or something like that. He was a defensive
back. I believe cornerback. I believe cornerback. Yep, it's back.
Maybe both, maybe both perhaps, And then you know, as you go,
I'm like, whoa, you pulled an article from I think the Kansas
City Star. Yes, And this is where it really got weird, because
read this article about Michael Jones and how far he got towards a potential career
in the NFL, and yet we haven't heard anything about it. They were
talking big time. Can you read that for the Solar system? Please right
here, somebody pinched Mike Jones and tell him it's all for real, that
he is actually standing in a huddle. Oh. I was gonna say,
it sounds like it's about his wrestling career. No, it's not for real.
Tell him it's all for fake. With Emmitt Thomas, Jim Marsalis,
Willie Lanier, and Buck Buchanan. Pretty heavy stuff for a rookie safety,
isn't it, Especially for a free agent from Virginia Union, who only two
months ago was notified to report to training camp with the Chiefs. Last Saturday
afternoon in Liberty, Jones proved he can step in a step in fast company.
When he emerged as a star of the Chief's first scrimmage, Jones swept
in for a couple of tackles on sweeps. Once breaking through a cordon of
interference, he climacs the scrimmage by picking off an interception. The Chiefs coach
liked the way Jones plays the game, they consider him a prospect despite a
lack of speed desired for defensive backs. Jones was clocked by most scouts in
college at four point eight or four point nine and was passed up for consideration
as a free agent. It's my start, Jones explained yesterday. I really
moved faster on the field that my time shows. Jones makes up for a
lack of top speed by hustling and concentrating on his assignments. I want my
techniques and how to play my position. I try to put a hundred and
twenty percent into each play. One hundred percent is not enough. Jones said
he had wanted to play pro football ever since taking up the game as a
Pop Warner League player in Pittsburgh. But when I didn't, but when I
didn't get drafted and didn't get any free agent offers, I decided to put
thoughts of pro football aside and spend my time working for a degree. I
knew then that no matter what happened, I would have my education. He
said, I don't know which. I don't know which Virgil you're doing.
No, I know I'm slipping into the other. I'm slipping into you two
of the other version. He wasn't a Southern man, let's you know.
But he did happen, But I don't know. He did sound like it
though, he be aw cb a c what are you Hermione Granger and fucking
with the tongue between the teeth on the sea. Yeah. When I got
my diploma, I thought about pro football again. I contacted the Chiefs.
That was the only club, I wrote. I had always liked the chief
I'd followed them on television. And another thing, Willie Laniel was here,
and he was originally from Virginia. Jones attended Wilkinsburg High in Pittsburgh and was
a tailback and defensive back, but at five nine, one fifty eight,
he didn't attract much attention from college recruiters. The University of Pittsburgh glanced his
way but decided his size wasn't major college caliber, so Jones considered the other
offers from the likes of Field, Bethany of West Virginia, Shippensburg State,
West Virginia State, and Virginia Union, the non headline schools that make the
Others section in the Sunday Scoreboard during the college. During college, Jones grew
to six feet and one hundred and eighty seven pounds just completely naturally using weightlifting
and stretching exercises. Does it say just completely naturally? In the article,
no I added that, okay, well he was always very serious about saying
you never did steroids, right, all right, Well, I don't know
how you can add inches to your fucking body like that, but whatever,
you know, you're bone, don't you know. There's only so far they
can go. But mostly, as they explained, I think it's just my
time to grow. Apparently. Really, he also developed as a player,
climaxing his career. They love that fucking climaxing. Yeah, that's one too
many. Here, Kansas City Star, porn Star. Here the Kansas City
porn Stars this career with eight interceptions. The Most Valuable Player Defensive award in
the Virginia College Is All Star Game and College Division All American Honors. Wow,
now, how can how can he have gotten that far? I mean,
I'm not suggesting that he had a decorated football career. I'm not suggesting
that he even really had more than a cup of coffee within the the general
radius of the NFL. But Virgil was not one, as we learned,
to downplay anything he's ever accomplished in his life. Right, Virgil is one
to shove it in your face and to exaggerate it to the hill. He
would take that article and by the time he was done with it thirty years
later, you know, he was a backup like defenceman every Sunday on the
sidelines. You never saw him because he never got much playing time, but
he was there. He was always there, was the rudy. He was
the rudy of whatever team. So what's going on here? How did Virgil
get so far in terms of a potential NFL career and really just have like
an athletic background that he never talked about. I listened to the interviews.
He never talks about it, really, and again the revelations about what college
even went to didn't seem to really come out until his passing. And then
I remembered something. Oh boy, I remember that. Early in my research,
I looked up the records of the information he provided us to book his
flight for the bachelor party, and in addition to his date of birth,
which I was able to find countervailing evidence of nineteen fifty one as opposed to
sixty one and clearly the same guy based on the nature of the records I
was looking at. Yes, I also had his middle name that It's not
like his middle name has been a big mystery, but it's Charles, Yeah.
And I remembered searching for Michael Charles Jones No to get a sense,
you know, because I'm thinking, you know, while Michael Jones is an
incredibly common name, Michael, it's so common that if you were to be
listed in a newspaper, you might go by Michael Charles Jones. M that's
journalistic practice so that other people with that name don't potentially suffer, you know,
reputational damage if the story's negative, for instance, by assuming it's the
wrong Jones. So it becomes common practice to use your middle name when you
have such a common first and last name, particularly in publication, so it's
to not great confusion until the reader precisely who it is that you're talking about.
And I'm like, wait a minute, that Michael Charles Jones I read
about? Was this is before I realized fifty one was the real date?
How Michael Charles Jones I read about was thirty years old in nineteen eighty one?
Mmmm? Virgil wouldn't have been thirty years old and mmmmm nineteen eighty one
because he was born in nineteen sixty one, right or sixty two? Mmmm?
Why would Virgil want no one to know that Michael Charles Jones was thirty
years old in nineteen eighty one? And when you told me that you found
that article about how Michael Jones had gone out potentially for the Kansas City Chiefs,
and was you know, essentially a semi pro football player, right or
at least he's on the the what do you call it? The like the
workout team, right, squad to squad? Thank you? It clicked in
m And it's when you told me that, I said, stand down if
you want to protect the surprise he did say that that's a shoot. Because
I realized that the Michael Jones I was reading about out of Pittsburgh, PA.
What what year is that Kansas City Star article by the Way nineteen seventy
five, that the Michael Jones I was reading about in Pittsburgh area newspapers in
nineteen eighty one, who is thirty? It's him, and it's it's a
national story. It's picked up by the Associated Press. It is not a
small deal. It is Dare I say the kind of thing that you would
change your date of birth for to avoid people being able to connect one in
one his hometown paper Pittsburgh Post Gazette nineteen and eighty one, We learn the
following the trial of a former Pennhills police officer and his cousin on heroin trafficking
charges, Oh My God, is set to open Monday in US District Court.
Anthony Pope of Verona, who resigned from the force last February, and
Michael Charles Jones, Oh My God of Monroeville, will go before Judge DONALDY.
Ziegeler on charges that they illegally possessed about two hundred and seventy five packets
of heroin with the intent to distribute them when they were arrested April sixth at
the twenty two Motel in Monroeville. The Proceedings will open with a motion by
defense attorney Stanton D. Levinson and Edgar Snyder to prevent the U. S
Attorney's Office from using his evidence the heroin seized in the arrest Edward H.
Shied, a special agent for the Federal DEA. This was a DEA raid
only shack. This isn't like a traffic stop, local police department, you
know, kind of small town deal. This is a fucking federal investigation.
Said at a preliminary hearing that the heroine, a total of about four ounces
with a street value of up to fifteen grand, was found in a car
rented by Pope, which as we'll learn, was Virgil's cousin, when federal,
state and the local police closed in from a stakeout. Levinson said he
will argue that the evidence was taken illegally and should not be used. Police
did not have sufficient cause to arrest Pope, and Jones enacted in improperly in
not getting a search warrant. Levinson said, without the heroine, the prosecution
will have no case. He said. Pope twenty nine, who listed his
address at Second av Varona, left the police force February twenty eighth to join
his family in operating the Atmosphere Lounge and home Wood. That was just five
weeks before the arrest. Victor Cicero, Penhill's police to director, said at
the time the arrest that Pope was a fairly normal officer. Ciceros declined to
comment when asked if he was investigating Pope's work on the force. Pope had
a thirty eight caliber revolver and his police badge with him when he was arrested.
Oh my god, k fabe copp Virgil, Virgil's cousin, and this
ah, and this was where it clicked. This is where I was like
this, this can't be Virgil because he's thirty and nineteen eighty one, and
Virgil never had anything to do with the Chiefs or the Saints or anything like
that. That's no one's ever heard that about Virgil. This can't be the
same guy. And then you found that article, and then this paragraph had
all the meaning in the world. Wow. Jones, thirty, was a
member of the former Pittsburgh wolf Pack semi professional football team. He also played
briefly with the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints of the National Football League.
Holy Shed gave its addresses Fox Hill Drive in Monroe, Val. He
said he also was employed at the Atmosphere Lounge. If convicted, each man
would face a jail term of up to fifteen years and a flan of up
to twenty five thousand dollars. During the preliminary hearing, Shy testified that a
confidential informant in an unnamed motel employee identified Pope as the man who used aliases
to register at the motel several times last winter. Let me ask you,
boss, mm hmm. If Michael Jones is allegedly in concert with this gentleman
to move heroin packets, and this guy is able to create a false identity
and use aliases to evade detection, and as an actual police officer so really
understands the ins and outs of how to pull that off convincingly. Is it
too much of a logical leap to conclude that maybe old Virgil picked up some
pointers and got himself a cafe birth certificate. I think that's a very very
very probable thing. I mean, because you type in Michael Charles Jones with
the nineteen sixty one date of birth, and if you might not know this,
but you know date of birth is a huge investigatory detail for police officers
because if you have someone's DOB, you can much more efficiently search their entire
entire criminal history because you know it's them. It's almost as good as a
social Security number in that regard. Oh my god, And so anybody who
would have done a background check for Virgil and of the organizations he went on
to work for anything like that, if he provided this this shoot date of
birth, you better believe there's going to be a hit for a fucking dea
drug raid in federal charges. That's what happened to the football career. That's
why Virgil doesn't want you searching up his name and association with these football teams
because these articles would come up hashtag lapsed bitch, damn fucking right. Based
on that information and other details supplied by the informant, a stakeout was set
up at the motel she had said. Pope was arrested when he attempted to
leave in his own car. Jones was arrested when he went to the car
rented by Pope. The defense attorneys asked US Magistrate Iliagene Sessenich, who presided
over the hearing, to force shide and prosecutor Assistant US Attorney Charles Sheedy to
reveal the name of the motel employee. Cessanich refused the request. Levinson said
he will not push the issue further a trial. The hearing on the defense
request is expected to take up the first day Siguler denies the motion. Jury
selection will probably begin Tuesday. If Siggler approves that the prosecution is expected to
appeal. The proceedings are expected to take about a week. This one all
the way to trial, this was this was splashy stuff, and unfortunately the
the the adjudication isn't really easy to find. I can't really I can't really
say what came of the case. Yeah, but and I don't know if
maybe he did some time. I mean, it's entirely possible. You would
think, let's tick a quick gander, because, unlike Michael Charles Jones,
Anthony Pope, an association with heroin might might pull a different hit. I
just thought of that just now. If that is indeed your real name,
Yeah right, What I wouldn't give to just have known about this back then
and so hard. Tell me about Anthony Pope, Yeah, tell you about
your cousin palell I forgot, man, I don't even know who is that
I forgot? He would forget so badly? Yeah, oh no, I
don't know. I don't. I don't have any cousins, many relatives I
never had. Okay, okay, you're going with you don't have any relatives?
Is that? Is that what I heard? Okay, here you go.
You're ready for fucking money? Oh yes, ready? Are you fucking
ready? Give it to me. September one, nineteen eighty one, ap
National US District Judge Donald Ziggler handed out seven year jail terms to a former
police officer and a former professional football player and a heroin charge the US Attorney's
office. Ziegler and Muddy also sentence former Penhillsboro policeman Anthony Pope, twenty six,
of Verona, and Michael C. Jones. See that's Michael C.
Instead of Michael Charles thirty of Monreville to five years probation. Jones formerly played
football for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Saint Louis Cardinals. Okay, he
didn't play football for the Saint Louis Cardinals. I mean maybe the other one
said the Saints. The prosecutors he might have played I mean he also might
have played for the Los Angeles Patriots. He played baseball for the the Saint
Louis Cardinals. That that's possible. But let me see what was the before
they were Arizona. I think they were Saint Louis and he played cornerback for
the New York Yankees. They were They were the Saint Louis Cardinals in the
NFL too. Oh they were. That's not an error, but I don't
know why it said Saints over there. Pope and Jones, who were cousins,
were convicted August sixth. The possession was intended to delivered twenty two hundred,
now two hundred packets of heroin. Oh my god, there was a
typo in the first one. Apparently he valued at ten grand. Both the
fendants were allowed to remain free on bond. Michael C. Jones sentenced to
seven years in jail. And I'm looking at eighty one and I'm looking at
seven years. Maybe some credit for good behavior, maybe some probation. Yep,
my god. Virgil was probably sprung months before he got into the professional
wrestling business. Ah wow, let's fucking go wholely shit. So if you
want to know why, there's this mystery around when Virgil was born. It's
not just because oh it wouldn't it be funny if I was younger and I
could work everybody to thinking that it wasn't a vanity thing. It was what
you thought. It was that this guy had a hustle, the depths of
which the business really wasn't prepared to accommodate, and that mark mindsets aren't prepared
to for this guy really ran the streets, as they say. Wow,
And it's a lovely thing to know about. So with that backdrop, how
about we become a what's that I imagine that he I mean, you know
again, looking just quickly at his uh at his uh uh uh wikipedia,
I would say he probably got four years because or like served four years before
being let go, because it does skip. It is kind of crazy,
like it does skip from his college to eighty five, and you know,
then getting the training meeting Tony Atlas, it says, and then training with
a wild Simons that amazing. Woo wow. Let that be a lesson that
when ye, when it appears a wrestler is lying for no other reason than
just to be amusing, be smarter than that. Yep, Virgil Virgil Virgil
don't fuck with the big dogs, that's correct. So what do you say
we get acquainted with the wrestler Virgil became after doing time. That's the only
thing we could do. Michael C. Jones born nineteen sixty one broke into
the business. He worked everyone until they okay, God so so fucking good.
I mean, it's unbelievable that he lived his whole life without anyone figuring
this out about the man, Like I always say that tlf was, as
we celebrate, TLFX was endowed with perfect timing in that when we decided to
do this show, and when he decided to lean into that research, when
we realized there was a hunger for it. Yep, all of a sudden,
every fucking word ever written in any major newspaper was at our fingertips,
right exactly, the resources existed to run down claims, to investigate right the
matches that you know, Mike Mazurki had, yep, exactly like contemporaneous newspaper
coverage of wrestler's careers in the thirties for under the cinemat, Yep, all
all started to be, you know, fully and robustly available, just when
we came calling a ton of wrestlers, I mean dozens of wrestlers that had
meaty, weighty career years came out with books after we launched the podcast that
laid out in exquisite detail, in many cases, exactly what you would want
to know about every little beat of their careers. Because the market for those
kind of books had developed and matured enough that you know, everybody was getting
on the train. It's just lap serendipity all over the place. So nobody
ten years ago even would be in a position to if they were researching a
potential interview with Virgil to find out about this. Nobody, no, no,
And I'm sure Virgil took comfort in the fact that, you know,
unless you probably know what newspapers archives were in terms of like how readily available
they are. But think about it too, like you wouldn't have how how
difficult would would it have been? You know again, It's like I think
to myself, it's one of the reasons why I hated doing research in school,
because of not having a direct line to kind of go to and uses
as a reference point, like the fact that you can do a word search,
you know, and get results right away. Like you don't get that
now you look through fucking those those those slide machines whatever were my microfilm,
Yeah, microfilm, you know, like you don't get that, like you
have to just and you would never be able to triangulate to where right you'd
be able to find that piece. And even you know the fact that that
piece if they if that Kansas City Star article didn't have a picture of his
face, yep, I know you wouldn't. You still wouldn't feel although I
would I would have felt comfortable just because they mentioned the college and the time
of that point, I would have felt comfortable with that. But no,
but you make a good point. I mean, like it's and also too,
you know, it was on a whim. It was on a whim
that I decided, Hey, you know what I haven't done yet. I
haven't looked up Mike Jones. I've been looking up Michael Jones all the time.
And when you're sort of looking up Mike Jones, all of a sudden,
a ton of shit came up that was including on ancestry. Like that's
how I found him in because he's not Michael Jones in the in the yearbooks,
it's Mike. He was known as Mike. Yeah, his whole life
apparently like not even like but it's funny because you'd think in those type of
types of of records, you know, yearbooks, they put your they put
your full name down. Yeah, but no, it was Mike Mike Jones.
So how early was he was he sprung? Well, we know at
least as early as nineteen eighty six because he's doing his first uh he's training
eighty five eighty five. Yeah, he's making his first television appearance in nineteen
eighty six for the WWF. Is a job guy Lucius Brown spelled luscious a
Johnny Valiant on Color commentary takes great exception to Gorilla mon Soon pronouncing it is
luscious, so they say it's lucious. And he is bricked up man.
He looks he looks like a guy that discovers steroids in prison, if I'm
honest. Yeah, and he is. He looks a lot bigger than he
ever did. Is a million dollar man's bodyguard. And he does a quick
job to Paul Oor Dworff taking the pile driver. Wow, this is Paulor
and Dwarf back when he was coming out to real American to taunt and mock
Hulk Hogan. I did not know he did that. That's oh yeah,
tremendous. Oh yeah he did. I might as well. We might as
well pull it up. I mean, it's it's it's a it's a necessary
part of his career. So if you want to jump onto YouTube, we're
gonna do a funk uh style watch along for this episode because a lot of
these matches, especially the WWF ones, we've covered already. But watch along.
You haven't had from us yet, so this is an appropect time to
do that. What am I looking for? I guess just for Orn Dwarf
and Virgil Orndorf Virgil. Yeah. There, it is like a commercial there
contra, which is fine. I'm lining it up here. Do you agree
that the previous ad is relevant to you? Oh Jesus, I don't.
I strongly disagree. Consumers want ads that are relevant to them. No,
consumers want no ads exactly. So stop stop taking the dais at conventions in
conferences and acting like you have a unique beat on what consumers want from brands.
Consumers want nothing from brands. They want to be left alone at all
times and when they have intent to shop or whatever word you want to use,
They go to the fucking website and buy it right exactly. They don't
just suddenly get get impacted by you know, inventory. Oh I'm sorry,
I'm looking here right now on the to the right on the feed there.
Oh yeah, I guess. There was a Virgil versus Diesel match Monday Night
Raw, April eleventh, nineteen ninety four. There was. Yeah, he
came back a couple of times for like one off appearances. He wasn't in
the ninety four rumble, was he? Yeah he was? He was okay,
so that was it. That was that? It was? It was
yeah, it was that weird time where he was just yeah, doing these
these these random I think that was the rumble I should have been talking about
in part one. Remember I was saying he wasn't booked in the beginning.
