According to PWInsider, former WCW and WWF/E referee Mickie Jay (real name Mickie Henson) passed away Monday evening following a battle with COVID-19 pneumonia. He was 59.
Henson was taken off life support at 6:19 PM ET. It was said he had suffered severe lung damage over the course of battling pneumonia.
Henson first broke into the wrestling business as a referee in 1987 with Championship Wrestling from Florida. He was then hired by World Championship Wrestling in the early 1990s and remained with the company until it was sold to the WWF in 2001.
Henson was hired by WWE in 2005 and brought in to work on the Raw side. He later worked for the WWE ECW brand before being shifted over to Smackdown after the ECW brand was shuttered. Henson refereed Edge vs. Mick Foley at Wrestlemania 22 in Chicago as well as John Cena vs. Kurt Ange at the 2005 Survivor Series PPV, among other marquee matches.
During his time in WWE, Henson held the positions of head referee for SmackDown and ECW. Henson stepped down in 2008 when he was diagnosed with Mantle cell lymphoma, which he later defeated. He officially departed WWE in 2009.
Henson also worked as an enhancement talent on WWF television in the early 1990’s, where he had a match against the Undertaker.
From the entire staff at Wrestleview, we send our thoughts, prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Mickie Henson during this difficult and sad time.