This year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame class has some definite pro wrestling flavor.
Among the seven-member Class of 2024 named Thursday night is Steve “Mongo” McMichael. A third-round pick of the New England Patriots in 1980, McMichael made his way to the Chicago Bears in 1981 and became a stalwart at defensive tackle, helping the Bears win Super Bowl XX and earning All-Pro honors five times throughout his career.
Wrestling fans whose memories date back to the ’90s, however, likely know Mongo better thanks to his second career. McMichael joined WCW in 1995 as a color commentator before eventually training with Terry Taylor at the WCW Power Plant to get in the ring himself.
Though his wrestling career lasted only four years, McMichael was a mainstay on WCW programming during the promotion’s hottest era, becoming a member of the Four Horsemen and even winning the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship. McMichael’s final match took place in early 1999.
Unfortunately, McMichael was diagnosed with ALS in 2021, and he no longer makes public appearances. ESPN will show a special segment this weekend ahead of the Super Bowl showing how he battled the disease in order to be able to see himself get enshrined in Canton, which is sure to be an emotional and inspiring story.
Football and wrestling fans alike will remember Mongo forever as a powerhouse who was also a colorful character, and his deeds on the gridiron certainly make him a worthy Hall of Famer.