You're like, yeah, he was for ninety three. He certainly was.
I was like, okay, it was there through Summer Slam ninety three.
Yeah, ninety four rumble is what I meant. Okay, yeah, that
makes sense. So you're ready to do a number ten. He came out
number ten and he was one of the guys chucked by Diesel. Amazing.
He was in the fucking ring for thirty two seconds. That's in the archives
right in ninety four. Rumble it is. Yeah, we did it.
We did it not too long ago, a couple of years ago. So
you ready to watch Virgil's first WWF shot. I absolutely am September seventeenth,
ninete eighty six according to YouTube. Of course, you can find it out
there as well. And we'll hit play in three two one, play four.
There's nol Phillips on the call. That's what you look at him ship.
He is huge, all oiled up, luscious brown. He has got
it. He's got hair. I know, I'm weird. That's really funny.
We're America and I had no idea he was doing that. People thought
for a second it might be help yeap of course, like to the Ring
by Bobby Heenan. Look at that. Look at that fucking face. Oh
no, it's like Elizabeth behind him that Liz I think so looks like here
though maybe it lives to Fabio. There we go, wonderful. Look at
look at the man, Look at Virgil. Look at Virgil. White trunks,
white boots, white knee pads. Yep, just like the most like
you know, strident like we can do this kind of babyface and he's doing
the you get the footwork going on there, he's ready the born doorf fucking
Christ. Think he thought that this was kind of the end of this big
time like, you know, I'm sure he did not feuning with Hogan.
It's all over. Like how many people realize that the long the hard way
that See here's the guy using my adjectoe lucious lucious us right here. You
can go to the bank of that. You can the JV alliance, the
JV team over there. That's what it is. I got that right,
luss luscious uh luscious. Junior Varsity also got a couple of shots for Crocketts
as a job guy did Virgil all right, and and spent some formative years
in Memphis as well before coming in as a million dollar man's bodyguard. Referee
was checking virtual sleepads for Heroin. I found out that's that white is turning
a bit brown there. I'm not sure that's just a ring girl. That's
just like an attendant, if you will, chanting, Paula, we want
hunk, I don't. I don't like the buildings with the ceilings like that.
There's mid Hudson Zivic Center. I think in Poughkeepsie. Oh sure,
Matt explains that, Oh my god, look at these people, eighty six
manslution. He's tall too, man. He stacks up. He stacks up
favorably against Rangeorf. Of course, I had a wonderful zeke. All those
stretches stretched a lot. Look at Virgil, awkward on his feet. Nice
sleep Frog tries the second one. It gets hot shot across the top o
drop hard Virgil who had to eat ship man. We talked about the sid
Justice angle. Oh yeah, just flailing it out of the canvases. Didn't
I ask him he wasn't on the video, but didn't I ask him about
how he felt like, you know, being I wish, I wish they
all have that. Ask him how he felt about always being the butt of
a joke, basically this party being no exception. Yeah, right, exactly.
You know your your Virgil as a hit on Dusty Roads. You're Vincent
on a as a hit on vincick Man. Yeah, you're at this bachelor
party because you're a fraud. Like thrown violently to the floor and dropped face
first across the railing. Was Virgil. Yeah, he always just like he
acted like I had nothing to do with using that name to mock other people.
Man, I don't want to, you know, lampoon anybody. He
just hed totally no sould those questions he was at. Of course, that
was what he was always asking, shooting interviews and stuff, and he acted
like he didn't even realize that he's being used to make fun of others.
Yeah, back in the ring, hard Whip and a Lariats, Paullen Gorf
puts down Lucious Brown, Lucious Luscious Lucius Brown. Yeah, yeah, that's
right, Jimmy Valley, and you're it's not Luscious Brown, it's luscious Lucius
Brown. All right, here goes Curtains see a verge. Oh spiked him
tough, that tall, tall, lanky guy. I just heard Jimmy Valiant
say, sell it, daddy. Are you counting in Spanish? Johnny exactly?
Let's get to your fresher work, and there's American. He's still what
the hogan bos do. Look at that. Remember, he was like supposed
to be the backup plan if Andre couldn't make her Mescelania three. So that's
being built right now, fall Lady six. He definitely thought I think this
is before the big Toronto Exhibition Stadium match with Hogan. Yeah, I mean,
how would have that even worked? Like, hadn't he already beaten Orndorf
in that cage match? Oh yeah, so what the fuck? How would
that have been? Interesting? If? Or a good question? I think
they probably would have shot a hot angle or something. I look at that
jump poof. He totally used to leave his feet on those pile drivers.
Man. Oh yeah, no, fuck's given. So there you go.
Virgil is now a pro wrestler, having after having done time. That's right,
ha ha. I don't think I can say that enough. It's just
I don't know. I don't relish it, but it's satisfying when someone who
is such a carny, you know, oh, such a smoke and mirrors
guy, such a guy you couldn't believe anything came out of his mouth.
He I think tedd Tobias he said, you know, he lied when telling
the truth would have been easier. I believe that just just you know,
you realize where it all started. Just he's, you know, con man
from the beginning, hustler from the beginning. Well, the thing that I
like, again, I don't like that you know. I don't want him
to. You know, I don't like that you serve time or anything like
that. What I do like what I like about it all. What is
satisfying is that we were able to uncover secrets that's right, good or bad.
Could have been good secrets, I wouldn't have cared. It's just like
the idea that there's something that people didn't know that's right, that was unsure
in the thrill of the hunt. Yes, oh my god, I can't
tell you how many the moment you said, can you find me a birth
certificate? Down the fucking rabbit hole. I'm great to know that I have
that U break glass in case of emergency option. Yeah, because you've been
unleashed on this now. Man, you've got it. You've got it.
You know exactly where to look, and it's it's wondered. It's a wonderful
thing. It only makes us more powerful ten years in. It's painful because
it just takes up, exactly, It's like it just takes up because you
know, you start just taking different paths. Because now I'm now at that
point, I was like I was determined. I was I was like,
I'm not gonna and not find this or at least something that gives me evidence,
you know. And I saw that article with his face and the chiefs,
I was like, oh my god, that was all him. That
shit that I dismissed as not him was all him. That's wild. And
now the birth date thing makes sense. So having been sprung from the clink
and having been piled driven by Paul Oworndorf on Superstars, Mike Jones is ready
to become Virgil. And we turned down to the million dollar Man, Teddy
Biassi's book, because of course he came in day one as the servant of
Teddy Biassi. Here's how it all happened, Ted writes, before I ever
wrestled a single match for the World Wrestling Federation, the viewers were introduced to
my character through a series of vignettes. They carefully craft created vignettes rather to
make me as hated as possible. It was slapstick comedy at its best.
The first one showed me in the back of a limousine counting my money.
While I was counting the money, I got a paper cut. I told
my driver in personal valet Virgil, to take me to the hospital. When
we got to the emergency room, I demanded to see a doctor. The
attending nurse said I had to wait like everyone else. Look, you don't
understand. I'm the million dollar man. I don't wait on anybody. The
nurse reiterated that I had to wait. All of a sudden, I called
Virgil with a snap of my fingers. He pulled out a lot of money
and handed the nurse three or four hundred dollars. The nurse took the money
and said, I'll be right back. Sure enough, she came back with
the doctor. I arrogantly replied, that's what I thought. Then I turned
to the camera and said, don't get upset with the nurse. She is
no different than you. She did the same thing that anybody would do.
She took the money just like her. Everybody has a price for the million
dollar man, That's right. People always talked about how this was Vince.
This was Vince channeling kind of like a an inner. Uh you know,
Ted. What I'm thinking about, actually is how do you feel about about,
you know, touching women in the back of the limousine? Oh no,
how do you feel about that? Do you? Okay? Well,
well I think that might be a bridge too far, Vince. I'll do
anything for the gimmick. But well doesn't listen, then you can. If
you wan't to do anything for the gimmick, then you're going to go a
bridge too far. Virgil, have any thoughts, pal Virgil, what do
you think about about him banging hose in the back of the limousine? You
know, yo to Bob. I am fine if that happens. If you
need help, I can help Virgil. I'm asking for a friend. What
are you packing? I don't want to brag. I got a nineteen inch
flaccid it's up, buss and I then he ended it with my debarrogant laugh.
Debs writes it became the standard punch line for all my early interviews.
There was another vignett where I went to a restaurant. We pulled up and
there was a lying long line waiting to get in. With Virgil by my
side, I walked right up to the front of the line. I told
the major d that I needed a table for two. Sir, you were
going to have to wait in line like everyone else. Look, you don't
understand. I'm the million dollar man. I don't wait on anybody. I'm
sorry, sir, but you're gonna have to wait. Out of the blue,
I called Virgil with a snap of my fingers. He pulled out a
wad of money and handed the major D four or five hundred dollars. The
mayer D took the money and said, well, sir, I think we
have a table for two. One of the people in line started complaining and
came up to me and said, hey, pal, who do you think
think you are. I just looked at him and smiled. I then took
a step back, and Virgil stepped in with his great, big arms and
foul demeanor. The guy just backed down and slithered back in line. Virgil
and I got seated at the table and we were waited on hand and foot.
Then I turned to the camera and said, don't get upset with the
mad or d. He is no different than you. He did the same
thing that anybody would do. He took the money just like him. Everybody
has a price for the million dollar man. These vignettes, Boss, were
very much predicated on Virgil's arms. Sure, he's standing there with his cutoff
tuxedo yep, looking menacing and you know, as capable and as wonderful of
a worker's teddybias he was and as much of you know, he's a good
sized guy, we can't forget that. A key lynchpin of those early teddybiasse
vignettes and character the character work was that Virgil was the guy who would step
in when things got hairy for the million dollar man. Of course. Yeah,
I mean, well that's that's that's what makes it so perfect. He
wasn't just there to wait on him hand and foot. He was there to
literally fight his fights and to be sort of like this menacing presence that would
keep people from attacking the rich guy that everybody wants to strangle. So he
was absolutely key to the package. He really wasn't. Yeah, and they
found form a character that you know, didn't require him to talk. So
it was great because he's not a very good talker. No he's not.
And once he does talk, you're like kind of a lot of that aura
goes away. You know, you're like, oh, this guy doesn't sound
tough at all. He sounds kind of goofy. You know, Yes,
that that's one thing in wrestling, man, you better hope that when the
time comes and you get that mic in your hand, if you're over before
you touch the mic, you better hope you sound like you look, because
if your match doesn't, if your voice doesn't match your your physical presence,
it's over. And and I always have the feeling that Vince thought stings didn't
one of the most I agree, and one of the most disappointing people in
that regard. The Warlord. Oh that's a huge one. I know it's
sacrilege, but man, the fact that he doesn't have a deep, booming
voice is so so sad. I know that was why it was so That's
why the Goldberg thing kept working. It's because once they did let him talk,
he sounded like a fucking madman, right why he had a timber in
his voice. One more vignette, DEBIASI writes, had me going to an
exclusive hotel. I asked the front desk clerk what the best room was,
the honeymoon suite. I'll take it. I'm sorry, sir, it's taken.
Well, that is the room I want. That is the best room,
and I wanted. I'm sorry, sir, it is taken, and
there is a couple in there right now. Again, I called Virgil with
a snap of my fingers. He pulled out a lot of money and handed
the clerk five or six hundred dollars. He accepted the money, and the
scene quickly changed to show him kicking the honeymoon couple out of the room.
Then I turned to the camera and said, don't get upset with the front
desk guy. He is no different than you. He did the same thing
than anybody would do. He took the money just like him. Everybody has
a price for the million dollar Man. The vignettes were being aired and I
hadn't yet been seen wrestling. When I finally made it to the live shows,
the immediate response from the fans was that I was a pompous ass who
thought he was God because he had lots of money, and that was the
whole idea of the character. The vignettes laid down the foundation for people to
hate me. The book includes many quotes from outside folks, including Bobby the
brain Heenan, who contributed this thought. Ted's million dollar Man gimmick was excellent.
No one could have done it better than him except Vince McMahon. A
He cared himself as a true professional. The funny thing is that most true
professionals and wrestling aren't nice guys. Ted is a really nice guy. When
I was producing interviews with the WWA. I had to watch over the guys,
monitor what they were saying, and keep up with them. But I
never had to worry about Ted. He did everything on times, spoke proper
English, and got right to the point with his interviews. He's a true
professional. And Virgil did talk and shoot interviews about how Bobby Heena did coach
him through promos. So Bobby's like behind the camera for a lot of this
stuff. Remember he had that very short period of time where he was working
in the office. Yeah, right when I first brought him in, before
he really became a television commentator, and he was helping produce interviews. He's
even listed as like a producer on one of the early Coliseum home videos,
just one. That's how quickly it lasted. But apparently he was still tangentially
involved enough that they called upon him to get Virgil through some promos as well.
After the airing of the introductory vignettes, I started wrestling wrestling jobbers on
TV and easily squashed them during the nineteen eighties unless you were shooting an angle.
Very rarely you see competitive matches on free TV. Most of the televised
matches were what we called enhancement matches, which were designed to highlight the stars.
Today you see top guys wrestling each other every week. Continued the pompous
antics. We decided to no longer just throw money at the crowd, and
now I picked plants from the crowd and made them do humiliating things. We
know about the basketball and the kid crying. We Taedobyasi deprives him of the
of the opportunity to win what was it, five hundred dollars if he can
dribble it for a certain amount of time, and another person, another person
five hundred dollars if you bark like a dog. There's Vince again. He
came back to that one with Trish years later, didn't he? How about
it? Hervert making a woman come in and say wolf, Wolf, Wolf,
and and all of that. Virgil handing him the money the whole time,
playing that that key role on the periphery. Debasing continues. No matter
where I went, Virgil was always by my side. It was Vince's idea
to bring Virgil in his my valet. I didn't meet him until we put
the final touches on. The character name is Mike Jones, and he's from
Pittsburgh. My hat's some wrestling experience, but fans hired him for his look.
He had huge arms of bald head and a great physique. Vince laid
out to Virgil exactly what he was going to do. He was going to
carry my bags and shift for me. You know, he you know,
he's he's you know, Vince. He's been in the company before. What
company here? You know? He wrestled, He wrestled Orango. He did
TV job last year in a TV match. Not this company, Absolutely not.
I would remember a man like him of these proportions, of these proportions,
of this proportional aptitude. He never worked here. Nobody ever worked here.
Unless I knew about this, nobody ever worked here. That's a great
thought starter from Vince. Vince laid out to Virgil exactly what he was going
to do. Okay, he would open the car door, my hotel door.
Virgil was muscle and manager at ringside. He was my personal servant everywhere
we went in public. That was his job and he got paid well to
do what. Virgil never took the role personally. He has nothing to say
and shooting interviews about like you know, give us a story about going on
the road and pretending to be a millionaire. The whole thing was a Vince
put all kinds of cash in Ted Dibiassi's hand so that when he went out
in public he'd live the gimmick and give people the idea that really what was
that rich? But nothing, nothing at all, No memories at all.
He's very good at selective memory. The name Virgil evolved, Ted writs from
a meeting over dinner. So here it is. Here's the story. If
anyone acts like still the Virgil name wasn't a shot at Dusty, like the
poka dots, weren't a total fucking attempt to humiliate the guy, then fine.
If you have to hear it in black and white. Here it is.
After I signed with the World Wrestling Federation, Pat Patterson, Bobby Heenan
and I went out to eat over stakes. Pat said, guys, we
have to take up a name for Ted's servant. After throwing out stupid names
and laughing about things, Bobby said, So tedd Byassi puts on Bobby Heenan.
Bobby said, let's call him Virgil, like Virgil Runnels. Got that
all right, And so Virgil it was Dusty Roads his real name is Virgil
Runnels. It was an inside wrestling rib on Dusty. Wasn't my idea,
of course not. But when Virgil left World Wrestling Federation and joined me in
WCW, they decided to call him Vincent Ribbing Vincent K. McMahon. Bobby
Heenan says, at that time, Dusty Rhodes was the booker in Atlanta.
He was burying everybody who was working in New York. There was no Atlanta
really at the time. It was more Charlotte, but I get it.
He was burying everybody who was well. It was TBS. He was working
in New York, and so they needed a name for DBS. Servant I
said, how about Virgil Ted's finisher, the Million Dollar Dream. I never
thought of this one before, where he put his opponents to sleep, was
named after Dusty because he called himself the American Dream. Even the sleeperhold was
wow, holy shit, we got to kick Dusty in the balls twice.
Heenan said. It was a good rib on Dusty, not that he wouldn't
do it to us if he could. It was good fun. Virgil and
I Ted Wrights became good friends. He was a heck of a nice guy,
and we spent a lot of time together. We initially thought that would
be good idea a room together on the road. Unfortunately it didn't work out
because we needed our own space as well as control of the thermostat. One
night, I woke up sweating bullets. I checked the thermostat and Virgil had
turned it up to about eighty degrees. I turned the thing down all the
way to zero degrees. Can you imagine, boss, Oh, do you
imagine having to fall asleep in a hotel room with somebody that insists on it
being eighty's It gives me a fucking panic attack just thinking about it. You
meet my wife, Oh, she goes that high, No, not that
high, but she as You like it cold? Oh? Absolutely, it
can never be too cold. I've been on the road with you. You
like it cold, You like it hot, not the boss. It's gotta
be like sixty five degrees at least at the hottest at night. It's unbelievable.
I get to be I have to move my my legs around and every
place, no matter how recently I've been there. It's cold on the bed.
Wow, it's got to be cold on the bed. If it's warm
I get very uncomfortable in the first night of the road, first end of
the road with Virgie. You both fall asleep and he gets up in the
middle of the night to crank it, so you already even have a chance
to know what's happening until it's too late in your in the rows of heat
stroke. And then well, then I'll get up in the middle of the
night, and there's no way that that heat wouldn't keep me yes, wake
me up. I'd get up out of the exact same thing. I'd go
up there and turn that shit down. Phenomenal fucking freezing. I turned,
Debasi says, I turned the thing all the way down to zero degrees.
That's really funny. I'm a big guy and enjoy sleeping in cool temperatures.
Break the machine. I got up in the morning and couldn't even see Virgil
in his bed. Yeah, that's the thing about air conditioners. Respect them,
because if you freeze that thing over and nobody's going to be happy.
Yeah, exactly, nobody wins. I got up in the morning and couldn't
even see Virgil in his bed. He was buried under a blanket, on
top of blanket, he said. Man I don't know if room with you,
I can't handle sleeping in the cold, did or brother? I love
sleeping in the cold. Virgil says in the book Ted is a great person.
Even though we were on the road together every day, Ted and I
never had an argument in order to get into one single fight. Well later
on they kind of did, but that's the autograph circuit bullshit. I didn't
get along with my own family that well. Virgil discloses, here interesting wonder
way that would be. I don't know a Navy seal watching his kid go
to jail for heroin trafficking and then becoming a fake athlete on top of it.
I don't know what was a bigger embarrassment to the family. Mike was
his name, Warren Jones, Warren Warren Jones, Warren Peace is more like
it right. He was like a brother to me, Virgil said of Teddy
Biassi. I even had the privilege to meet and get to know his family.
I signed a contract to be Ted's bodyguard. He treated me as a
true professional. I did everything that was asked of me and never complained.
