AEW commentator Tony Schiavone honored the late Steve “Mongo” McMichael in a moving segment on the latest episode of the What Happened When podcast. McMichael, a former Chicago Bears Super Bowl champion and WCW Horseman, passed away recently following a long and courageous battle with ALS.
Reflecting on McMichael’s toughness and character, Schiavone said,
“He obviously was a phenomenal football player. And there are a lot of people out there that say, ‘Yeah, but a wrestler he was…’ But you know, he was fine as a wrestler, and he was legitimately a badass. And not many wrestlers can say that.”
Schiavone’s co-host Conrad Thompson offered important context regarding past criticisms of McMichael’s in-ring career:
“I want to remind you, they trained him to do one celebrity match, and then after that said, ‘Hey, you’re just a full time wrestler now.’ Normally, by the time you see a wrestler on Nitro… they may have been wrestling 5, 6, 7 years, not one match.”
Schiavone echoed the sentiment, adding:
“To be put in the ring as a Horseman? Yes, that’s a big ask, and that’s a lot of pressure.”
Beyond the ring, Schiavone shared heartfelt memories of McMichael’s off-camera persona:
“He was really a good dude, and I really liked hanging out with him… He just made you feel safe being around him. It’s kind of like Wahoo McDaniel was… if we get into a f***ing fight, I’m getting behind this guy, Steve McMichael.”
“He didn’t come across as threatening or bad or mean or anything like that. He came across as a real solid guy to hang out with.”
While expressing sorrow over McMichael’s decline due to ALS, Schiavone made it clear how he wants to remember him:
“I don’t want to remember Mongo that way. I want to remember that big, robust guy with long hair… who took no bullsh*t from anybody at all. I put him in the Goldberg category, Rick Steiner… legitimate badass. Mongo was top of that list.”
Schiavone also stated McMichael should have entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame long before he finally did.
Steve “Mongo” McMichael leaves behind a legacy as a gridiron great, pro wrestling icon, and a man who earned respect both in and out of the ring. The What Happened When podcast featuring Schiavone and Thompson is available weekly on all major platforms.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for continued coverage.
