It’s with a combination of sadness and relief that I saw the news that Chicago Bears legend and former WCW pro wrestler, Steve “Mongo” McMichael passed away at the age of 67 after he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2021. The progressive neurological disease that destroys motor function is fatal with no current cure, but doesn’t affect cognitive function so the sufferer is aware of their continuous physical decline. I’m not religious, nor what I want to assume what anyone else’s religious beliefs are, but it was truly heart-breaking to see McMichael’s sharp decline over the course of just a few years so I was relieved that at the very least he was no longer suffering. Regardless of if that’s a heaven or if it’s simply an enteral sleep, Mongo deserved to be at peace.
Given the horrendous nature of the disease, which robbed the once fiercely agile defensive tackle of his physical gifts, perhaps Mongo’s heart was the strongest trait that he had, as he lived long enough to be rightfully inducted into the National Football League Hall of Fame last year.
Despite being unanimously known for his association with Chicago, sporting his trademark Bears jacket when he eventually entered professional wrestling, McMichael was originally drafted in the third round of the 1979 draft by the New England Patriots after a college career playing four years for the Texas Longhorns. He played just one season in New England and was cut from the team before he was found his football home in Chicago, where he was a two-time pro bowl selection and a member of the legendary 1985 Bears defense that had a critical role in their Super Bowl XX victory.
After 13 seasons in Chicago, he played a single season in Green Bay before he retired from the gridiron, hanging up his cleats after 15 seasons.
It didn’t take long for Mongo to find his next athletic venture, as he was actually at ringside in support of Lawrence Taylor for the Giants Linebacker’s well-known bout against Bam Bam Bigelow in the main event of Wrestlemania in 1995. That same year, when Eric Bischoff ambitiously suggested that World Championship Wrestling, the Ted Turner organization that he became the executive producer of the year prior, go head-to-head with Vince McMahon’s Monday Night Raw, setting up for the legendary era of the Monday night wars, the Nitro program was created as the flagship show of the Turner wrestling project.
McMichael was an early staple of the Nitro broadcast team, alongside his small dog Pepe, who would often be dressed in elaborate outfits next to him. As far as being an announcer, Mongo wasn’t exactly as polished as Gordon Solie or as dramatic as Jim Ross, but I think it’s fair to say that his genuine enthusiasm was infectious, and he undoubtedly added a unique entertainment value to the program, specifically his banter with Bobby “The Brain” Hennan. You could tell the guy was a legitimate fan of the sport and truly enjoyed his tenure in the business.
As much as Mongo wasn’t a polished announcer, but still very entertaining, he wasn’t exactly Lou Thez in the ring either. That’s not meant as a knock against him, but rather to point out that it probably wasn’t realistically possible that he was going to be a polished in-ring performer since he wasn’t really given the chance to be. He made his in-ring debut in mid-1996 at The Great American Bash pay-per-view when he was paired with fellow NFL player, Kevin Greene in a tag match against Ric Flair and Arn Anderson. Of course, with the celebrity involvement, smoke and mirrors can be used to present a serviceable match, and with Flair and Anderson as two of the safest workers in the business as opponents, Mongo’s debut was fine.
That being said, he was 38 by the time that he stepped into the ring as a wrestler and had retired from pro football less than two years earlier so how exactly did he have enough time to train to be ready to wrestle on the national stage? He had 15 years of playing in the NFL that already took a toll on his body, and was booked on national television with limited experience to just make the best of the situation. Basically, WCW wasn’t the place to take into account the delicate nature of a novice pro wrestler on a pay-per-view stage, their handling of David Flair is a glaring example of that. Speaking of pay-per-view, Mongo’s third pro match was at Bash At The Beach against Joe Gomez, and no disrespect to Joe, but he’s not exactly in the same category as Flair or Anderson as far as making opponents look good in the ring.
He wrestled for about three and a half years, with the peak of that run being when he had a stint as United States champion in 1997, and was a member of the Four Horsemen stable after Arn Anderson suffered a neck injury that ended his in-ring career that necessitated that the faction needed a new member. Again, Mongo wasn’t technically proficient and his in-ring career was undistinguished at the time, partially because there weren’t many standout matches, but also because it was very easy for his appearances to get lost in the shuffle with how stacked the WCW roster was at the time. Still, similar to his tenure as an announcer, Mongo’s run as a member of the Horseman reflected just how much fun he had in the role. A broken hand in 1998 sidelined him for a a few months and he didn’t really do anything of note as a wrestler upon his return until he left the company in mid-1999.
After wrestling, McMichael had a radio career and ran a restaurant in Chicago, along with various other side gigs, including the coach of a team of an in-door football league. After he announced his ALS diagnose in 2021, he retired from any radio and public appearances because of the nature of the disease. Prior to that, his wrestling career had a resurgence of sorts on social media, as his over-the-top enthusiastic nature during his WCW career became the subject of light-hearted memes online, similar to Jim Cornette, Ric Flair, and Dusty Rhodes today.
Once again, Mongo’s entertaining enthusiasm won over a new generation of fans on social media. His zest for life remained infectious throughout different stages of his career. More than anything, that zest and pure entertainment are probably his wrestling career will be remembered for the most. The guy had such a great time being involved that it’s an entertaining viewing experience to watch someone have that much fun.
There are many statistics for the life and career of Steve McMichael. There are 95 sacks, 849 tackles, three safeties, 16 forced fumbles, 17 fumble recoveries, and three interceptions in the NFL. He’s a College Football Hall of Famer, An All-American college player in 1979, a two-time pro bowler in the NFL, and A Super Bowl XX champion,
However, the defining quality of Mongo Michael could quite possibly be his courage, as he showed a major amount that can’t be measure or defined in his fight against ALS, as he kept up the fight long enough to be there for his induction into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2024. As cruel as ALS is to take away physical function from the human body while the mind is still fully aware of the decline, McMichal was also fully aware of the support he had and the recognition of his career as he was surrounded by his former teammates for his Hall of Fame induction.
My sincere condolences to McMichael’s friends and family at this difficult time.
Donations toward ALS research can be made to the ALS Association https://www.als.org/
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Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
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