I never viewed anything as demeaning, and by no means ever took anything personal
I never cracked a smile, always staying in character. I did the job
to the best of my ability. He really does. He does not ever
crack as the Virgil character when he's mean and menacing. Yep, Yep.
It's like he's always so good at keeping that stoke. It's almost like he
just disconnects himself from the stimuli around him. It's like he's in a trance
almost when he's in that character. Yep. Yeah, he just kind of
stares at you and you just, you know, you feel unsafe. No,
no, no, he's unshakable. One night, we were staying at
the Marriott Hotel Newark Airport. At that point, if it wasn't a major
show or pay per view, vincedent' want Virgil to drive me around in limousines,
but rather at a Lincoln town car. After wrestling that evening, Virgil
dropped me off at the front door. I told him, don't worry about
picking me up in the morning. I'm going to take the hotel shuttle to
the airport and I will catch up with you at the gate. It was
a break for him because he could take the rental car directly to the airport
and check it back in without having to worry about dropping me off. When
Virgil got to the gate the next day, I saw that his eye was
smollen, like someone had punched him. Man, what happened to you?
Oh man? I got up and had to use the bathroom in the middle
of the night and accidentally ran into the door. Do you believe that,
boss? No, well, I don't. I believe vincient man punched him
in the face, and not for for for even listening to ted dybs to
say I'll take the shuttle. I didn't even think anything about it until a
month or so later, when I returned to the hotel. Virgil and I
run different flights. I ended up checking into the hotel by myself. As
I was checking in, one of the bell guys came up to me.
We were regulars there, so I got to know most of the staff,
he said, so, Ted did Virgil ever get over that black eye after
that airbag hit him in the head? Air bag? What are you talking
about? Oh my god, man, the last time you guys were here,
Virgil went to take the car back. He got into the car and
instead of backing up, he drove forward and ran right over the concrete block.
The airbag shot out of the steering wheel and hit him right in the
head. It gave him a black eye and a bloody lip. This guy's
like a he's kind of like a a like a goof, you know,
he's like, oh, yeah, I mean he's he's just he he is
the you know, he's a walking Murphy's Law. All right. That's what
I love it is that what they called the heroin trafficking statue Murphy's Law.
He's just one of those guys who, you know, I don't know,
like it's just he's just got he just has no because he's done because he's
made bad decisions, right. He just continually makes bad decisions, right,
because what's what's one more right? Right? Because the next, the next
bad decision is going to be one that pays off. He's like a gambler
who you know, just keeps His solution to losing a lot of money gambling
is to just take a bigger gamble, right. And that's actually because that
did that is something people didn't say about him, that he did have a
problem with the race tracks. So that actually is probably isn't too far off.
It's trying to make a quick buck. Yeah, he's a hustler man.
Very simple. Just put something in my hand that I can three x
the value of, be it a an eight by ten of me holding the
million dollar title, or a fucking baggie of heroin, or a betting slip
at the track, or or making a goof appearance at a bachelor party.
That was one last great hustle man. I mean we not only did we
did we have to hire him a ride. He took us for one.
Oh. I bet you could have you know, I bet you could have
talked him down like, oh, that's that's what the knobs. Oh,
he hadn't done it for four hundred dollars, I guarantee you. Oh my
God told him listen, I'll feed you, I'll feed you, I'll fly
out. All right. This is how good of a negotiator I was.
He named his price and I said, okay, Well, circumstances were very
different at that point. Well, it was all about the fact that I
even found him. Yeah, And at that point, the last thing you
want to do is fuck it up over three hundred dollars, you know,
especially with the with with your dad willing to make this happen. Because he
happened to get a phone call from the only family in the world whose father
would actually think it was worth spending on this guy who would know enough about
wrestling to think he was worth a lot, but not so much about wrestling
to know that he would do it for half the price, and not too
much arresting to know that he really isn't worth a lot. You're right,
And by the time that became apparent where everybody was already pretty drunk. So
yep, it was fine. Yes, So that happened that evening. Virgil
picked me up to take me to the arena. On the way there,
I asked him, Hey, man, how is your lip? And I,
oh, it's okay. Now, hey Virgil, that door you ran
into didn't happen to look anything like an airbag, did it. His eyes
got big and he said, who told you? Man? Who told you?
We just laughed, Virgil. I purchased a three This is Virgil talking.
I purchased a three thousand dollars pl a black leather coat. Davy boy
Smith ribb me real good by putting tape on the back of my jacket.
When I went to remove the tape, the glue pulled the leather off.
I was furious. And immediately wanted to get back at Davy Boy. So
he's a he's a big spender too. He ended up destitute, of course,
And you know that WSW contract pretty sweet, you know, I mean,
it wasn't one of those guys that got kisses in the mail for three
years after the company closed, because he was dropped right before the Russo Bischoff
era started in April of two thousand. But you know, he shouldn't have
been that that straight out by the end of his life, I don't think,
But you know, maybe this is this is a glimpse at how he
chose to spend his money. When Pritchard talked about him upon his passing,
did say he was someone that put away his money. He remember him being
very stingy about that. And he was mathematically inclined. I mean, we
made jokes about how he told us he was a math teacher and things,
but he said that in other interviews with a pretty straight flight, a pretty
straight face. No doubt. I don't doubt that he was a math teacher.
What I doubt is that he made one hundred thousand dollars a year working
as a substitute math teacher, working one day a week. Didn't he tell
us it was like four hundred thousand or something even crazier than that. Ben,
I don't know. I thought it was one hundred thousand. But he's
working one day a week. I said, what are you talking about?
Man? It's like, oh, dude, you're not like a tutor as
far as I could tell, trigonometry and geometry. Yeah, does he said
he had, I guess from a Virginia union. He got a mathematics degree.
Yeah, which is interesting. So yeah, and that all tracks right,
you know, thinking about numbers, pushing weight right, of course,
you know, trying to get sixty bucks off of polaroid instead of ten,
pushing weights, pushing dates. Yep, huh. Deep inside that apparently clueless
head of Virgil is just like all these charts and graphs at all times.
Absolutely, he's like constantly calculating upside. He's like, uh uh, what's
his name? In a beautiful mind? Yes, John Nash, John Nash
or Kevin Nash. You know, shit, I got charts and shit going
through my mind all the time. I got fucking you know, map charts
and look, I got a beautiful mind. I got a beautiful mind.
You know, I got a beautiful mind for direction, got a beautiful mind
for profit for tax advantage. I said, I'll tell you what I got
a I got a beautiful mind for ten ninety nine. Ted convinced me to
wait to get back a Davy boy a while and get him a few weeks
down the road. So a few weeks later, Davy left his Union Jack
flag cape unattended. I seize the moment, cut my name out of the
back of the cape. It was perfect. Uh. Davy then try to
give me back by cutting my black pants. The pants he destroyed were actually
mister Fuji's trousers. Virgil and Ted Dibyasi are now a thing. Give me
a give me good trousers. I need your trouveth. I'm gonna, I'm
gonna. I'm gonna hold on him for a while. Ah ah my Yoko
Dullah as opposed to your Yoka Zuma. I didn't say nothing about Yoko Duma.
Ah ah my Yoko dullah Too good, dude, too good. I
can't believe lapsed Fuji isn't a thing. So what's the date we have on
this? DBAs in Virgil versus Bam Bam Bigelow and Hulk Cogan tag match.
It's January twenty fifth, nineteen eighty eight, so we're talking to like,
what two weeks before the main event. That's wild. Wow, think about
that for a second. Yeah, we talked about how Virgil very rarely wrestled,
and DBSC made reference to that, and no fucking clue that he didn't
wrestle that he wrestled before ninety one before turning Babyface. Yeah, I thought
that was kind of like the big first match. Well, I mean the
tag match returns Face at ninety one. Rumble he's wrestling in, That's what
I mean. Oh not SummerSlam, right, No, I mean I'm talking
about it. I think I feel like the first time was that tag match.
Yeah, it's Mermlan ninety one. That to me was always the first
time he wrestled. Yeah, the Hasbro era fans, it really was.
It was the first time because I remember the novelty of seeing Virgil and wrestling
trunks on that show, right, and also kind of wearing those long ones
that kind of in a way resembled what he would have one of the variations
he would have, because it was like he'd had those long stripe ones if
he wasn't wearing the boxing trunks and trunks. So this is in Madison Square
Garden, so of course it airs live for the luckiest fans in the fucking
world, those who have MSG cable as just a you know, a full
card on the Madison Square Garden network, just like the whole coc and Iron
Cheek match for eighty four and that whole show that we covered last time we
were with you. And so this is how the broadcast kicks off and how
much anticipation is in the voices of Vince McMahon, Lord Alfred Hayes and Bobby
Heen and I can't possibly describe for the forthcoming unveiling of Virgil in the ring.
Just let that, let this simmer for a bit. Do you feel
that night in Madison Square Garden the tag team matchup in the main of that
everyone looking forward to Ted Tbs and his body guard Rustler Virgil and they will
be squaring off against Bam Bam Pigelow and the World Rustling Federation Heavyweight Champion Hop
Cogan. Hello everyone, I've been the man of ringside along with or let
him scarry your Lord Alfred Hayes and who is that? What are you doing
here? I have a long here. You don't even have a head center,
a microphone. You don't belong here. Bobby the brain heenen wo course
represents the King Harley Race, also representing the Islanders, as the Islanders will
be squaring off against the British Bulldogs and a sensational tag team matchup. All
of that in a great deal more. We have all kind of excitement here.
I know you're looking forward to it. Absolutely. The fresh bull Dogs
have a great test in from the game. If they complete the Island as
they're surely in line for a title shock. But most of all, the
intrigue of Andre the Giant here backing up the team of ted Dbsad, a
million Dollar Man and with him a Virgil, the ever present Virgil. All
right now it braw you at home, Please don't let I'll forget you too
excited, all right, freaking awesome, the ever present Virgil. That's right,
he was a present. All right, you got this video, let's
queue it up, I do. We're going to take in Virgil and the
Million Dollar Man, Teddy Biassi versus hul Cochin and Bam Bam Bigelow. Remember
this was that short lived Babyface Super Push that the Bammer's got yep, that
was so summarily abandoned after apparently he rubbed under the giant the wrong way and
Andre gave him a hard time in the ring of the garden. Oh that's
the thing, you fucking if you touch him and you rub him the wrong
way when you're giving him like a massage or a rub and forget it.
Absolutely absolutely fuck go fuck you'll think you are he throw me a pharaoh.
Look what's behind you. There's some very behind you. Brother. Oh shit,
furven oil, chuck you fu fuck a thumb up his ass? How
about that? One O six forty is your time code? One O six
forty. This is video of the MSG television broadcast, and we're gonna take
this match in. Apparently it's on one of the whole Comania Colosseum videos to
this match. Alight, we haven't got there yet. No, on the
Colsseum collection side, we have not. Obviously it's deep into the collection.
If this was eighty eight, that's true, that's true. I'm ready when
you are. All right, here we go in three to one play.
All right, we're back in manusin Square Garden and awaiting the product of the
world Rosling Federaction Jacks and hol Kobe right when he makes his way to the
ring, and he will be a company with want Bam bicklow individual. I
believe mister Heenan even individual. What kind of individual was that? This individual
that Bobby Enan was associated with? Yes, shake a little bit that mat
going hair, Yeah, because I'm not sureing hair. The following contests the
time team match schedule for one fall, Big Team number one. Both men
have a whole combined my five hundred and ten pounds and they make their winroom
President in the Netherlands and Tilly thank God for parad Ooh we get the locker
room shot. Ye, let's go cam gimink m King King King, get
the King k k k k k kame King, keep the King King King
Kinking King King King King King King King and thank you for that. With
Andre the Giant flanking them. Yeah, speaking of right the main event,
Yeah, exactly right. It's pretty wild. The thing right before that nb
SU blowout special that the M s G Show still looked like this. I
don't know right this this actually looks a little bit better than comes Alster.
It is with herser all over humpered ink life. Did they just finished doing
screen caps for Wrestling Media for the NES back there that this crew. Harry
comes with the title still not winged Eagle. No, not that was the
main event that was. Yeah, so this is Holt's last walk at MSG
with the old belt. Wow. So they hit the ring and immediately DEBIOSI
and Virgil season stop. You heard Vince Mack comment about Virgil's impressive physique.
So he's getting a chance to flex that without the vest for once. Double
knock and knocker. Deber's at Virgil bumping for the industry. Very impressed with
those traps, right, yeah, and he's always knew how to set a
trap delta. I'm listening. I don't set traps for women, all right,
Double big boot from Hogan and Biggs tearing the shirt Bammers there. I'm
talking with Bamers and then said, hey, you know when we do a
fucking double boot, you right? Oh, d Berzy, it's a top
buckling. He's gonna do some bumping around for Hulkster here. This must be
such a rush for Virgil, Oh, I imagine. I mean he comes
out of jail and in two years if we have our math, right,
he's wrestling in the garden. No experience really Yeah, yeah, yeah,
that's the kind of dreams WWF could make possible if you, if you have
the look that Vince was looking for at that moment, in a role that
he needed to fill, like you really could have a charmed life for a
little while. Yeah, and it's all about criminal criminology. Absolutely corner to
corner, whip Holster crushing Gbiasi. Of course, Hogan Dibiasi a big what
if? Oh yeah, he's rubbing Debiasi's face. He's interesting. You know,
you look at Virgil, you look at his fucking body, and you
see Hogan, and Hogan's just like, you know, it almost looks like
he's got a belly compared to Virgil. Interesting, you know, it's like
it's almost like he does his physique is less than Virgils. Nice tight shot
of Andre getting pissed off that Hogan's pointing to bim Ben Bigelow and get into
the dark and crawd to pop for him. Yeah, all right, told
he didn't do anyone over four hundred pounds in the WWF. Uh, Andre
is gonna have a problem. Yeah, Abert hits the buckling. It takes
a shoulder block and turns inside out. Andre I told you before, if
you want, you know this guy can do a moon set, right,
can you do it? What are you going to do? A pounds exactly?
Are you going to do a a somersault splash from the top rope?
Are you gonna do? Are you gonna do a on a Harlem hangover?
I can't do a full fifty, boss, but I can do a one
eighty or a two o five they could do I can, I can.
I can drink one hundred and navy bills. That's what I'm looking for.
Quick tags between the Holster and Bigelow. It's sound tag team strategy. I
think you could have got behind Hogan and bigel if you were a fan back
then teaming together. Yeah, oh, totally, totally. I think I
think I could have gotten behind Bam Bam, anybody who was associated with Hogan,
I could have gotten behind. At that time, pumping machine Dbasi was
look at this guy, he's fucking I always loved the way he sold,
you know, getting his head brammed in the buckles. I also loved he's
one of my He and Jacques Roujeau were two of my favorites when it came
to like a top if they were on the top rope and they're coming down
and the baby face strikes them in the mid section, and they do that
all day at Summersault. I'm there for it. I used to do that,
but of course a kid, that was one of my favorite fucking spots,
and so I would do that with my friends. I'd go to the
top, I'd go to the top of a chair, I'd jump down.
I'd say, hit me in the gut, and I'd do that, and
then I'd do that little jump leap thing and ran on my back back with
the holster. Break my neck. Yeah, that's dangerous. This so back
Suplex and deebers and then Virgil eats a big hogan right hand and bumps off
the apron. Virgil is not totally bald here. I see a little bit
of hair. There's definitely a yeah, he's got a little something going on.
Right hand. Oh will the windmill right hand drops devers? No there,
Oh dude, Brother Andre trips Hogan from behind from the floor. Girl,
drop your balls from the behind. This was the spot. Boss,
Oh choke call him oil can boyd? Did you as no choking? Hulk
Hogan, you grow big head. But he didn't cackling uncommentary, but he
was down there. Oh yeah, but he got back on commentary. Right,
So I'm walked down with this looks like a Hasbro commercial, doesn't it?
Oh god, it does. This is totally sty'd used in that you
know, left arm lariat by Didiassi drops the holster off the whip and still
Virgil is that that standing that standing clothesline that he just did? That was
then that's one of his moves in wrestle Fest. Oh my god? Really?
Yeah? Yeah, you Virgil and wrestle Fest. Not a Virgil,
No, he's not Virgil off the top ra hope. Wow, Virgil comes
up with a top rope single axe handle dropping Hulk Hogan Deeve's you know,
des wrops a guy in the in the corner and he just stands there and
then he lifts up the arm and just fucking amazing. You get a Hogan
rising from his knees at the at the feet of Virgil. Yeah, what's
he insane about? Virgi? Yeah? You think powerful sort? You think
n W CW Hogan maintained vincent or do the think he'd called him Virgil whenever
the cameras weren't rolling. That's a good question, because you know we didn't
call him Mike. He had Andrei trying to use the bottom rope, push
it down across Holt's throat while the ref's distracted. Big nasty Giant. Wasn't
that big show for the big nasty bastards anyways? Oh yeah, tag to
DBA Virgil holding him open, Dibia rings down punishment, Hogan him a knee.
Nothing's going to stop another giant Hogan his beat. Yes, he takes
a shot at Bigelow and the apron Bigelow helpless to do anything about it.
He's not the legal man? Is he tatted up on his forehead? On
his head yet? Oh yeah, that was the day one thing. Okay,
maybe he added some of the years went, but egg knife fetch chopped
from dB backing up the Hulkster going oh Hogan, wow, Hogan bumping back
clips over the ropes. But the term isn't the business for that? Or
do you go over the ropes like that? So Oliver Humperdink on the move
just to make your night. I believe we've talked about him and his after
shows with hookers absolutely and his sweaty chest, yeah, just the and they
were men, the hookers were men. That the beads of sweat on his
hair and his red hair and his chest tag Hergil. He hasn't even done
anything. He's just fucking waiting. Hegel getting punishment and on hul Irish What
then he drops Hogan with a clothesline isn't jumping clothes line? There? Good
stuff. Birch had a fist drop from Virgil. Can can can cankingkeep you
can kinging King campiging King King King Piking keeping King can keep think King King
Brother halts building back up rakes Virgil's eyes. Virgil immediately tags out to deebers
things looking harry for a second. There for the million dollar man's bodyguard.
I love those standing drop fists. How does he get that angle? Look
at that? Look at that so fucking amazing that oppressed by Ted Dibiassi gets
two and three quarters. He ain't been complaining about the cadence of the count.
I think he's got a point slipper hole now from the million dollar man
Debes. I mean, Virgil doesn't look great, but isn't it bad?
No? I think he's protected in this tag tag mash formula. That's true.
You know, I think, you know, I think it's a smart
move to for this put don't I remember thought, you know, the thing
is Virgil. I never thought Virgil looked bad, right. I thought he
was completely adequate, right, you know, because he was pretty fast and
he sold well, and you know, he's no genius, he's no,
he's no fucking ring general. But he's he's he's totally adequate. You know,
he's he's better than some today. I'll tell you that ripping the top
tag rope. He's very observant of that, that rule to be honesty.
He's brought hul Cogan all the way down to the canvas in the sleeper hole.
