Tributes have been paid to “Shooter” Tony Jones, who has passed away at the age of 53.
Jones was perhaps best known for his appearance in the 1999 documentary ‘Beyond The Mat’, in which he featured with tag partner and trainer Mike Modest.
Jones was a staple of California promotion All Pro Wrestling, where he began his career. The promotion’s head, Markus Mac, paid tribute on Saturday night, writing:
I am very saddened to learn about the passing of ‘Shooter’ Tony Jones. Tony was such a caring member of the All Pro Wrestling community.
A standout amateur, a stellar pro, a great friend and more important than anything… a five star father.
I first met Tony in 1997 as a fan at Gym Wars. Being a Daly City head, I’d see him around a lot. I was honored that our kinship grew onto brotherhood. My most sincere condolences go out to all of Tony’s family, friends and fans.
Shooter, thank you for everything. I salute your service not just in the ring, but in life. Enjoy paradise with your baby girl. I love you brother.
Jones lost his daughter, Selina, to cancer when she was just 14, in 2000. He leaves behind a son, Tony Jr.
Hailing from San Francisco, California, Jones spent his younger years at Archbishop Riordan High School where he excelled in wrestling and football.
He continued his amateur wrestling career at San Francisco State University, graduating with a degree in broadcasting in 1995.
He soon gravitated to professional wrestling, training at the All Pro Wrestling school in 1996 and making his public in-ring debut in January 1997.
Soon after, Barry Blaumstein featured Jones in his documentary ‘Beyond The Mat’, which showed Jones and his tag partner Mike Modest in their 1998 World Wrestling Federation try-out match.
Jones made a handful of sporadic appearances for the WWF but was most closely associated with California-based promotions including XPW and especially APW. He formally retired in 2009 but made a select few appearances, including several for APW in 2017.
Other tributes include those from on-screen WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce.
Godspeed, Tony Jones. I always appreciated our time together and I’m glad we reconnected in the last couple of years. Rest well, Shooter. 🙏 https://t.co/kYnxuNpOi7
— Adam Pearce (@ScrapDaddyAP) April 14, 2024
Frankie Kazarian wrote:
Tony was a mainstay in the Cali Bay Area for years. I had many wars with him in NorCal and SoCal, and a lot of good times. Always a great, humble and driven man. Very sad news. Godspeed sir.
The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, who knew Jones and met him regularly at wrestling shows in the Bay Area of California, reported on Sunday:
I was devastated to find out last night about the death of Tony Jones, a long-time independent wrestler in the Bay Area, who was also an avid reader and listener to our shows.
According to Meltzer’s reporting, Jones passed away suddenly on Thursday, April 11th after a suspected cardiac event.
