Steve McMichael forever carved his name into wrestling lore
“Mongo” passed away too soon, but left a lasting mark on the world
Extra Mustard is a weekly column looking at the highs and lows–and everything in between–in combat sports and beyond.
Steve “Mongo” McMichael possessed endless charisma
The last time I spoke with Steve McMichael, his friend Kevin Greene had just passed away.
Greene was a Pro Football Hall of Famer, and he’d developed a bond with McMichael on the gridiron. The two made their way to World Championship Wrestling (it was a different era: Greene was still in the NFL while he wrestled for WCW), and McMichael turned on his good friend, joining The Four Horsemen, extending the on-screen feud between the two.
“The world losing Kevin Greene, that is hard to put into words,” McMichael told me. “We had such a good time together. I am deeply hurt by this loss.
“Everybody lives, but Kevin Greene really lived, baby. That will always define him. Kevin wouldn’t want anyone to be sad. Knowing him, he’d want us to celebrate his life. That’s what I am going to do.”
Only four months later, McMichael was diagnosed with ALS. He deserved a much better ending, succumbing to the vicious illness last week at the age of 67. But not even the life-altering disease could strip the joy McMichael brought to this world.
Perhaps McMichael was destined to become a professional wrestler. After a stellar career in the National Football League, which included a Super Bowl Championship with the legendary ’85 Chicago Bears, McMichael tapped into his “Mongo” alter ego in the ring. He captured the ethos of pro wrestling, as you never truly knew where McMichael ended and Mongo began.
“Make no mistake, and it’s why the ’85 Bears will be remembered for all time–we weren’t just football players, we were entertainers,” McMichael told me in a prior conversation. “We had guys that knew how to play to the crowd, and that translated for me right into wrestling.”
Overflowing with charisma, McMichael starred in his brief WWE cameos ahead of WrestleMania XI, which was headlined by NFL great Lawrence Taylor. But it was his run in World Championship Wrestling that etched his memory into wrestling lore.
McMichael began on the Nitro broadcast team in 1995, where he his held beloved chihuahua Pepe beside Eric Bischoff and Bobby Heenan. He then connected on an entirely different level when he stepped into the ring.
His in-ring run kicked off with a memorable program, teaming with Greene against Ric Flair and Arn Anderson. Their tag match served as the co-main event of the Great American Bash pay-per-view in ’96, and ended when McMichael turned on Greene and joined the Horsemen.
“When the WCW saw me with Lawrence Taylor [at WrestleMania XI], they wanted to sign me up,” McMichael told me in 2020. “[Eric Bischoff] asked me, ‘How long do you want to do this, Steve?’ And I said, ‘Until it’s not fun anymore, then I’ll be gone.’ And that’s what happened.”
McMichael remained with WCW until February of ’99. Though he made an appearance in TNA at Bound for Glory in 2008, his time in wrestling will be remembered for what he accomplished in WCW.
Even though he was not an in-ring technician, McMichael knew how to connect with a crowd. That was never more evident than when he captured the United States championship at Clash of the Champions in the summer of ’97.
McMichael was authentic, and he fit into pro wrestling like a hand in a glove. Endearing himself through an utterly beguiling personality, quirks, and charm, he was as proud to have entertained in WCW as he was to have played a significant role in football, where he earned himself a place in both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
He also had a way with words. During one of our last calls, McMichael was rattling off his laundry list of injuries, which affected his knees, neck, fingers, discs, and ligaments. All of this would become rendered inconsequential when ALS ravaged his body, but McMichael possessed an indefatigable spirit. With its passionate cadence, his words can still be felt even after his time on earth has passed.
“I’ll quote my old coach Mike Ditka,” McMichael told me–with pride–five years ago. “The going up was worth the coming down.”