Yes, here's the WWF champion, maybe fading, playing a babyface in
peril. Here, not the big hot tag comeback guy. That's that's big
alow. That's that's that's kind of typical for Hogan, though, I feel
like, yeah, I feel like Hogan's alway. It's kind of a weird
thing because you always think that Hogan would want to be the hot tag guy,
but he he he often is the baby face in peril and lets the
his his partner take that, take the pop. Hogan breaks for you with
back elbows in a tackle town goes Debiassi off the ropes, over the top
comes Hogan, ducks a backhand and double I wonder, what is what's Hogan
getting right giving? You know, you know he's not doing that for free.
You know, what's what's his partner giving him? Well, I'm sure
he's got designs on take a little turning on him and getting the wrestled innu
pay day out of it. You know, a guy that's north of three
fifty comes out of the company. That's what Hogan's thinking. Here comes Biggs
hot Tag and he's in there with Virgil. Virgil. Virgil hurts a knee
on the cell. Nice nice good good bomb there, Jesus as an athlete
man, Yeah no, there really was up to a gorilla press from bigelow
Ah above the garden. He's one of those guys like you. I never
understood how he could get beat up so bad, so so badly, and
so easily, because like he's so muscular, right, how did he always
get beat up so much? I know he's like he actually he's like a
two hundred pounds of reill thinjer brone exactly. That was an awesome gorilla press
by kind he kind of Oh, Hogan sneaks in the leg drop Oh,
Bigelow in the hot big splash on verge covered by Bigelo one. Two,
this thing's over fucking referee taking the slog? Is this I don't even Rember?
Is this the first guys? Are we starting the finish? In this
one, Andre's got his hands on Bigelow, ripping him. I didn't get
a chance to read the script beforehand. It was fun except for the gorilla
press lamb. Virgil was trying to sit up and Bigelow is coming down with
the head buttons, almost like Virtil forgot that was next and I think they
cracked heads there. Yep, Virtil's backup well enough to commence a two on
one beat down like Bruce Hart. There something the ringside Wow hounding on the
hulks for ringside. And here's Bigelow drop kicking Andre from behind. Ray,
Andre taking the bombed ricochets off the rope and hits the canvas. Hogan storing
chairs in the ring. Bigelow's wheeling a chairs this crazy night at the garden.
Yeah, Hogan launched a chair from the floor and Bigelow caught it in
midair. Both Hogan and Bigelo's standing ground in the middle of the ring.
Humperd inc hit humper ding with a fucking chair, please, humper ding,
Kumpa doing kumpa with the suspenders, wearing Andre right like he's a fucking uh
uh. He's got like a like an olive tree. Yeah, he's sure
that he does. Actually, Virgil and Dbiasse holding back Andre. I'm going
to go pick the allars forty three. It's the announcement about to be made.
Jubilation at the garden now yet playing the saxophone theme for Bam Bam,
Oh my god, King King can kill in the back. Oagan taking about
with the championship, Bigelow mid ring as well, flashbulbs in the garden.
This was in the middle of the show, of course, an event in
the middle of the card. So they can go home, they can go
home. It's really so that everybody is in their seat to hear the pitch
that intermission is now and tickets for the next show are available to box office.
Get yours before it's too late. That's right. You don't want to
make that announcement at a weak point. In the show. Finally Andre compelled
to and was there. Is that why the main event was in the middle,
so that you yeah, yeah, they'd make the announcement of the next
show and the date in the main event if they could. And that's the
thing too, like if the main event was on the end, it probably
would compromise what they could announce for the next show because there was probably a
title match, and what are you gonna say, right Ogan laying the belt
down, still ready to battle if you'd be, Assi, Virgil and Andre
are interested, but of course not to have that exclusive fucking you know TV.
Ah, It's just it's just fucking miraculous. Just had such a better
beat on like what the WWF was like, yeah, when you could see
it on this monthly kind of supercard basis, and it wasn't like a bigger
produced pay per view. It was just like well, run of the mill,
their best foot forward, but like a really good house show and how
crazy these people are going. It's yep, and you'd the best part is
you'd see big stars like you would absolutely would, and you see big you
know, like you said, like paper view quality matches essentially Hulk Wilpo's that's
right, Nagan. Last show, we looked forty years ago when Hogan won
the belt in this building, and now look where he's at just four years
later. Vince McMahon, Haltonmania is still running wild and Madison Square Garden try
to teach you. Bam bam bigelow the ear cup. Yeah, you don't
ever get that of a Hulk merchandise. It looks like John Senor's belt.
There it does. It's me out of woods, so I guess it's Daniel
Bryan's belt. Actually, wow, that's a fucking playing lord. Al And
you know, I believe that Hulk Hogan is the greatest professional athlete of all
time is rare. They brought down the music and there's lad, there's glad.
That's funny. Hell could look at this guy? How over was this
guy? This is just like a kind of run of the mill MSG show.
Yep, you can end up there aging. So not a bad first,
uh Gan King and Gan King Guarden outing for Virgil. Sure, not
at all. So we'll push it all the way now to the Rumble ninety
one. So I'm gonna load it up on Peacock. I think the Boss
is an alternative method, but you at home, you know, to do
what you need to do, you at home. That says to the cock,
this show, this show, this show, as we pull it up,
just please, I mean, people who don't know. Rumble ninety one
is everything and I watched it when we were getting ready for the World Rumble.
This year, we're gonna watch the little Are we gonna watch the little
thing beforehand? Where Yes talks about the dinner. I got one, thirty
six fifty five. I'm close enough, I got one? Are you doing
it? Right after Tugboats promo? I believe? So let me discern that.
Yeah, tell people what's so special about this show? I mean,
first of all, it was the first for me. It's the first video
that I ever rented, first wrestling video I ever rented, and was right
after the nineteen ninety two Roar Rumble happened and I and so there's just that
magic to it, and it's like there's there's something about the The commentary of
Piper and Monsoon is so great. Even though you know, I love I
love Heenan, obviously, I love I love the face Healed dynamic, but
there's something about having these two guys that is just a lot of fun Piper's
so great on commentary, And where were you on Virgil coming into this show.
Did you have any inkling that something big was about to happen with this
guy? No, No, this is kind of the funny thing. So
so when I came in to watching in late ninety one, early ninety two,
so much stuff actually happened in between, you know, from the beginning
of ninety one to the end of ninety one. In the early ninety two,
you know, like I didn't know what the Heart Foundation was. I
knew Brett Hart because Brett Harder was the intercamal champion, absolutely I And to
me, Jim Knightheart was the new foundation. I didn't know. I didn't
know what this Heart Foundation was. And you see him come out, He's
like, you see Jim Knightheart come out dressed like Brett Hart, Like why
is he dressed up like for Brett Hart? Right in this thing? I
didn't know what a brother love was coming out there. But like it also,
uh uh, you know, savage, the whole savage thing. Warrior
wasn't there anymore when I started watching, you know, the slot like Slaughter
had just turned baby face again when I started watching, So to see him.
You know, he's the heel Eve though I knew he was a heel
beforehand. There was just a lot of stuff, you know, Demolition was
gone by the by that point that I started watching. Wow, right,
it just ended. You know, there was such a changing of the guard
in nineteen ninety one where a lot of the guys, I mean, like
Dino Bravo was was was this was gone. Yeah, Like by the time
I was watching, the natural disasters were formed. What is this tug Boat
character? Right? Who is this guy? It's fascinating. Yeah, it's
wild. I'm right after Tugboat cut his promo. So I got Gorilla and
I got uh Roddy Piper. Yep, me too. And for those following
on on Peacock, this is one thirty six thirty three. I We're going
to take you all the way through the tag match. We're Virgil teams with
Teddy Biassi to face Dusty Rhoades, the namesake of the virtual character for some
irony, and Dustin Rhodes, who was just breaking into the business. And
this is the match where Virgil finally has enough after years of Teddy Biassi's demeaning
treatment and what an angle it is. It's amazing. It's the reason we're
here. Yes, that they did this angle is the only reason that Virgil
registered with us such that we would think to invite him to a party in
twenty twelve. Yep, but this is it. Yeah, three two one
play anybody at the top of their game, ready for the royal prest the
piper, the bare chest under his shirt, I can take it out.
This has been the greatest acting like he's on cocaine the whole night and I
have ever been at and I am truly excited and the best. It's just
yet thet he's popping gorilla, just acting like a fucking saying general thing.
The big tag team matchup Virgil, the henchman of the the Henchman Boss.
Yes, of course a catch Dusty and Dustin Rhoades. I love this.
I love this whole story here. I love this fucking story shared some stim
mill talked about life, talked about pride, talked about want money not by,
talked about sat there and instead of instead of leaving a million dollar tip
and thank you, we want we walked cars eyebrows. I'm sure so good.
And the Virgil before that time did not have friendly cry now let's take
you to Sean Norty this idea, and tonight you will be the wine Son
tag team Dusty and Rhodes to have. And I would say that is a
very why did this happen yet? To see you see Virgil as a tag
team. How do you think your bodyguard is put a fairy knight in the
ring? Man? I think my bodyguard is gonna fare very well. Everybody
wants to know why why does Virgil wipe the sweat from my brow? Why?
What is virgil my shoes? Shoes massage my feet? Look at the
tight shot of Virgil again, theowl form of treatment that I feel fit to
give him. This right here is why the almighty dollar I have but a
bodyguard I have, but a tag team partner. I have but the best
that money could buy it. And this right here is why Virgil will do
it. And you, Dusty Roads and that bunk of yours are gonna find
out in just a few minutes. There is a bodd and that bond is
the money. That's a man. Not a word from Virgil, but he's
got to look on his face, that's like he's eyeballing. DIBIASI the whole
time. He's not looking at the camera or anything. He's looking at DIBIASI
here it comes to dream dream what is he? Man? Working hard,
heading hands. He's got a common hand sticking down in his hands. Yees
American cream. Yeah, was this in Tampa? The show? This was
Miami, Miami. I think I just saw Jason Hervey. I could be
wrong. It looked like him, but I think he was a little too
young actually, because it did have the same haircut. It might have been
a Jason drey Well. I love this woman. This woman is dancing over
there, you can see her. She gets back into it with she gets
right backed into it with with dba's team. I always love that. Such
a great man. The best ones are the ones where you've watched them three
hundred times because there's stuff I would never notice. Look at that, Look
at the soft focus, the way they came in Virgil they're putting in the
foreground. Yeah, they're they're doing such a good job getting us to pay
a little more attention to Virgil than we normally would. Yes, TBIASI ever
the the cocky stride on his way to the ring here for tag team action.
Justusty, Wow, just because we pay you someone a salary doesn't mean
to give you the way to intimidate them. I I believe that I have
the right to in tip many people because they get the sealery wiles would I
And how how good is Piper here? Oh? He's what's he doing?
He is the reason he is He is setting up that Virgil is a human
being, that Virgil doesn't need to be the million dollar man's guy, like
he's he's the person. Like I don't know, I don't know how it
was played up beforehand. I don't know how it was set up. But
like I don't know if there was that if they were actually playing up the
descent of debiosity and virtual you know, I don't after this, Yeah,
I don't know, but I but what I do know is that Piper is
setting, is laying, is planning to seed, and it's brilliant because it's
not done in a way that it's like, oh wait a minute, you
know this is this going to happen in this match. It's done in a
way that he's just drawing attention to a guy who we've seen and like,
I guess commenting on the stuff that maybe people have have talked about but not
really talked about or known but not talked about in public. Yeah, here's
a guy who you know is just you know, taking this, you know,
essential abuse from this from this guy. So absolutely, Piper is Piper
is a key element to the success of this Virgil run from the Rumble to
SummerSlam. Yeah, because Virgil would never be able to carry the storytelling verbal
part of the whole thing. No, no, no at all. It's
a very savvy move to put Piper in this position, and he does a
great job calling upound, you know, his own background, his own his
own personal mythology about coming up fighting in the streets and being somebody that was
kind of a you know, kind of somebody that would that was disrespected as
a kid. Yeah, like the clothes line, Dustin Roads drops Virgil with
the high flying clothes line and a dropkick. The match started with didiostic Virgil
having their Irish whips reversed and they both collided. Did Piper ever get arrested
for dealing heroin of no comment, having fucking bricks of heroin like a street
archin. Yes, Yes, look at this DBAs dressing down Virgil at ringside
after a and what makes it work too. Is the fact that, again,
at least to my knowledge, outside of that that MSG show, I've
never I've never seen him wrestle, at least on him on a major card.
I distinctly remember this feeling like the first time I saw him in the
trucks. Yeah, and it's like, you know, he got he is.
It's a major card, and so you kind of would see a frustrated
gbase when his guy's not doing well. Absolutely, yeah, because that's a
new side. Like you DBS is always disrespecting Virgil and stuff. Yeah,
but but him being frustrated that he's gonna actually lose a match due to Virgil,
that that adds a new layer to it. Look at Virgil the leap
for I've tried a monkey flip. If Dustin put the brakes on, throw
on the elbows now and look at Virgil bouncing all over the place. But
look at that. Look at that fucking taking the bump a nice clothesline over
the top of the floor. Father and dad looking awkward, and now Debasu
stomping over to Virgil, gonna pick him up? What fuck's the matter with
you? Screaming at him? Get in there. But I remember that the
sense the thread running through this of like Jesus Ted, like Ticket. He's
the guy doesn't even wrestle like you expect him to be able to beat these
guys. He's never wrestled before. Yes, he's supposed to be able to
beat them, all right, that's the name of the game. Virgil slaps
the apron in frustration, climbs back into the ring now to engage with Dustin
Rhodes. Yeah, I don't see you in there, Debias says Piper again,
so good planting seeds. Okay, he's just planting seeds. What a
frustrated tag in there. You know, you know what makes it. I'll
show you how it's done, he says. That's what Debasi said to Virgil,
show how it's done. Wow, an asshole, But you know,
you know again going back to Piper, Piper is is thirty of what makes
the moment at the end of this match so special. Absolutely, his screaming,
Oh it would be it would be an incredible moment as itself. But
Piper screaming is that is the whip cream and the cherry on top of the
Sunday. I can't wait for that moment. It's so magical. That's one
of the best moments of the herat WW. It's so funny. You know,
it's like, you know, people always talk about creative being down and
stuff, and this is, but like, think about the amount of emotional
angles that occurred in nineteen ninety one. This right here the game coincidentally,
it's like two of them. So many of them actually involve Virgil, Teddy
Biass and Randy Savage. Yeah. Yeah, you know from Savage Savage smashing
Warrior in the Head earlier on this show with the thing Savage and and Liz
reuniting they get married by like this is. I never understood the the amount
of disdain that this era got, this year got ever got it, never
understood it. There's such incredible storytelling like that. I think if you lived
through the whole Mania phenomenon, you knew that business was sinking maybe, and
so you didn't want to judge it on artistic you want to judge it on
well, it's not as hot as it was two years ago, three years
ago. I mean, I just remember it being some of the most exciting
television. I mean, here we are, right, I mean, here's
everybody Conrad, so many people that do successful wrestling podcasts. This is their
era, and if they grew up in another era, I'm not so sure
that they would have the fields required to do something like this. Yeah,
it's a whole industry. This era was so dialed in that it created an
industry of retrospective wrestling podcasts because everyone this is everyone's true north. It has
a grow era because because you know, and part of that too is I
feel like everybody in a good way is on cruise control. That's right at
this point where they're every no one's no one's trying to prove anything to somebody
else. They're just like comfortable in their spot. They're they're doing their thing,
and they're just kind of doing business as usual. And I don't think
it's a bad thing in this in this part, like just I mean,
also speaking by the way, speaking of of weird stuff, remember I started
watching at the end of the year in ninety one and with Jake, Like
the first thing I saw was Jake the Snake Roberts slapping Elizabeth and beating up
a completely weakened Macha Memority Savage from Tuesday and Texas. Right. Yeah,
so to come and watch this show, being the first videotape, my first
glimpse into into the past and seeing Jake as a babyface, like, what
the fuck happens? Not only a baby face but one of the hottest baby
faces, just you know, a crazy, crazy reaction, and when he
gets it, when he comes out of the ring. A couple of times
they are Virgil saved Teddy Biass from the sleeperhold of Dusty Roads and from a
pinning predicament. So they're getting that in that Virgil is still being a loyal
servant to ted to BIASI still giving his bidding. And then he just got
tagged in and dodged a knee, lifting the corner from dust and Roads.
And now Virgil targeting the weakened leg of the natural, the future Natural,
showing some ring savvy. Here is Virgil, yes, indeed, attacking the
weakened limb the compromise line, yelling have him to get up for something.
We've heard Virgil verbalize anything on WWF television. He's virgilizing out there. That's
a great trivia question. I don't know if people have studied it more exactly
or have a memory. Almost the first time Virgil uttered a word on WWFTV,
I certainly couldn't tell you. I couldn't tell you either. Virgil dragging
Dustin by the weakened leg over to the post. Now he's gonna ram the
knee into it. Yes, and of course looking like he's thirty five when
he's twenty two. Oh, I mean, I know, I mean he
does, he really does. That's the thing. Then he looked thirty five
for the rest of his life when he's fifty something. I know he seriously
doesn't. He doesn't look his age now, ye know, look at the
purple of that apron, I know, Burgundy, like Burgundy with that fucking
logose folks, please, it's all it's just so simple. It's so simple.
It's like that stuff is just so you know. I've never while I've
been okay in the past with with titles changing, I know that you're very
the look at the belts, yeah, but like, look at the belts
changing. But I'll tell you one thing that I've never liked is the logos
of the show's changing. Yeah, sacrilege. It's been like they're so good,
they were so awesome, and I don't I don't know why they needed
to be changed. Again, I get it, you need to evolve sometimes
and things there it is. That's it. There's the spot that sets it
up. DBS was holding dustin roads open. Virgil came in through a clothesline.
Dusty Dustin get out of the way, and Virgil drops DBAs Virgil slapping
his hands like damn it, I can't believe I did that. DBAs.
He's out and he slapped him. Then he chops him. He's destroying Virgil.
I remember that was it too. He didn't just slap him, He
started doing wrestling moves to him, fucking beating him. He rose Virgil violently
out of the ring to just a million dollar man so tired he can't get
up a buzz in this crowd as Dusty gets the tag. Yep, what
did ted Dbasse just do to Virgil? He just beat up his namesake,
all I know? Yeah, Now the real Virgil cooking here and I love
this. Let's bury. Let's very fucking dusty roads right now, Roll up
by dbasc two three pins dusty roads. That's it, nothing, nothing dust
immediately exit. Fucking Dusty came in like a house of fire and he got
pinned on a fluke fucking roll up. It's a weird finish like a bitch.
So here we go. It's time to do some business. BBS standing
victorious in the ring, Virgil still collecting themselves on the floor after DBS beat
the ship out of him and threw him out there. Now Deber is looking
down at Virgil and barking at him. Games with the chin strap fucking beer.
So let's lay out for this whole thing. Yeah, the mat that
can't come back. It's time to make us care about Virgil. That nobody
nobody crosses a million dollar man without paying a puss that to night, No
Jo, have kid of yours paid the plus? That's right, Na,
listen to the crowd. Orty Chenney, Virgin you paid for the price till
four too? Hate the price before too? What is a million dollar belt?
Ki free and put it around my waist? Yes? Boy, the
really stick in here, piper man, I'm so a scotsman. God,
it cuss his money tops, Laddy anything. Look at the eyes on Virgie.
