Remembering Ole Anderson & Virgil
The wrestling world has lost two of it’s most memorable figures, from two different sides of the same coin. The rugged and demanding Ole Anderson, and the soulful Virgil. Both men passed away this past week, Anderson on February 26th and Virgil on February 28th.
Anderson passed peacefully at his Georgia home, aged 81. Anderson began his career in the AWA in the 1960s before joining Jim Crockett Promotions, adopting the name of Ole Anderson and joining his kayfabe brothers, Gene and Lars Anderson in the Minnesota Wrecking Crew towards the end of the decade. Ole bounced around the territories, including in Championship Wrestling From Florida where he and Ronnie Garvin would lose the NWA Florida Tag Team belts to the Australians, Larry O’Dea and Ron Miller, before ending up back in JCP with a new group alongside Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson known as the Four Horsemen.
Back in 2022, Virgil faced a number of health issues, including a dementia diagnosis and stage-two colon cancer, he would also suffer two strokes the same year. Unfortunately, complications relating to these issues would lead to his passing. Known mostly as the servant of the Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase in the WWF in the 1980s, he also worked for World Championship Wrestling in the 1990s and became one of the many members of the nWo. In recent years, Virgil remained in the public eye as he travelled to wrestling fan fests and maintained a presence on social media, making memes and goofing on current events in wrestling.
News Writer. Based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. Lifelong fan, admirer of the old school, born in the new age. Storytelling is a big passion of mine and professional wrestling itself is just one giant book. Naturally, it drew me in and has kept me close since before I could walk, talk and drop an elbow on my teddy bear!
