NFL Hall of Famer & Four Horsemen Steve 'Mongo' McMichael Passes Away At 68

Throughout his career, McMichael earned the nicknames "Mongo" and "Ming The Merciless." Following his career in the NFL, McMichael transitioned to the world of professional wrestling and fit right in from the start.

McMichael's first wrestling appearances were in the WWE during the build-up to WrestleMania 11 in 1995, where former NFL star Lawrence Taylor wrestled in the main event of the show against Bam Bam Bigelow.

Prior to McMichael's appearance at WrestleMania 11 in the corner of Taylor, he appeared on the March 20, 1995 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw. On that show, he did guest commentary and also brawled with Kama Mustafa (later known as The Godfather).

However, McMichael would later sign with WCW, and that's where his wrestling career took off. He served as a color commentator on the debut edition of WCW Monday Nitro in September 1995 and would continue in that role before transitioning into a career inside the ring himself.

McMichael made his WCW debut in a tag team match at the 1996 Great American Bash PPV event. In that bout, he teamed with NFL star Kevin Greene against Ric Flair and Arn Anderson. He'd later join Flair and Anderson, becoming an official member of the Four Horsemen and winning the WCW United States Championship.

McMichael wrestled in WCW from 1996 until 1999. His final television appearance was on the February 8, 1999 edition of WCW Nitro. He also made one appearance as a referee for TNA Wrestling in 2008.

In April 2021, McMichael revealed publicly that he had been diagnosed with ALS, and over the final years of his life, fought his disease admirably in an effort to live long enough to see himself inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Utlimately, that dream came true for McMichael. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the summer of 2024. A longtime dream of his, McMichael was able to take part in the ceremony virtually from his home in Illinois while his wife, Misty, accepted the honors for him in Canton, Ohio.