Yeah, Now, Virgil really knows how to make a face like he's
about to lose it. He does. He's looking at tend to be in
a way he never has before. I'm understanding the guy, and he does
it. He still eats ship, He still does it. There comes a
point, but obviously Virgil don't got no points quite. I guess that's one
way of putting it. He's not ready, not not Look this is great
here he still builds. It's still building. It's got the title in the
in the ring, listening sparkling. Come on, do it. Virgil's holding
the belt, holds the belt, hesitating ever so slightly. What's it back
in there? And then prompts it. Look at that Look at that face.
Look at that scowl. Oh he looks fucking pissed about your family,
about your Piper type of memories. Just don't matter. M comes a point.
Yes, down with me. Virgil gets down to we need to retrieve
the belt. That's right, ABIASI turns us back to Virgil. Older boom.
Listen to Piper. Listen to Piper. Look at his face, spits
on the title. I mean, what a phenomenal piece of business. He's
not slapping hands, No, he's not smiling. No, he's just walking
away. Oh my favorite fucking Hogan promo. I mean to me, just
like, oh you know what, brother boss, I mean, what the
fuck? How can something involving such a marginal talent be so good. I
mean, that guy fucking nailed that moment. He totally did. And he
just like you nailed it. He didn't change the countenance. Yeah, And
that's what we want out of a baby face. We don't want a guy
who transforms overnight to being a syrupy good guy and he never was before.
We want the guy that we knew as a heel, now fighting for good,
but not changing who he is. Right, And I don't know,
I don't know where Virgil if even knew he was doing it. But when
he made that face and they got that tight shot of his head after he
dropped Debias with the belt. By the way, that's the belt shot that
I'm pretty sure he said at your bachelor party, DEBSI needed one hundred and
forty stitches to close. I believe he said he needed them all around his
head. I saw no blood. I saw no blood number one, number
two. I don't know why he would need them on the back of his
back of his head, right, that's probably what you say when you know
that if you watch the video, you can't see any blood. But maybe
I can convince people it's lost in the hair. I see. Yeah,
unbelievable moment, really just remarkable angle. It's one of the it's one of
it's just such a it is as close to poignant as you can get in
for wrestling. Yes, all right, that's really that's really it like it
is. It's such a moment because there's just so much story being told there,
years and years of this guy being DBAs servant. I mean, I
don't know if it necessarily was a as he says, a six year build
to this. I don't know if that was the case. If they're like
now, there weren't really hints. Yeah, you know, But I do
think that the history was important in selling the moment because you wouldn't have had
if you hadn't seen the kind of i mean, the abuse or kind of
him being this essential slave to Teddy Biassi. It's all psychologically in your brain
during that moment. Absolutely, and with Piper, we realize the importance and
the untapped potential of having a colored guy with a rooting and in something other
than every other fucking match on the show. Yes, you know. Now,
even if they have a color guy in commentary, I think of like
a Pat McAfee. He's hyped for the whole show because he's a cheerleader,
he's a fucking you know, he's a guy that is being compensated for the
amount of reactions he can help bring out of the crowd. It feels like
he's a pitch man piper while he was animated the whole card and going nuts
the whole time and did a wonderful job. He he saved his personal interest.
Not he was not analyzing this moment with Virgil. They brilliantly injected him
that. It's always works in wrestling when you get the commentary. Remember when
when Taz stood up for Jerry Lawler one time, or Jim Ross whatever it
was on Monday Night Raw Lawler who stood up for Lawler stood up for to
Jr. Against Taz because Taz was in j R's face. Yes, another
example, it's like it's like the announcers can do whatever they do. They
can you know, beat whatever drum they do, they can have you know,
their cliches and everything. But there when you decide to do an angle
where the announce sir, who's got that unique connection because you can talk directly
to the audience and you don't see him. So he's like the soundtrack over
what's happening? Yep. When you can establish to the audience that this commentator
has this one soft spot for this particular wrestler or for the is rooting for
this particular outcome, you have an alchemy there. You have a moment that
you don't often get in wrestling, where like you can accentuate the intensity of
it by adding the sound to it, not just the crowd reaction. It's
just like, just like Bobby Heenan on the ninety two rumble call, I
was gonna say it. I mean, that's the greatest example of that is
that Bobby Heenan Rick Flair era, you know where exactly on the heelside,
right where you got Heenan, who is just completely in the corner of Rick
Flair no matter what. Yes, he likes other heels but he is he
is personally and financially invested, is hyperventilating if Flair almost gets eliminated, exactly
Where's that? What happened? What happened to that element of wrestling, which
is like forty percent of what makes something magical? I mean, when's the
last time anyone on a WW call accentuated a moment like that? I mean,
I don't think anyone's ever been to me that the most recent period of
something like that would have been the would have been kind of that that the
Michael Cole shit, remember was like was it was it? Daniel Bryan?
Yeah, the miss and stuff, and they did a good job at wrestling
a thirty. But even then, that's just a good articulate call, like
Jim Ross will do. I'm talking about what he would get involved though,
he got involved with with a heel. Yeah, the heel, like you
know, to me, that's an example of it. Yeah, sure,
like where he had a personal he wanted him to lose. Yeah, that's
a good that's a good example. Yes, But I can't think of any
other times, like ten years ago now exactly exactly. That should be something
you do once a year, you know, honestly, not too often,
but you pick it right, man, and you can make you can make
someone like Virgil be somebody that we're talking about in twenty twenty four exactly.
So we're well on our way here with baby Face Virgil. And you know,
there wasn't a lot of there there, so it didn't last too long.
But while it did last, it was memorable and Roddy Piper was carrying
most of the freight on the interviews. Here's a segment where he just leans,
as Piper used to do, way too often, leans way too much
into the racial side of it, and like too many puns about the fact
that Virgil's black. But that was WWF at the time, that was wrestling
at the time. There's probably society at the time. Honestly. Yeah,
he is on a I think it's wrestling challenge on stage with Virgil shortly after
this turn of events. Do we have going on this week, mister Piper,
Well, this week we're gonna have a little lesson and human rights.
We're gonna have human rights one on one. You see, he didn't always
stand for Piper. Please start for poverty, Please start for a lot of
different Princess. There's a difference between being a friend and fool, and I
does hate a bully. Virgil want you to check something out here. I
want you to take this cloth, and I want you to say to me,
Roddy, my back's hurt. With your mind friend, uh, shining
my boots for me, Prowdy, my back's hurting. We please mind shining
my shoes for me and my pleasure, friend, stick that foot out out
there. Wait a minute, wait for what's going on? Oh, honey,
I can make him shine. You're looking at me? You look at
that boy? Yes, how's that look? Looks good? Get it off
with kilt there? Hey, what's the point. It's a pleasure, you
know why? Because I'm your friend. Let me give you out. Let
me give you another little uh blessing. Here. You take that cloth there
and you say to me, rdy, kiss my feet, rowdy, kiss
my feet. Stick it in your nose, slip me, don't it kiss
like me? Just my food? Then you know your nose slamming here?
Like, don't it kiss my had you just suck? Stick it in your
nose. You'll try it. Brother, listen, step down there on my
boots. And why is that cow of the bolts off my boots? I
said, get down? And why the cow stop fall from me boots?
No? I said, get down? Whip the cow stuff off my boots?
No? Who know? O? Whow Why don't you see your see
your black nags? Oh can't see how white? Next? I don't see
a yellow next stuff? I see kar man? Why are you? How
are you gonna like my No? Let me again. I want you just
spell man. Such oh hey, oh, I want you to look in
at camera. Come wrestle me. You'll tell Fibasi Hi you spell man and
wrestle Dibia. Just spell man. C I r K I l M.
Come. How do you feel? I feel like a ray of heat.
I'm wrestling. Guess who's coming to dinner. Guess he's coming to dinner?
All right, I guess it's a deep a the sentiments. Okay, it's
it's just kind of like in your face. That's Piper before you went.
I know, I know, I mean, honestly, I'm surprised he didn't
like do what he did at WrestleMania six and walk out with half half in
blackface. Yeah that's right. Yeah, this is not too long after he
did that. Yeah, but you know that's the that's WrestleMania build. Actually
that isn't SummerSlam build, right, And what did they do at WrestleMania.
They thought it was a one on one match between Dbias and uh and Virgil.
Piper was out there with with Virgil, but he had the crutches.
Remember he had the crutches. He had like a motorcycle accident or something,
and so eventually, Yeah, I think I think DBS lost by count out,
so he didn't like it wasn't like a satisfactory finish and uh and then
dB Ass kind of beat on on on on Piper with the crutches, that's
right. And then Virgil saved him and he said, do Roddy, do
what you told me? Get up, get up so good. And I
remember that because I probably told this one before when I was a kid in
the rest May seven was obviously a restlem e eight too, was just a
massive thing. And of course yeah they're huge shows. I am right.
So Resum seven is the one that he's cutting that promo for, right,
that's seven, yes, seven? So that was my first one, really,
I tell some Slam ninety one pay per view my first WrestleMania, and
so I always associated because of this entrance you mentioned with Piper and the crutches,
Roddy Piper his ring walk being a limp. Oh. Yeah, so
I try to you know, I try to pantomime the wrestlers. Is the
way they came into the ring as a kid, and when I would have
Piper's music in my head and I'd be limping, you know, like like
that was his signature, but just happened to be this one show. I
watched one show that's just it like you know, like those that's the thing
is, you know, I I it's like that that that's Saturdayn's main event
for ninety two. I always in my mind, I have always attached commentators
saying, you know, doing the uh what's his name, I can't think
of his name, the songwriter, but he says, don't you don't you
don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit in the wind. It's like,
no, it would happen one time. But I watched that show so
many times that it made me think that everybody said that that's amazing, so
good. So part of what eventually happens with a piper and in Virgil trying
to find stuff to say on promos is a strange thing where they put Virgil
and drag. Have you ever seen this Virgil? Yeah? No, there's
there's all of a sudden they're doing like these pre tape proms, not in
front of the people, like the thing we just heard, but you know,
against the green screen and because Scary Sherry or Harry Sherry as Ruddy Piper
WrestleMania, by the way, that that would be that'd be the time that
Sherry started working with Deeves. Absolutely seven. It's because so much weird shit
happened again, Like you look at the more than any other year. I
feel like you look at the beginning of the year ninety one, you look
at the end of the year, and the whole everything is different, so
eventful, so many sea changes, and so now with Sherry aligned with Dbasi,
Piper feels like he needs to find a woman to counteract Sherry, to
align him with. And so there's a couple of interviews on syndicated television where
Piper brings in Virgilina who's Virgil and drag dressed up. It looks like,
I don't know, almost like a media looking woman, and like they stuffed
like fruit like melons, and his fucking shirt and everything and gave him like
the big lipstick treatment and everything and on the wig, and Virgil tries his
hand at showing some range. Of course, now they're decidedly in the category
of trying to find ways to rib Virgil on the square and make fun of
him. So the Bloom is a bit off. The rose I think is
a reasonable read of this. But here's here's a sample of Virgil going to
a place that many didn't expect him to well for the first time. Dabie
Asi, you and I got something in common. Both got something on our
corner the shade let me die y So anyway, so no offense to miss
Virgilina, my gal, that's not you know, Virgelina was gonna be on
the Olympic team except for that small chromosome rule. They ba bah, I
need someone that takes care of Harry sharing. This is the doll for it.
What's that BBC? You call me a liar, you say, and
this is Virgil. This ain't Virgilina. Who do you think you are?
You can't hunt? But alire, mister DMI. I'll my brother right out
here right now, I say words lead be aufy. You're looking at that
trouble good stuff. I mean, yeah, good, that's a great So
that's it. That's it, Verge, you're looking at trouble. You're looking
at trouble. So yeah, they did like them. Yeah the piper split
screen effect from that Colisseum video. So you've got Virgil and Drag on the
left side of the screen. You've got Virgil as we know him on the
right side and having some fun I guess on the square with Virgil. So
that was a that's a little footnote there in his story in the WWF Gone,
but yeah, the precursor there ninety one we mentioned the Rumble, we
mentioned WrestleMania, and all leads to Summer Slam. And this is a special
event for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is it was
our very first episode of the Lapsed Fan Ever. Absolutely, and how fitting
upon TLFX that the gods see to it that we have reason to revisit that
first episode, right yeah, and probably one of the more important moments of
that too. Oh absolutely. One of the reasons that we felt this was
a great show to start with because there was just so much that was already
in our memory banks both about it. This is the show that we really
got the bond going over, you know, like this whole er. It's
like, oh my god, you remember this, you remember this detail.
I watched it one hundred times. You remember he said this? No,
he did I remember this? Yes? I remember? Yeah. I felt
that way too. Did you ever hum the theme songs? Oh my god,
did your toys ever go over. Oh my god. So this is
ultimate, So pull up Slams ninety one if you could, yep, and
for those loading up Peacock as am I. We're going to start at fifty
four oh three. It's just as Randy Savage is finishing a phone call backstage
related to his upcoming nuptials, which is also very uh a huge interesting with
you know, virtuals association with your nuptials. Boss, that's the very that's
a very good point, very interesting going on there. So if you're ready,
I'm ready. I'm ready. Three two one played Dbias. We are
just moments away from the match for the million dollar belts. Yeah, right
now, I can't help but recall some of the humiliating services you forced your
former bodyguard Virgil to perform. For example, you had him clean the fungus
from between your clothes, a shell the toe fungus, so you made him
remove the dirt from your boots, not to mention the constant verbal abuse the
former bodyguard had to endure. Yeah, such a good recap package. I
sat a million times, everybody. That's a price for a million dollar man.
You see that look, that look of humiliation on Virgil's face, Well,
that look is my note com person to the humiliation that you're gonna suffer
tonight, Virgil, in just a few minutes, at the hands of a
million dollar man, you come to face the master, to challenge the master
in my city, New York City, for my million dollar bill. Well,
you better go and cancel all those plans of celebration that you have.
And you remember the gutter that I told you I was going to leave you
laying in face down where you're in a city full of gutters. So take
your pick, Virgil. But just to show you that I am not a
totally insensitive man, I have left you token Sherry. Here it is Virgil.
You're crying top. I mean, he's also one of those guys the
ring back to you, Gorilla, he's stealer, one of those guys that
what don't know if he's gonna job. Yeah, you know, because he's
so crafty, and so many times you think it's gonna be over, you
think it's gonna be a clean thing, and it's not. Oh my god,
she looks like she just sucked down some coum What an outfit on,
Sherry. She knew how to dress for big shows. Oh, she's so
fucking awesome, absolutely tremendous the Garden. I mean this is just some red
hot summer I'm here for Garden summer slams. Yes, please playing. How
many there have been? How many? I mean, I'm with eighty eight,
I'm with ninety one, I'm with ninety eight. Yeah, that's all
you need. It is so good. I mean, also, how about
just Garden pay per views? They don't fucking do that anymore. I know,
it's gotta be fucking only uh, you know, it's got to be
a sixty thousand seat stadium in a second tier city, right house shows and
occasional TVs for Madison Square Garden. Here he comes the biggest entrance of his
life. M h hell freaking high five with Piper, who's ringside, don't
get him the Yangs dbios off the Ropes and goes to town with the right
hands for this whip to the corner. Deeps takes the buckle high back body
drop Virgil's Cooking Gray six day over the top. Rop goes tob As trying
to think of the last time we saw dB As lose lose, like get
a pinfall loss on a pay per view. Right before this, I couldn't
tell you. I'm gonna say it must have been. Did he even get
pinned in at Starvesers eighty eight? I don't know what it happened, or
eighty nine, I don't know, but like it's it's not a common thing.
No, No, you know, he'd have one on one matches,
but it would always end like in a dq ORR or or you know,
get they get close to beating him, but they wouldn't go quite the distance.
That's a great point. That's part of also part of what makes it
so awesome. Mm hmm. And I remember so much from this match,
Virgil, and I'm sure he's doing it not so much on purpose. And
now we're back in he's doing the fancy footwork, the flip flopping, fly
jabs, sting like a bee, just feeling like as much as he was
showing in the match big right hand, it just felt like he was still
like lunging around like someone who wasn't quite a trained pro wrestler. Yes,
and that was probably just as amateurnists, but it actually worked for the scenario.
It did. It absolutely did because it added a scrap be factor to
him totally like a guy who like even if Dbasi was going to totally out
wrestle him. Yeah, could still dig down and throw a curveball at Dbasi
that he would never see coming. Just like Orthodox street style, it was
more about instinct and it was about right and about heart'll be heaning over just
coming down. I guess from showing Hogan the belt, was that what it
was? I think? So, yeah, I'll tell you something. You
look good, door. I remember this. Oh Virgil yanked off the apron,
goes splat on the outside, those beautiful screaming at deeds to go get
him. Look at her the Dominatrix so good. And this is coming off
berating Randy Savage at Wrestling India that year. Yeah, and I was just
begging that. I was just begging him, clear my meal ticket, please
win this match. There're those beautiful blue floor mats. Man. I love
the idea of that. Yes, I love the idea that in wrestling,
like, yes, there's your meal ticket, but like what if you lose
is what happens? He doesn't pay you anymore? Right, well, it
makes half the money, I guess, Virgil chance here at the Garden.
That million dollar belt is a non sanctioned match, non sanctioned title makes sense.
It's sanctioned by international monetary authorities. Yes, maybe it's it's sanctioned by
Wall Street. So like the way Virgil just took the post there, it's
so like it's like so like almost unathletic, Like he's just like a guy
that is getting beat up in a street fight. You know. Yep,
oh, Virgil, head first, thanks, Gorilla said, headfirst, into
the steps, goes Virgil and then does a bit of a flare flop on
the ringside match DBAs keeping the pressure on now with a knife, etch chop
debrus. This big guy man, he's big next to virtual. We saw
a Virgil stacked up next to Hogan. You couldn't really see that, Like
he's like, James is such a big guy. Did you never He's never
been so muscular, so you don't really think of him as being right.
And they're rinning, barking away picking up Virgil. Now, hook of the
whip. Virgil takes a big clothes line, and this is where you start
to feel I remember feeling like, oh Jesus, what did Virgil get himself
into? You know, yep, here we go again. This is where
he's teaching the lessons understood why he did what he did. But did you
have to step in and try to wrestle this veteran, you know, right
to take the fist drop, take some time and train and a million of
course job. Jake Roberts had the million dollar belt too, didn't he?
No? Never, he never won it. I think he wrestled for I
think I think they think wrestling six he wrestled for it. I'd be wrong,
but he never actually had it. I believe this is the only time
it ever changed hands. Pretty sure that's the case, even after the first
time, and then the second time, you know, DBSi got it back,
and then he got rid of it right. Doublas lands there off the
ropes for a DBAs Virgil taking the head over heels bump. That's of course
probably planting the seed for when Dbasi tries it again and takes the right to
the gut he does the front flop. Mm hm, take it the leg
by DIBIASI gets too those. I guess you could say that like Tedbasi Junior
had the million dollar title well after I mean, I'm talking about this initial
run about that he he kind of like his ring master had it right,
but like this, after he wins it back from Virgil thanks to the help
from Repoman, he represents the belt for it that the bad cop gets to.
