On April 23, 2021, it was sadly announced that Steve “Mongo” McMichael, known for his Chicago Bears football career in the 80s and for wrestling in WCW during the 90s, had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. At the time, he’d already lost 50lbs and could no longer lift his arms, and since then, it’s known he has been hospitalized several times in recent years.
Therefore, when it was announced that he was going to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, many fans just hoped he could make it to that day. And now, having bravely fought his condition, he was officially inducted on Saturday, August 3. Obviously, he could not attend in person, but a film crew would be sent to his home in Chicago, where McMichael was with his wife, Misty, and several former teammates.
While to the masses, 66-year-old McMichael is famous for his legendary football career, many of those reading this will know him best for his run in WCW, where he defeated Jeff Jarrett for the US Championship at a Clash of the Champions event in 1997. Still, his time in the wrestling business wasn’t very long, and his final match came in 1999 at a house show where he teamed with Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko against Barry Windham, Curt Hennig, and Wrath. Although it should be noted, he did return to the business in 2008 for TNA, where he refereed a Monsters Ball match.
