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 had been hospitalized several times in recent years.
And now, just hours after it was confirmed he was receiving hospice care, the wrestling and football worlds are mourning his passing, with the Pro Football Hall of Famer having died at the age of 67. This has subsequently led to multiple tributes being paid, with his former WCW colleague Ric Flair among them, calling McMichael on X “my best friend through it all.”
While to the masses, McMichael was 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 for TNA, where he refereed a Monster’s Ball match in 2008.