That was that that the you get rid of it after that, and
I'm just gone, we're gonna use it again. Bring the rest of his
uh his in ring career? What have you been holding? I've been holding
back up dubes with the WHI where the ducks this clothes line and grabs a
million dollar drain. It goes Piper. God, I just got so excited
for Piper's call of the finish yep, yep, I get to share.
It's part of the biggest like in a way it would have been about that.
It's a good it's a good piece of c Cherry jumps in the ring
and hits Stebia up Virgil, who had a million dollar dream on with her
purse earl have her calling for the bell pitchinglayers. The reoferee has every right
to disqualify the million dollar man. Yes for outside in aparent okay, give
the bill herd. The have rendered an official decision and it is as follows.
Number one, he is honorary that the sensational cherry returned to her pressing
room. No, thanks, can't come to what's the money else? He
car she's got n's the manager sad he didn't you too. The referee has
further rule that the match between the million dollar man and Virgil, who continue
so fit. That's so good. Look at him, look at him.
We're an a galley out here trying to escort share to the back. Tony
gia as well. I love what Piper's going. No, no, when
they announce a DQ and he didn't goes it's okay. You can keep the
belt like he's saying, no because DIBIASI got DQ, not because Virgil doesn't
get his chance. Oh look at this slow recovery both their feet. Great
spot here, yep, no pride, you're going to You're going to recret
into the corner. But no he puts. Virgil blocks elbow and deburs takes
it. Come on, Roddy, look at look at look at it here
we are here, we are head first the look at debs oh ver over
again, look at deeps and blareflop right hand blocked. Virgil throwing the boxing
punches in the corner. Shouldn't get another chance to win a million dollar nice
chopped by verg not bad corner the corner whip buckle taken by Deebers. Corner
mount by Virgil at the garden, crowd behind them, three four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, eleven.
It's a trivia question. How many corner punches did Virgil hit? Teddy Biassi
with it the ninety one summers, Yes, Roddy, yes, Oh the
first whip Virgil crushes the ref in the corner the corners to take his time.
Now he reth bump, you know, when he gets actually squashed in
the corner like that. I could understand maybe hurting if it's if it's done,
you know, if you hit the right the wrong way. Yeah,
not like you know, an elbow to the face, like that's not gonna
knock you out. And he's still gonna be done, Yes, Piper,
debi As barking at Piper at ringside on the cans. Oh, Jesus,
here we go. Debiasse hooks him out. Watch this suit, thus,
watch this ship. Jesus fucking christ Man. It's just he's getting his windows,
amigos. Another one, Yeah, he's counting down. Here's another on
order. Look at look at that execution like the floating over everything. Just
it's brilliant, so simple. It goes Piper like, yeah, they're suplex
don't talk to Elizabeth. A live crowd is sensing Piper going nuts. They're
chanting for him. Pile Driver just a gorn dwarf plants him cover. Ref's
not quite there yet. God, remember having a pit in your stomach as
a kid for finishes like this, kick cut me, kick kep the dB
as one more. He sells Piper, Oh, here we go, Here
we go, untying the buckle, exposing the metal, exposing the steel in
the corner, obviously with attention to m talking trash of Virgil's face, holding
him by the neck. So good. Now he's gonna send Virgil into the
steel Virgil twice. Steber saks the bomb, Heavener recovering. Come on,
come on, there's Now's the time, Virgil, now's the time to suck
it up. It's on the verge. It's the tribute casts. It's gonna
crawl, crawl. What's what's heaven you're at? Now? Have us track.
I'm nervous, I'm nervous, crawling out for his Virgil drapes the arm
on gabers one two bray fucking Christ Piper. Ah, he bumps, take
a front flip here here what a waste of money? This is his moment
right here, King King King, Kinky King King, Can I can gain
King King King King King can get Piper? What was? Do we know
what their relationship was? Not? Really? I mean he very complimentary towards
Piper and interviews, but no, no, more pronounced than anybody else,
you know, definite Virgil with a million dollar title and and Jesus, it's
all here as he walks up the aisle. Oh so good. That's the
same way he was holding the belt when he came to a certain bachelor party,
wasn't it? Yep? Yes it was, and that's why he carried
that around as a prop his whole life. Yeah, because of that match.
Yep. Unbelievable. It really. It's a testament to Piper's ability,
like his performance ability on verbally that he if they didn't have that close of
a friendship or it wasn't that remarkable as it seems on television, that he
was able to get that across is incredible. Totally agree they were. You'd
think they were the absolute best friends of all time based on what they on
the way that that their their connection in these moments. Here in this podcast,
everybody has a pod. Teddy Biassi comments on this piece of business and
just the feud overall with Virgil in ninety one. But you know, we
continue to be friends and I would see him at h That's not the clip
I was looking for him to see if I have it here, Yeah,
here it is. Uh. We met when uh in the WWE office when
this whole thing with the billion dollar man started. And you know, back
then, my cat, I mean, oh my gosh. You know,
he had this tremendous body and kept himself in shape, and basically that's that
was his role. You know, he was like the bodyguard. You know.
You know I would run my mouth and if somebody wanted to say something,
I'd I back up and say Virgil take over. But uh, what
we did we did a thing where basically, as Virgil, Mike gets tired
of all of my crap right and just says, I'm not doing it anymore.
And and so we we ended up having a one off when and had
a match and dog going to you know, Mike was a great guy,
nice guy, and like I said, to keep your body in that kind
of shape takes a lot of discipline, and he was very good at that.
He was he was much better at doing that than I obviously was in
terms of state keeping his body in great shape. But it was, you
know, I just wish that he had had more wrestling savvy. I don't
know how to put it in any other way, because if he if he
could have really wrestled, we could have had we could have had a good
run. But basically it was it was on and it was over, you
know, pretty quick. Good old Virgil. Uh, he didn't have the
charisma, you know, and so you know it was probably over before it
really started. Surprised to hear Debasi talk about it that way or is it
sound like a fair assessment to you? No, I think it's a fair
assessment of him. You know, he doesn't he doesn't have it. You
know, he got by on what he had. It's miraculous that they pulled
off moments like that. Really, yes, it is. It absolutely is.
It's a testament to how like false it is when they talk about like
like these intangibles that they pretend are in the wrestler's control to get a push
you know. It's like they prove all the time that they can take people
without a great range of talent and make them absolutely memorable wrestlers, just like
here with Virgil right right CBS. He said in his book Virtual wasn't the
best worker in the business when we started our program. I had to be
at my best for us to have a match at Wrestling seven in nineteen ninety
one and work at the highest level was truly a testament to Virgil's desire to
listen and let me lead. He was very coachable and ended up wrestling a
lot of good matches. The match of success had a lot to do with
the presence of Roddy Piper. In the end, even though my new valet
sensational show he was in my corner, I lost to Virgil. I was
counted out after attacking Roddy Piper outside the ring. The storyline Crown Virgil is
a new million dollar champion. He's just totally all over the place, he
says. The getting hit with the over the head with the belt by Virgil
on the big baby face turn was it SummerSlam instead of Royal Rumble for instance?
And all that I pisces me off so much time not hard to get
right. Cannot I cannot stand it when when that's oh god, it's so
annoying. If you don't know if you're going to get those kind of details
wrong, don't say the name of the show, like no one the reader
doesn't care. But like just stop purposely to get it wrong like that is,
but it's like one search away. Virgil contributes this quote at this point
in the book. I learned the psychology aspect of the wrestling business from ted.
In fact, there is no better teacher than ted when it comes to
the psychoology of the business. Overall wrestling ability and speaking skills, he is
the best. Working with Ted was unbelievable. There is no better field general
than Teddy. He was one of the best wrestlers ever in the business.
He's in a class by himself. Given the Piper, it interfered to my
matches against Virgil, we started a program, TBIs writes, and he goes
on into everything that happened with Rowdy Roddy Piper. So there it is.
Boss. Virgil is now a made man, at least in our minds and
our memories for sure. And he's going to get a chance to try to
rise to the occasion and do some promos that you know, make you want
to see him defend the million dollar title or at least continue to excel as
a as an individual. Let's get a taste of some of the promos on
WAF television. After this historic win for Virgil and the singles ranks, Virgil
is the new million dollar champion and he wants to share the belts with everyone.
Bboss. I look on my million dollar belt and I can see fingerprints
from garbage men, fingerprints from a piete the carriers, fingerprints from auto workers,
fingerprints from secretaries, and all kind of little fingerprints from little small kids,
like what you should eat your heart out? I know you want to
come get it now? What's holding your back? I could come anywhere,
any place, call the place, man, and I'll be here to defend
this because I have all the good people behind me. Man, the wan
to rub on this belt. It's my belt and it's all the people's belt.
So you wanted to be your belt, come on down and get it,
because I'm not born nowhere. The former bodyguard has made it very clear
that Tendbiyashi has an open invitation to attempt to get the diamonds in gold back.
Hey, Dbosi, open your eyes and smell the coffee. Man,
this is mine. Now you lost it and I want it. That's right.
You always talk about gonna send the limo, Burgel, almost send the
limo to you and bring you the Madison Square garden. Guess what, man,
I ran your Madison Square garden. Man. Yeah, I ran in
the garden, up the steps, in the locker room. I was ready,
home boy. I went write to the ring and dip my thing.
I left the champion, all right, and now I'm a defendant. Kill
me, man. And when you consider difficult encounters, no one has faced
a tougher challenge than Virgil. The former bodyguard took on an individual who many
consider to be the most skilled in the ring and walked away a millionaire.
A Dbios, look at this. You're looking at the million dollar champ.
And guess what I'm looking at, Ted DEBIOSI I'm looking at you the million
dollar jump. Okay, you should go by the words, man, of
words of wisdom, a fool and of money soues the parts. You know
what I'm talking about. You had one million dollars you put on the line
against a hard working man, a man who works hard for his money.
Man, I came and got it. I came and got the job done.
Ted, you didn't have a deep in heart right here. Brother.
You might be a great technician, homeboy, but I'm a sure enough fighter.
I'm just like all these good American out here, working eight to five
every day. And you talk about man, you put a million dollars on
the line. I went and gut it, and now it's gonna be bankruptcy.
Well, Virgil is certainly living a dream after capturing the million dollar belt.
The former buddy Guard proved that if you work hard enough, anything is
possible. Quite a slate, Oh, verge, verge, she needs a
promo class with the miz an Any postgame on his verbal attempts there not good,
not good. It's bankruptcy. Yeah. They're making him deliver these lines
that are like, after the million dollar Champion, you're gonna go bankrupt,
my homie, My boy, what homeboy? Yeah, my homeboy. I
went in the ring, I got the million dollar bell, is my belt,
you'll go bankrupt. There's flashes of something there. He gets that little
jive going it's good, but no, no, listen again, I think
there's I just feel like it seems like nobody took the time with him to
actually, yeah, hone his skills. They just kind of threw him into
the into the lions. Then after being over because he was silent for four
years, five years or whatever it was, then all of a sudden,
we're gonna put the mic in front of him and ask him to be a
totally different character and hopefully delivers on the mic. And you know, that's
the wrestling business. You either sink or swim in that situation. So while
I made that proviso about how they know damn well how to get a mediocre
wrestler over as a world beater or some of the fans can latch onto like
we just saw at Summer Slam nineteen ninety one, the fact of the matter
is once the carpet is laid out for them to start cutting promos and establish
a connection with the audience, that isn't so easy for them to dictate and
manipulate. We rather have that or you don't. So that's Virgil and his
bid to kind of extend his moment in the spotlight that started in Earnest in
nineteen ninety one in a particular Summer Slam, and by the time nineteen ninety
two rolls around, there's a lot of changes of foot in the WWF.
Virgil still with the company, but of course Hogan leaves, Warrior gets fired.
Brett Hart has made WWF Champion out of absolutely nowhere, absolutely in nowhere
in the fall of nineteen and ninety two, and it led to a unique
opportunity for Virgil because suddenly he's one of the last connections to the Golden era
we've spent so much time talking about. Yes, I mean, of course
Brett was there, Sean was there. A lot of the cast of characters
were there, but they weren't They weren't featured as top baby faces. They
were more tag team associated, they were more chasing ic title level. And
not to say Virgil was a main eventor but he was a guy that you
associated more with the prior era than the next generation. Who was still around,
who wasn't right, who wasn't cast asunder and the scandals and the whiff
of you know, government crackdown on steroid use and all the other things that
led to so many Davy boys, Smith getting fired, sid disappearing. So
many of these guys just completely disappearing in nineteen ninety two, and of course
the reshuffling of what the top of the card looked like, so that Brett
and Sean are given the ball by the end of nineteen ninety two, when
they would have never been considered main eventors just a year before this, the
year we just looked get in nineteen ninety one. Of course, nineteen ninety
one was the year that George z Horion went away, and the ripple effects
from that were very clear. By the summer of ninety two, the the
subpoenas, the Grand Jury subpoenas are arriving at Titan Towers, and it's clear
that Feds are after Vince. So it's it's time to kfabe the U,
the ster rid, the steridzoids as it were. So, but Virgil still
there and Brett is trying to get a solid foot forward as this new fighting
WWF champion, right, that's the yep, that was the the fightingest champion
of all time was his kind of gimmick, that's the play. And so
as a team, Brett and Virgil actually headline a couple of house shows.
Sure wow, yeah, Sure. After Brett becomes champion, Tim and Virgil
I think against Flair and I'm not sure who else who else it was,
but Virgil actually had a sudden, you know, brief but noticeable association with
with Brett Hart. But before we do that, let's get it. Let's
get a flavor of a Virgil. We heard him after winning the belt.
This is him before winning the million dollar title. A million dollar belt is
gonna be on the line, as million dollar man Ted DBIUSSI means his former
bodyguard Virgie. I'm gonna catch the train down to Madison Square Garden by at
SummerSlam when I beat you, man, I'm gonna tip you're a limo drivers,
so nicely. He gonna take me down and ride me down the Broadway
and you and Surrey, he's gonna be catching you can the kind of thing
I mean, like, the sentiment is there, it's just the delivery is
the delivery is not even close. We'll get to that one in a moment.
But first again, the team promo from Virgil and Brett BB and our
TV and I rs it wasn't flairing somebody else, Okay, Debios and ours
this Friday night, Nasau Coliseum, We're gonna make a small withdrawal from your
bank account. Debiosity, We're small change came to help you. I'm talking
about Irwin. I sush the massy Virgin, easy, get a grip,
save your strength for Nasau Coliseum because this Friday night, me and Virgil are
gonna put a serious hurrying on you. You're both gonna pay a terrible,
terrible price when you step in the ring. And it's plain and simple.
A case of black and white and we're gonna make a serious, serious dent
in your bank account, right, Virgin and debios you can take that.
Then a case of black and white. There it is again. Of course,
it's very simple. So and this is probably a career highlight for Virgil.
He ends up again due to all the changes WWF and is situation where
it makes sense to put him in the ring with Brett because Brett's going to
be the fighting champion. He's got Papa Shango on one of the last Saturday
Night's main events, if not the last one, wasn't I that of that
era of the that run Yeah until twenty six to six seven. There's another
lynchpin of the era we've been talking about falling by the wayside there on Saturday
night's main event. And what do you know, come a November, late
November, right before Thanksgiving episode of WWF Superstars in nineteen ninety two, Virgil
this was I believe they actually I believe if I'm not mistaken, this happened
the week the week before, Yeah, the Saturday. This aired the Saturday
before Survivor series. And they even talk about it on service series how because
they celebrate how Brett Hard has been this this fighting champion. Absolutely, they
even say most recently, he faced Virgil, He faced Virgil, he faced
Shiango, he faced Berserker. He was, you know, ticking off these
lower names, these lower cards names to establish himself as a champ that would
give anybody a shot, right, and Virgil was among them. And uh,
we're going to watch the match. It wasn't a classic, but by
Virgil standards, it was probably one of the best matches he ever had in
his life, which, of course is bretttheart's specialty. Yep. And here's
a glimpse of how they built it up on television. Great preful man,
Hard Rainy sum it up. Your champion pulls off a gold Holy not,
bro, this guy's gonna be champions for a long long time in my book.
After that superb victory, Brett Hart will again put the title on the
line. Tonight, on Saturday Night's main event, Brett takes on the Mammoth
Master Voodoo Papa Shango. Now shouldn't he be successful? Then next week on
ww F Superstars, the Fighting Champion again defends the gold, this time against
the adventurous but persistent Virgil. Now let us hid it from the champion.
You know, when I became the World Wrestling Federation Champion, I picked up
all Rick Flair's previous obligations. I'm not gonna hide behind this title. And
next week it's Virgil. Virgil, you got yourself a title shot. But
keep one thing in mind, Virgil, when you step in the ring with
me, you're stepping in the ring with the excellence of execution. Brett Hart,
it's the honor to meet you here next week for the World Wrestling Federation
Championship. Brett, I have a lot of respect for you, but I
want that belt as bad as you want to do godful. Is that jazzy
music beautiful or what? So? There it is one last bid to get
the fans to believe in Virgil with a title on the line. This time
the big goal, the WWF Championship. It's the November twenty first, nineteen
ninety two edition of ww F Superstars. It's a short match, but it's
a meaningful one for one Virgil or subject dus. You're here, boss,
what do you say? We take a look, Let's do it. Queue
it up. It's right off the top. It's the first match of the
broadcast. Wow. So if you find video of this show, it's literally
at the very beginning. And here we go. When you're ready, I'm
ready, three two one play. Here it comes Virgil now in the the
red and white striped pants. It I thought it was it is it bread
today? It is a black it's red today. Okay, because he has
black and white as well. Combs Brett with this with the strap. It's
a new world. It's a new world. Change the game. Here a
purposeful walk, the sunglasses, yep, Vincent to overdrive, trying to make
it seem like it seemed like it matters that he's champion. Exactly. Let's
see what Brett Hart. Of course, it was famous for making guys that
really didn't know their way around the ring looked like they were ready for the
main events. Tom McGee comes to mind. Oh, see what we could
do here with Virgil. Have you never seen this one before? I mean
I saw it nineteen two. Wow, I don't Virgil with a good humor
man outfit. This is the Virgil that did the honors for sid right here?
This is the Virgil hit and I'm ready for resuming head is Brett puts
a pair of shades on a ringsider. Oh yeah, it's like, give
it to me, Brett. There comes Brett. Let's see what Virgil can
do here with him. And look at this handshake. Look at that.
Wow, that's a really convoluted handshake. And I wonder if that was like
a if that was something of significance to bretton verge and they circle, collar
and elbow. Virgil the waistlock, takeover, hey hat and I learned to
wrestle. Looks like he hit the the collegiate mats since we last saw him.
Look at that Brett wearing a look of surprised in his face. That
did he just take me down? Yeah? I just had to worry about
jabs. Oh look at that Virgil offering a high five and Brett Hart obliging
a new kind of champion here is Brett? Yeah, yes, very much
so. Toleray aldon a headlock takeover swiftly done by Virgil, an athletic champion,
right, a guy who doesn't need to dominate a match to stay champion.
Right back up in the side headlock. Brett looks to push Virgil off,
but he keeps that lock on. Sure, sure does. I hadn't
really seen Virgil work at headlock series, not at all. I mean,
I've also never seen him do a waistlock takedown that got push off. Over
the top goes Virgil and from the other endo across body takes down the hitman,
hooks the legg's due and had luck takeover. Look at that Jesus Christ.
