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They were as close as a man and his speedo-wearing bodyguard could be ... but now, The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase tells TMZ his relationship with Virgil is completely non-existent.  

DiBiase was leaving JFK with his wife yesterday when we asked the WWE legend if he had read recent reports that Virgil was now broke and selling t-shirts on a subway platform in NYC to survive.

"That's what I've heard," Ted told us ... "I haven't talked to him in a long time."

Still, Ted says he still considers Virgil a friend and sounded concerned for his former wrestling partner.

As for Virgil, a TMZ staffer saw him in the subway recently and tried to speak with the guy ... but Virgil made it clear he didn't want to talk.