Fucking Brett hard given Virgils so much offense already is Jesus Christ? Head
luck takeover? Milk it a bit? And then an explosion of activity,
dingden didn'dn't another headlock takeover? Yeah? The bread the nice head scissors,
Nope, r us out Nope. Now brett'son control. Head luck takeover of
his own from the champ. Michael himself talking a lot about Sean Michaels to
be challenging Brett the Survivor series coming up. Virgil also had an intercontinental title
match against DeShawn Michaels on syndicated television. He yep, have nice things to
say about the click. Didn't have any problems with any of those guys.
Of course, you never you never want to talk bat them even today,
because I never do it again. At that time, a push off from
the headlock and Brett answers with a clothesline. Vigil and see that coming.
Yep, Brett outwit wits him. There drops a foot between the legs and
a big elbow drop by the head Van Who's now in control. So clean
to be able to watch this assistant, Oh, I know their expectations were
so low in a brilliant way. Everything was like he swelled like a treat
to see the champion in action. Body slam from Brett hart On, Virgil
takes him to the corner, now working him over. Nice euro a peanutper
cut there could sell job by verge. Yeah, it's think he's going to
jump out of his boots to sell that uppercut. Three three times, Alfonso
the referee presided forearm up class Yeah, oh, kept up in the corner.
Brett goes underneath and Virgil starts driving shoulders into the stomach of the hitman
in the corner, traps him, and the crowd's cheering. They are He's
coming alive. Whip corner to corner. Brett hits the buckle up Virgil monkey
flip out of the corner. What wow, he fucking get airtimes Brett.
Hitman rides, hooking the leg by. Virgil gets two. What if they
decided to pull the trigger? Oh my god, let's give him something to
talk about. Let's send him home happy. Back up, whip is reversed
by the hipman. Virgil the middle rope in one motion flies with a cross
body, but Brett, too smart, drops down. Virgil sails over his
head and look at that, Yo, he's going in for the kill.
He fell into the trap. Yep, got a little too exuberant. Basic
simple gave Virgil some shine without taking any damage himself. Yep. Hit man
locks out the sharpshooter. Virgil trapped and he if it's a bit and he
concedes. Yep. Raf calls for the bell. Brett retains. Virgil gets
his moment for the WWF Championship. I mean, how many times had he
wrestled for the world title. That was it, right, And if there
wasn't that turn of events where Brett suddenly was champ, it would have been
zero. Right. They get Brett hovering over Virgil checking out, I'm seeing
if he's okay, right, good ship, pal. Things they are changing
in the World Wrestling Federation, and that golden moment, that golden eras is
fading here. But for Virgil, it's one midbring embrace with the champion of
the WWF raising up Brett Hart's hand and for even if for just a minute
or two, feeling like he belongs yep. At this part of the card,
Red Heart takes the middle world, hoisting the winged Eagle belt that we've
missed so dearly. It's a beautiful sight, special bullet, and that was
that for Virgil's brush with WWF championship glory. It's a match. I'd imagine
that that meant a lot to him, and I'm sure it meant a lot
to Brett, because he was somebody who took credit in elevating somebody that you
know, people didn't necessarily see is as worthy, in making them appear to
be so it's it would be wonderful if we could get Brett's thoughts, you
know, on Virgil, particularly upon his passing, and well we did.
Hey, this is Brett the hte Man Heart and I'm reaching out to my
longtime fan. This is going out to JP, and I want to ask
your questions about Virgil. I just want you to know Virgil was always a
good guy. And you know, I think everybody loved Virgil for just being
a guy that was always in a good mood, always just so happy and
so friendly and so easy going. I never knew the guy to ever have
any problems with anybody. He was just such a great guy. And all
I remember about it mostly was just having a big smile on his face all
the time. He loved to laugh. He's loved to laugh at himself.
He was a very funny guy. And and he just, you know,
everyone that knew him just he just kind of float around and kind of put
a smile on your face all day long. He was. He was very
easy going, and that's what I think what stood out about him the most.
You know, I think when you talk about that match that we had,
I know he was a really big fan of mine in real life.
The way I wrestled and stuff. He'd always come back after my matches and
talk to me about my matches and how good they were and stuff like that.
And then for him, when he finally was going to work with me,
he got really nervous and quite worried about not having a good match and
having everyone go. Everyone has a great match with Brett Hard. Nobody ever
has a bad match with him, and he didn't want to be the first
guy to have a bad match with me. And I know that sounds kind
of funny, but it's true and it was really important to him. And
I remember telling him it' it just relaxed, We'll have a good match,
and that whole match. I think the whole thing about that handshake, which
is really funny because that's a handshake that it is my real handshake, but
he handshake that goes back to a friend of mine in elementary school, and
so him and I had that for years. And I remember Virgil asked me
to figure out a handshake with him, and I said, I showed him
the one I had, and it always was a laugh to me because he's
the only one that knows it other than my friend. But that's the Brett
Hart handshake. And it was always really special him that nobody else knew what
except for him and maybe my brother. Oh maybe not even more than that,
but anyway, So that was why it was really important for me to
give Virgil that match, and I believe I did. He was really happy
with that match. He had the biggest smile on his face and he loved
it. And when I heard about Virgil's passing, I saw that match and
I saw the handshake, and I just remember how special that was for him
and for me, And I always appreciate Virgil for being a good friend.
So those are my good memories about him. I don't have much else to
tell you about him other than he was a great guy and everyone will miss
him anyway. Take care of JP, stay cool, stay safe, keep
on rocking, and God bless. Just great stuff there. I didn't tell
him I was rocking to begin with. Well, I think he just assumed
you were, just you know, you know, it's just these little things
that no one would ever ask him about. Oh yeah, yep. That
handshake story is great because it stands out of the match, like what was
that. It's a very elaborate handshake, and I'd love so, I guess
Virgil. I guess he didn't know about the heroin. Yeah, yeah,
he didn't bring that up. If he knew about it, he certainly buried
the lead, that's for sure. Good guy, you know. And a
handshake was a friend of mine, you know, in elementary school. You
know, I do remember that, Virgil. He he gave me a couple
of bricks a heroin one time, and it was really nice. And I
and I shot up with Davy. Oh Jesus heroin, it's the hit Man.
Yeah, well, I appreciate the compliment, Davy. No one's ever
quite put it that way before. What But yeah, it's cool. Thanks
to Brett for that. That that's really uh, you know, it's hard
to find stuff to sink your teeth into on a virtual tribute, you know.
Yeah. In terms of like things people have said about him, it's
it's always very generic things that they say. Yes, but a match there
that no one ever talks about, no one knows about or thinks about,
I should say, and the significance of it when Brett still recalls to this
day. So that's what one thing that Brett's always good for. Yes,
if there's any scintilla of story behind a match, no matter how big or
small, he's probably going to remember it and faithfully relate it. And I
kind of like the thought of Joel as a guy who you know, was
told all along he didn't quite have it and going out there and trying his
goddamnedest to have a match, you know, up to snuff. Yeah,
and like going out there with with the fucking guy, you know, the
guy, and uh and and Tryina's Tryina's damnedest. And part of, you
know, the affinity for Virgil that fans of this vintage had was the way
he was covered, as we've referenced already in the pages of w WF magazine.
Isn't that right? Boss? That is absolutely correct. You have a
couple of readings for us to put us right back where we need to be,
the stew that we need to simmer in here when we think about Virgil.
It's actually neat too, you know, because the one we were looking
for, the one we found, actually leads into the beauty the great one,
Oh wow, the one the uh, the magazine, the faux magazine
cover. So where are we going to start? This is June ninety three,
This is the June nineteen ninety three issue of w magazine, and there
was an article about I mean, talk about laps aerendipity, food unbelievable.
It's about food, and it's about how to basically eat healthy if you're a
w superstar. And so I'm going to read to you food for thought.
You are what you eat. The dining hall. This this talks about a
number of wrestlers. Basically they're eating habits and their health habits. And Virgil
makes and appearance. The dining hall in the Augusta Civic Center and Augusta,
Georgia was almost deserted. Tables were littered with napkins and empty plates. Most
of the wrestlers had finished eating. It was several hours before an event was
to be televised on the World Wrestling Entertainment Network. Excuse me, I don't
know what they're talking about. I mean, they used to call their collection
of syndicated stations the network. Is ridiculous. A worrying sound emanated from one
corner of the hall. So imagine going into this giant hall completely empty,
Yes, trash littered everywhere, and all of a sudden, they're sitting at
a table. Former World Wrestling Entertainment Champion Bob Eckland was putting a bunch of
carrots into a juice process before he went nuts. Yes, this is right
after his comeback. He put a handful of carrots into the machine and gave
it and gave it the gas. Oh my God, help us. So
he's cut fucking needles and he's shooting up the fucking carrot. This is vince
definitely. It crushed the veggies, sending their vitamin rich juice into a cup
while the pulp and skin shot through another opening into a plastic bag. Backland
routinely lugs a juice processor with what he is on the road. It's not
just because he likes carried juice. It's because he does all he can to
eat and drink the right stuff for a healthy lifestyle. After all, as
the old saying goes, you are what you eat. As far as living
right goes, Backland is mister clean. But he's not done. But he's
not alone. He typifies the world of entertainment athletes who go all out to
ensure their lifestyle keeps them in tip top shape on the inside as well as
the outside. Eating right is a big part of it. Worlds Entertainment Magazine
caught up with Backland to ask him what it takes to promote good health the
natural way. I've been drinking vegetable juice, vegetable and fruit juices for some
time. Oh my god, I don't know. I've yet to get on
that train of drinking juice. I don't know by you, but he's been
doing it for some time. That's good to know. As he lifted his
cup. Carrot juice is my favorite for obvious reasons. Carrots have an abundance
of vitamins. They also have betokeratene, which is a precursor to vitamin A
and has even been proved to prevent some forms of cancer. Really, why
does it sound like it's gonna kill me when you say that? Then,
Bob. Having said that mouthful, Backlan took another drink from the cup.
Here's to you guys at the magazine he toasted Backlin and his Federation counterparts.
Entertainment counterparts are some of the most athletically and genetically gifted individuals and all of
athletics, they possess amazing agility, strength, athleticism, and combat skills.
The superstars, such as the narcissist Lex Luger Brute is the bar for beefcake
and the whole Cogan maintain the best physiques on the planet and do so without
any synthetic ergogenic aids, particularly god anabolic steroids. Please stop with hormones.
This is this is definitely that era right agonists or diuretics. The Ruless Entertainment
and the Superstars realized that prescription drugs and certain other chemicals are meant for treating
illness and not a preparation for the ring. Testimony to that belief is the
fact, but the view Rustling Entertainment. He knows he's going to be indicted
in a month. Tests it's athletes illegal subject. In July nineteen ninety one,
the Federation Homage Own Initiative YES began to test for animal agents as part
of a extensive plug testing policy that includes YES. Today, Confederation is the
only sports organization of its kind that has such a strict recording chemical substances.
Knowing they must measure up creates an a spree decorps among the superstars. They
know that they can't take shortcuts to enhance their physiques or athletic performance. The
bottom line is that the Superstars and the Worlds and Entertainment do things the old
fashioned way. They sweat and grunt with monstrous poundages in the gym. My
god, oh my lou, Lou, just put in monstrous poundages if you
want it. What but just in the gym. Just say monstrous poundages in
the gym. Is that a thing? Doesn't matter if it's a thing or
not. It's verbiage and it deserves to be read. Yes, it's verbiage
and it deserves to be read. They spend hours on the mat in order
to sharpen their wrestling skills and use the remainder of the time in grueling aerobic
sessions to pair off unhunted body fat, furthermore, to augment their muscle gains
and athletic performance. Most superstars also adhere to some sort of specialized dietary regimen
and sub supplementation program, including the products contained in chyle Polge Format forsh Yes
this is unbelievable archele polsh Format Force fact lass Kit in the nine week Body
of Building program. Backlan has always recognized that nutrition and sports performance walk hand
in hand. For instance, while at North Dakota State University, where he
received a BA like a BS in Physical education, UH Backland constantly experimented with
the effects that certain foods had on his body and how those nutrients amplified his
athletic ability. I was a national wrestling champion in North Dakota State and a
decent football player. Backland said, to gain weight for football, I drank
two and a half gallons of milk a day. Not hearing me. We're
talking the real We're talking the real mood juice. Whole milk, I can,
he said, mood juice. I drank two and a half gallons of
milk a day, real mood juice. Hey, we spent a lot of
time on this Virgil tribute talking about how he achieved that size. Yep,
I think we're getting close to the answer. In addition, Backland said he
had also consumed steak okay several dozen eggs three times weekly. These protein rich
foods helped Backlan pack on the pounds. At the time football season began,
he was fifteen pounds heavier and as strong as an aux Baker. No,
not the big Yes. When he entered the Federation in nineteen seventy seven,
he changed his dietary program. Instead of a diet rich and high protein,
high fat animal foods Backman did a flip and converted to a total vegetarian diet.
Today, Backland also eat modest amounts of meat and dairy products. That's
when he also started to squeeze vegetable and fruit juice big time. To give
you an idea of what we mean, we asked the former champ to let
us photograph him while he was crunching up his beloved carrots. He doesn't.
He does it with all the enthusiasm and gusto of a real believer. As
we were photographing Backland, Virgil came over to the table. There it is,
and this is why it's here. Yeah, he watched Backland drink juice
and our photographer took snapshots. Oh no, he watched Backland drink juice and
our photographer takes snapshots. Virgil, who had been moaning that this magazine had
ignored him in recent issues, asked if he could mug it up for our
photographer. We agreed, After all, reporters and photographers don't usually find it
at all worthwhile to argue with a man who stands six foot two inches,
weighs two hundred and forty one pounds, and can crack heads faster than Backland
can crack a walnut. Besides, we think that Virgil is a really good
guy and as far as living a healthy lifestyle is concerned, he's right up
there with all with the best that there are. Virgil, although his nutritional
preference is not for carrot juice, also carries a small appliance with him whenever
he's on the road. Yeah, and his pants A cruck pipe. Oh
my god. Nice A blender, Virgil told us. A blender, Virgil
told us as his best friend when he's away from home. It's so tough
to eat six times a day when you have to drive two hundred miles to
rethel, Virgil said, I mean if you stop to eat and you show
up late for the match, and the officials might find you. That's why
I take a blender with me. I can make my protein drink before I
leave the hotel, pour them in a thermouth, and drink them whenever I'm
hungry. Brudus beefcake. Like his megamaniac partner, Hulk Hogan, is an
advocate of carrying his blender with him. He says that he can't get along
on the road without one. Without a bionic protein shake three times a day
the barber can't cut and struct to efficiency, the Holster and I make our
own protein shakes. We start up with some high qualatine protein powder, and
then we had a few dozen egg whites, skim milk, and peaches,
and we pour it down. Baby, my blunder, which the Holts are
like to call the beef a mattic, is just as valuable to me as
all the steel bolts and plates in my head. Baby the fuck believe that's
real. On the lighter side of the menu, no pun intended, the
Bushwhackers Luke and Butsch here to an eccentric but effective nutritional program. Their diet
centers around fish, primarily in the form of sardines, which have a high
nutritional value. Sardines are a good source of protein, are high in calcium,
zinc, and phosphorus, and contain a generous portion of omega three,
a fatty acid that has received much bally WHO over the last several years.
Additionally, sardines are easy to eat anywhere. Luke and Butch can and often
do, eat their meals on airplanes, in their cars, or even in
the squared circle. Along with sardines, the Bushwhackers also have a fondness for
limburger cheese and grilled calf's liver, which is the only food that contains the
entire vitamin B complex, a significant constituent for good health and the acquisition of
muscle mass. All told, the SuperStar's nutritional programs are as individual as the
athletes themselves. You too, can improve your health and fitness by maintaining proper
food intake, complete with the right amount of macro nutrients protein, carbohydrates,
fats and micro nutrients, vitamins, minerals. Let your brain ribble. Let
your brain nibble on that food for thought, the next time you sit to
chow, sit down to chow. And that is because there's a picture of
Virgil looking up longingly with a carrot in his hand at Bob Backland in a
sweater and wrestling trunks, forcing carrots into a food processor, like just a
fucking like in the the the maniacal smile on Bob Backland's face. No,
it's almost like it's very perverted, Like Virgil considers these carrots his pets,
and Bob is fucking destroying them in his face. I mean he's like he's
he's he's holding that that that carrot Virgil like a fucking like he's gonna shift,
you know, he's absolutely just quick, quick, light throat motions into
Bob Beckland's midsection inside Light, And as you telegraphed, this is a great
entree into really the last gasp of Virgil and the WWF spotlight that we could
think of. Yeah, it's so fucking money how he just is commanding,
and this article intimates it. Respect from the WWF magazine publishers. He's never
been featured, and there was a particular month in nineteen ninety three where that
was remedied. He wasn't getting featured as as maybe he used to be.
Yes, And I'll tell you, I fucking remember when I got this issue
with the magazine, when I came in the mail and I'm flipping through it,
and all of a sudden, like I see this other cover and I'm
like, wait a minute, what, Yes, what's going on here?
And then it's all these virgils like virgils on the cover. And I've been
following this story too, a Virgil not being happy about this, so I
was like, oh my god, like wait, what's going on here?
Like what is this? And then then you see the little thing and then
you realize all these stories are about Virgil. Wow. And it's like,
you know, I'm going to read everything, so you have it. But
there's there's a little a little disclaimer up in the top right corner. And
what I love about this too is I actually took I took this page out
of the magazine and put it on the cover. Wow. I like taped
it onto the cover's memory. It was like Virgil Memory. So it says
here this is a paid, paid advertisement by Virgil. The World Wrestling Entertainment
Magazine is not responsible for the subject or content matter represented on this page.
The the the banner on top says Virgil pens low down and pin them down,
Pins Virgil. Two sub sections what do you call them? Features?
The features Jack, there are those repeating things. Then the first headline Virgil
the Man, the Legend. Next headline Path to Greatness, Virgil's Rise to
Prominence, Virgil and Victory, A prolific profile, Virgil Mania right Unite in
the Universe. Right, I think we're gonna have to do a Virgil Mania
shirt. I think. So that's it. Just fucking awesome And just like
seeming that pose fists, you know, he's looking like he's gonna fucking kill
the articles, aren't there. It's just a cover. No, it's no
arginal, it's just it's just this fake cover. Nothing about this like it's
all so great. Yeah, yeah, those are the little memories man.
Yeah, then make up. You know, I'm sure that was somewhere in
your mind when you walk through the doors at your bachelor party, do.
I mean, there's so much of that ship, you know, like he
really did play an important part in in that, in that in my fandom
at that at that age, you know, like he was just there.
He was just there. He was just part of he was he was part
of the uh of the scenery, you know, in a good way,
not like he was just in the background, but like he was. He
was a featured player. I'm sure I gave him a world title run at
some point. Wow, you know, he probably got a good shot at
the belt and then with that one last bid for attention up in New York
where he created the memories that we're still talking about here on TLF all these
years later. He did have a career after this, of course, when
the nWo took off in WSW in nineteen ninety six, after doing some independence
including I think a shot for ECW and went to his Eastern Championship, and
remember we wrestled Terry Funk on one of the hindie shows. Virgil gets the
call to come into WCW and he's following Ted Dibiasse, who had come in
originally framed us the financier of the nWo. Yes, and it only makes
sense when you see Ted Dibiasse, and if we're trying to recreate the WWF
here in the fans minds that Virgil show up as his bodyguard. But it
can't be Virgil because now the lampooning is being shot the other direction. Now
we must lampoon New York with the name we give Mike Jones, and he
becomes you heard it right, Vincent. Here is the the episode of Nitro.
Eric Bischoff before he has joined the nWo is uncommentary when Scott Hall,
Kevin Nash and the whole crew take over and introduce the newest member. We
told you so, We told you so, joining the broadcast team. Welcome
here Siders, National haff An Outsiders six in the background, let Jerry Hawk
Hogan and let's bring out our newest member, Ted Dbasse's head of security,
make welcome if you will. A name very familiar to wrestling fans, Bring
them out, Teddy Ware's bring out Vince Fence. Come on out, face
praise, easy, easy, Come on, buddy, So let me ask
you a question. All waiting on VENs. So this whole, this whole
thing here, Harry comes ship. Did you just look like it's a barbarsona?
What's the dother? Harry comes? Hey, that's come on, buddy,
what is who is it? Piss off with the n W O what
you like it or not? Brothers? Come on, that's so fun man,
Hey Ben, welcome blam. I'm so worried. I don't worry this
checks keep it on, keep an eye on him. Bro Hey, hey,
hey, stay steady. Ask a question. That's for sure. We
got hold it. We could take over we could take over basketball because we
got we got shack. But you know what I like? Hey, there's
only two things in life worth watching? Okay, yeah, my brother in
law told me to things in this world worth watching. One was Alabama football.
The other was NASCAR racing. Can we take a break, no problem,
man, we gotta take a break where you want to get broke watching
Vince watching Vince. The fuck are they talking about the fucking NASCAR in the
world. I don't know. It's one of those things, like, you
know, Kevin Nash is so buried underneath all the references he's trying to make
that nobody knows what the fuck he's talking about. I don't know. He
thinks he's mocking somebody into the crowd. The audience gets it, and if
they don't get it, he's even more self satisfied. You know, the
you know the score. Yeah, I know, but that was the m
O back then. They just take over the announced desk and just you know,
say whatever came to their minds. And yeah, Virgil walks out through
the nitro set and joins them up at the announced position and you can hear
some Virgil chants there. The people were excited to see him. It didn't
go anywhere. Uh. Teddy Biassi leaves the NBA shortly after this and goes
baby Face managing the Steiner Brothers and then disappears from WCW. And Virgil sticks
around and then they do the wolf Pack by ninety eight and just forget about
it. He's left behind in nWo Hollywood with all the other brons and just
collected a paycheck wrestling in black jeans yep, which is very still to this
day bothers me. The idea of someone wrestling in tight black jeans just very
distressing. But that was pretty much the role he played, and he stuck
around for several years in WCW got on the on the dole, so to
speak. Didn't really have any memorable matches at all, not a one that
I can think of. And when they kind of switch gears and went with
the West Texas Rednecks in nineteen ninety nine, the Kurt Henniing staple. That
was a bunch of country musician types that were railing against rap, rap his
crap. Remember that whole thing. I do remember that someone decided it would
be funny to add Mike Jones to the Rednecks crew and rename him Curly Bill.
And that's exactly what happened. Is he doned a cowboy hat and chewing
back and acted like he hated rap. For some reason, that was reference
to something like curly Bill. I don't know where curly Bill came from.
Maybe it's Klondike Bill. I mean, he's not curly, that's for sure.
I don't know that one. I don't get. When Vince Russo came
in and the Powers of the Bat storyline, he changed his name in said
of Vincent to Shane. Oh that I remember, Oh my god. It
was a bodyguard for Vince Russo along with the Harris brothers. After Russo was
ousted in early two thousand and then Kevin Sullivan regime came in. They recast
him as a manager for Ernest Miller, kind of dressing in a fedora and
being like a soul man next to the cat. That didn't last very long
and made only a handful of appearances really and that role. And then he
had a period of time in WCW where he just wrestled as Mike Jones.
Wow, God help us. Uh he was Mike Jones. But in late
two thousand he was He was let go right around the time the Bischoff Russou
regime happened, and you didn't really see anything or hear anything from him.
He started making appearances again in the mid mid part of the two thousands,
and he suddenly showed up on a twenty ten episode of Raw and like an
under armour shirt and jeans. He got in there and became Virgil one more
time with Teddybase's son. Yes, I do remember that Teddybasse Junior the million
Dollar Champion and was doing all of his stuff that he used to do for
ted Senior on the microphone and then well into the ring, like holding the
ropes and everything. There was a tag match Virgil in DBAs against Big Show
and Mark firstein the actor right, who was a guest host, Yeah,
raw that week this is the guest host era oh and Virgil was humiliated and
defeated, and then afterwards Teddybiassi Junior stuffed a one hundred dollars bill in Virgil's
mouth and that was the last time Virgil was seen on WWB television. Wild
He became sort of like a cult sensation when his reputation for showing up at
rest autograph shows and hustling people for more than they were willing to part with
became the stuff of legend. We've mentioned several times. Sam Roberts So of
course, was on Opie and Anthony and was in New York a serious XM
radio personality and actually went on to be a WWE kind of like desk analyst
guy and like you know, show host he would talk all the time about
Virgil. He would see him at conventions doing his thing, working his magic
and extracting his toll on on wrestling fans. And he created the blog called
Lonely Virgil, which started with pictures he would take of nobody coming to Virgil's
table, and Sam Roberts would encourage anybody else who observed Virgil in the wild
with no one at his table to send him the pictures, and so he
posted them as almost like a Tumblr blog, just a series of pictures of
no one caring about Virgil, and you know, snippy and snarky little passages
too that went along with the pictures, little captions, and so it became
a thing. It became a thing. This is years after we were talking
about him coming to the party and how wild that would be. It's so
crazy that no one cares about Virgil and that he's a guy that holds a
similar place. It turns out, and a whole lot of other wrestling fans
minds of our vintage. It's just like this, like the ultimate, like
what the ultimate WTF wrestler yep. And to give you a sense of how
much fodder he was on the radio, airwaves at the time. This is
just a snippet of a show from Ropy and Anthony where Sam Roberts is on
talking about this phenomenon. Shit you got, Rah, this is Virgil's whole
thing, like because there's nobody that comes to his table, so when a
few people do, he just scams him. Like the first time I saw
him at a convention, I got a picture in an autograph and I go,
how much is because he doesn't post his prices because that's part of his
deal. What a scumbag. So because that way, you go, like,
how much are the prices? Can you do the play acting that I
really enjoyed during the break and you and chemistry? Well, so here's what
happened. I'll tell you. Let's go through it again. I'll tell you
the story of what happened this weekend. Okay, Because I went up to
Virgil and asked for an interview, and he said, not right now,
not right now. I'm making some money. Is there anyone around? There
was one guy there I signed to stand and you ever get you had to
get audio, Virgil while you're out there. I couldn't what happened? You
said? Okay? So so I decided to wait and watch the transaction because
I know what my experience has been like with him. So the guy comes
up to him and he starts looking at the photos he has laid out on
the table, and now Virgil mark yeah. So he starts going, hey
buddy, hey buddy, how about little old school? How about a little
old school? Old school? You like the old stuff? Right? Well,
oh, old stuff throwback? You know? I like that? Virgil?
Yas to watch Virgil on TV? Right? Yeah? Yeah? What
do you got? What do you? Which picture you like? Here?
Which picture? Which? What's your favorite picture? Here? You see that
one that's all the old school guys in one picture? You see that?
Yeah? I like I like that one. That's how much? How much
do you get for that? You like? Which one's your favorite picture?
You like that picture? Yeah? I like that? You want to me,
I'll sign it for you? You mean, let me sign it for
you? Anthony? What's you? Anthony? All right? Anthony? See
I need to know how much this? Come back? Get Let's get a
picture. You want to get a picture around, we'll put the get a
picture all right, that's get a big hole all right back there there you
go, say, cheese, cheese, right, and that's sixty. Wait
wait, you didn't get what Virgi you girl friend? What you want to
get a picture? Miss? I'm here, I don't have a girl.
Back around, come back around, come back around. We'll get her in
a picture. That would just be seventy. Then with both pictures what and
then it's seventy dollars and then he and then he, but he never does
seventy. You're right, that's my three card monks, Carnee, uh can
do it? Virgil is not worth a fifteen. That's like no, no,
that's when you go to the cornerals and they go, yeah, you're
just trying to try to try at the blue with the dart here, not
to try again, try again. Do you think guys waste their money who
have been trying to go see somebody else, so like they don't have that
much, they waste it on him and they leave with a Virgil picture.
I meanwhile, they wanted like something cool. Yeah, I mean so far,
I'm I'm I'm I'm all, I'm all for it. So that's what's
going on, right. It sounds the way it should be done. So
he is now firmly fodder on the Talk Talk airwaves and it's just a second
lease on life, not one he would pick necessarily, but he'll take it.
And uh, you know this all of course leads to Virgil coming in
studio for Sam Roberts radio show and sort of confronting him about the lonely Virgil
thing. But now what we hear is a Virgil who is kind of like
halfway between serious and not serious at all times. Now. Ye, so
he clearly knows that he's leaning into this a little bit, but at the
same time trying to keep up this appearance that he's actually aggravated about it.
And you can't always tell. But here's a little snippet, and what do
you think. I think? Yes, on one website and that's the real
Virgil dot com. Okay, but just the real Virgil dot com. Have
pictures of you sitting by yourself at conventions that where do you get that book?
Anyone can give you them pictures. They can take a stap a picture
of me coming to a convention at like ten o'clock and no one's around.
They just snap the damn picture. Right, there's two damn lazy to come
up and pay that thirty dollars take a picture like that. Now let me
ask you this. Yeah, I'm listening. You walk around and you have
a banner that says million dollar man Ted dbs and Virgil. I like that
banner. I know you like that banner. That's because people come and they
say, hey, where's the million dollar man Ted Dbasi And he's never there,
I sayss Ted DEBOSSI would have been there, that price would have been
triple even higher, even higher. But so don't you say it's advertising.
Don't you think there's something false advertising? No? No, I just tell
me sure, because like it's show both of us are saying. I mean,
when we were there at a certain time, right like maybe nineteen,
it was nineteen eighty seventy, Okay, right now, I still look like
I look in nineteen eighty. I was just thinking that amazing there I had
twenty one at arms. Now I got on nineteen suit. So there's Virgil
embracing it and fighting against it at the same time. There aren't many people
who can get away with that as he can. That sounds like the Virgil
we met, Yes, very familiar sounding. So he started making like meme
appearances. He showed up at the Joey Janello Spring Break shows a couple of
times, and even showed up in AW a couple of times alongside Chris Jericho,
who I think took a took an interest in Virgil in his lot in
life and trying to support him there he made I did not know he came
in AW. Yeah, I mean he just did like cameos. There were
a couple of like videos that Jericho did when he was feeding with Cody over
the title, where Jericho was kind of doing like almost like a mockumentary style
package about how great a champion he was and he was a Virgil A soul
train. Jones showed up as a talking head on that thing, and he
also showed up on the April twenty nine, twenty twenty episode of Dynamites,
so during COVID making a cameo as well. I think he made an in
person appearance during the Thanksgiving celebration for Jericho in twenty nineteen. Yep, he
was there as kind of like the MC for the festivities. And so that
was really the last time Virgil was seen on wrestling television, at least nationally
broadcast wrestling television, and we all know that it kind of went to a
weird place with him and his in his personal situation. Eventually he suffered some
kind of malady. There was There was a good article that was posted by
Aaron Di Castro on the Slam Wrestling site looking at talking to some people that
knew him later in life, including a referee from Pittsburgh by the name of
Mark Charles the Third, who knew Virgil well and his his situation. He
ended up basically living with a roommate who you tend to be Assi at least
if you listen to this clip, wasn't necessarily a huge fan of but he
ended up, you know, being surrounded with people that were like halfway promoting
him, you know what I mean, way keeping him company. It was
a it was kind of a strange deal, but you know, we continue
to be friends, and I would see him at some of the comic cons
from time to time, and I told him going forward, 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. And I did that that
much. But the reason that I stopped doing it was things that Virgil had
said to some fans that just you know, it wasn't right. But I'm
looking back at it from where I am now and I'm going, and I
see he never he never would say that to me. He didn't want anybody
to know that he was struggling. And later I did find out I can't
remember the guy's name that was his caretaker, but it was seeing to it
that he was taking care of a little bit better. And I just don't
know. It's mind boggling to me because you know, I don't know who
he was living with or how he was living, but I know that it
was not good. It's it's just a sad story. Yeah, kind of
weird. We do know from some of the reporting the article I just mentioned
that Mike Jones suffered two strokes late in twenty twenty three and was in very
bad health as a result of it. How much further worsened his health conditioned
God, I guess, is the subject of some speculation for reasons we'll talk
about here in a second. And dementia was also very much an issue.
Now, well, we had our moments with Virgil. I don't remember ever
feeling like he had dementia quite so, No, I don't think so.
It's more just kind of like scatterbrain. Except for his demented overpricing of things.
Right, Yeah, that's the wrestler dementia, I guess you could say.
But yeah, he started suffering and you know, something close to isolation.
I'm sure that the pandemic didn't do him any good because there wasn't a
lot of gimmick tables to set up there. For a year and a half,
I'm sure money got extremely tight. There was a thing that he had
cancer, and then his sister came out and said that he'd never had any
cancer. But it's remarkable just how hard it was to get like reliable signals
as to what was happening, what Teddy Biassi may have been talking about.
It was kind of telegraphed to us when we reached out for the bachelor party
that the guy who made the connection news, like just so you know,
I remember exactly what he said, so I don't be unfair here, but
it was something along the lines of, yeah, we know him, but
we're probably not going to work with them again because he was basically harassing people
at the convention. He was not necessarily a positive force. I think it
had something to do with like making untoward remarks towards women or something like that
makes someone uncomfortable, and I definitely got the sense that, Okay, well,
while this guy's going to help me reach out to him, it's not
like Virgil is necessarily still in their good graces over on that side of things.
So maybe that's part and Parcel I'm sure too. Ted didn't appreciate the
apparent situation where Virgil would indicate that Ted was going to join him at an
autograph table and was nowhere in the zip code. And then you know,
suddenly DEBIASI gets the reputation of no showing autograph shows, and Ted takes it
personally that Virgil allows that misnomer to propagate. Potentially that's just me reading between
the lines, but I think that's what was mostly going on here. Now.
Virgil did resurface doing interviews for a podcast on Hannibal's television channel on YouTube,
and you can find them. It's with a guy named Vinnie Vegas,
and he got a few FaceTime style interviews going with Virgil, including one where
he talked about kind of like the rough edges of the remarks we just heard
Teddy Biassi making his podcast about you know, some kind of perceived wrong that
Virgil did against him. That led to him creating a distance between him and
Virgil, and he was able to get Virgil to apologize, but in his
state, I'm not even sure what we're hearing, ched Gbasi, million dollar
man, I Virgil Michael Jones would like to apologize for anything that was said
that I said. You may I'm very, very very sorry because you were
always a great, great man and a great worker. Virgil would emphasize,
of course, his constant exercise routine later on into his life, but as
noted in the aforementioned article on his passing, he wasn't really He didn't have
great use of his arms lately, so there wasn't a lot of jogging happening,
not a lot of weightlifting happening, And in his final years, the
article reads, he usually hangs out at home, watches the news and game
shows, and a lot of pro wrestling. Virgil often borrows his roommate's car
to quote unquote visit his brother, but GPS trackers in the car showed that
Virgil is at Wheeling Down's racetrack and casino. Oh my God, which is
often confirmed by social media posts with fans who have run into the wrestler and
According to this article, virgilis damage too of his roommate's cars over the years.
Who is this roommate? Well, he did an interview with the forementioned
vine Vegas on YouTube and Boss, I wish you could, along with the
rest of the Solar System, join me in pulling up this video type in
Virgil gives a tour of where he lives. Okay, then we're going to
end our tribute news the tour to the mighty Virgil, the one of a
kind wrestling superstar, with this glimpse at his final environs. Oh my god,
Okay, I got an ad. Remember the cameo that Gabe and all
the great members of the Solar System got for your fortieth birthday? Yes,
and it was. It was a bevy of cameos, but one of them
was from Virgil. We played it on part one there when we were rewatching
the bachelor part of footage, and it was like, where is this guy
living? Like it seemed like it was done in like a like a hostage
video scenario. He seemed I remember that. Yeah, seemed disoriented, he
seemed claustrophobic. This is the place I'm ready. When you are all right,
you can find it on YouTube. This is Vinie Vegas for the Hannibal
TV interviewing Virgil and all I know interesting name. Here we go three two
one play. I want people to see, uh where like Virgil's room if
you don't mind, so people can get an understanding, Let's walk back,
Agil, give me a tour, bron Uh let me that bus. As
we're good, you're on full screen. We're gonna go in. This is
Virgil. This is what. Let me see how clean you are, Virgil.
There not be no panties on the floor. No, I mean this
is this is all Virgils. Let me see you can make a bed,
Virgil? Look at you. I mean it's just we got him a TV
on the bureau, but he did not have a bed. We got TV,
this table and then we have we just let me see that TV,
Virgil. What size you get? What size TV you get? Look at
you? Okay, But we got him the bed here that was thanks to
donations, all right? And what he has and if you look in the
clock people that anybody, it's all empty. This is his wardrobe here.
It's just some we're trying to help from. This is so people think these
guys are millionaires and have everything. Well, this is this is what he
has. That's why we're asking, you know, that's why we're asking for
help for him. I mean, I'm trying my best. I'm dealing with
cancer myself, but oh my god, what he has and disturbing. And
you know, we're you know, we hated to have to go this route
to try to help. Yeah, we did, and stuff like that.
You're pocketing something, pal, What do you care? I mean, that's
what we deserve as fans. You know what, what what would that be?
We deserve that our heroes and that people that we cheered for, people
that we rallied behind, that they end up living completely just awful, unmanageable
lives, because that's what we are as fans. We're there as fans.
Were only there for the good times, yes, and as soon as shit
starts going wrong, I don't want anything to do with you. No,
No, you're off my TV. You don't exist to me anymore. The
company doesn't see you as being worthwhile, as being a wrestler. You don't
exist anymore. And I guess in that good times column we could put the
twenty twelve Bachelor Party. We'll always have that absolutely always be grateful that Mike
Jones took the booking, because it's why we're here, and a lot of
the stuff we've talked about is why we were there at the time. But
I couldn't help but look at that small, little storage locker sized room and
think that he was pretty much back in the same dimensions he was living in
when he went to prison. He didn't want to but to know about it.
Oh my god, Mike Jones, there's that, and then like not
even like the uh, I mean, that's that's small. That's as small
as a New York apartment bedroom. Yep, Mike Jones, I think we
can say now confidently was seventy two when he passed away in February twenty eight,
twenty twenty four, and the least likely person to have made an impression
on us in the Solar system. I think we've done that spot that he
holds in the pantheon Justice. So West in peace, Mike Jones, Rest
in peace, Virgil, and we'll see you next time on that fucking cast.