83 Weeks - Steve "Mongo" McMichael [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Welcome back to 83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff!

This week we’re going to be discussing one of the original hosts of Monday Nitro when it launched…Steve “Mongo” McMichael.

McMichael played college football for the University of Texas at Austin and was an All-American. He played for the New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and finally the Green Bay Packers before retiring in 1994.

He won Super Bowl XX with the Bears in January 1986.

"For 13 years, I helped the Bears beat the Packers every year. I whupped their ass, right? So the last year, I went up there on my last leg and I wasn't any good anymore. So I stole their money and whipped their ass again!"

— McMichael in 2019, speaking about his sole season with the Green Bay Packers

McMichael was really known for not biting his tongue and speaking his mind in the NFL. He was named to the College Football Hall of Fame and is ranked as one of the 100 greatest Chicago Bears of all-time. Were you a fan of McMichael’s in football? Even aware of him?

Mongo’s first dab in the world of wrestling was in March 1995. He was in the buildup for the Lawrence Taylor vs Bam Bam Bigelow match at WrestleMania XI as part of Taylor’s All-Pro team.

He also is the guest color commentator alongside Vince McMahon for a match on an episode of Monday Night Raw and gets into a big scuffle with Kama afterwards, brawling around ringside.

How did Mongo first come to your attention to be even considered for a commentary role in WCW?

Did you see his few WWF appearances? Were you more aware of him from his other media appearances for football and on radio?

Do you two have a meeting somewhere to discuss bringing him in? Was this the first time you had met Steve?

Does he have an audition?

Did he even suggest he may be interested in learning how to wrestle?

We know Mongo debuted on the first Monday Nitro at the Mall of America on 9/4/95, but Meltzer is first reporting about it a month earlier:

Observer 8/7/95:

“The latest idea, subject to change, is that the Monday Night show will have Eric Bischoff & Bobby Heenan and possibly a third person doing the announcing which may be Steve McMichael, the former NFL football player who the WWF was considering using as recently as a few days ago. McMichael signed with WCW on 7/31 and will start out as an announcer, but will be going to the WCW school and the idea is that he'll wind up being a wrestler. He was to be introduced to the wrestlers at the Disney tapings. If you recall, McMichael showed a lot of fire as he did great in his angle earlier this year on Raw with Kama, but almost has to be a heel because he's got real cocky mannerisms.”

Did you know the WWF was negotiating with Steve about coming in?

It sounds from the start that the deal was going to be McMichael comes in and eventually transitions to a wrestler. How big was the ceiling on Steve?

Was there a lot of practice with Steve and Bobby ahead of time for you three? Or was the first time you guys called something together the first Nitro?

Do you know what Heenan thought of working with Mongo?

Meltzer’s thoughts about the commentary on the first Nitro:

“There were the requisite first-time problems, the most obvious of which was the announcing. Bobby Heenan was better than he's been on recent Saturday and PPV shows, but his gimmick is predictable old hat today. Bischoff can't call a match and both were world's better than Steve McMichael, who came off as obnoxious and clueless at the same time, which is not the best combination for someone playing a babyface role. All three appeared to go into the show unprepared, so with preparation they could improve, but McMichael didn't appear to have any potential in the role as he's a natural heel, is not quick-witted enough for his role, doesn't speak well and most importantly, is in no way a big enough celebrity that he's means squat when it comes to ratings. The sooner they drop him the better and it isn't going to be sooner.”

Well whatever Meltzer thinks, Mongo stayed in the role for 9 months until May 1996.

Did you enjoy working with Mongo those 9 months in the booth? Was he ever trouble to deal with and always professional?

Mongo also brought his pet chihuahua Pepe with him every week to the announce desk, was this Steve’s suggestion?

Steve’s wife Debra started appearing at WCW events in early 1996. She’s an unnamed valet for Hogan and Savage and a couple of months later is in the crowd when Ric Flair begins hitting on her.

Who’s idea was it to bring Debra with an on camera role?

This eventually leads to Mongo challenging Flair and he announced at Slamboree that Kevin Greene would be his partner to face Flair & Arn Anderson at the Great American Bash in June 96.

When does the discussion start about Mongo going into the ring, was it always going to be full time too?

Who helped train Mongo at the Power Plant? Were you getting reports from them or was Steve giving you a report on his progress at Nitros?

Was this a set time frame for him to debut as a wrestler or when Debra is put on TV is that when it’s determined he’s ready and to get the plans in motion?

Mongo becoming a wrestler - did Debra have anything to do with this?

In the story, Mongo & Greene are in vignettes getting trained for the match by Randy Savage.

Savage will be in their corner for the match, and Bobby Heenan would come out of retirement to “coach” Flair & Anderson at the opposing side.

Of course in the match, Mongo and Debra both turn heel and join with the Four Horsemen after Mongo attacks Greene with a briefcase containing Savage’s money.

Did you see the potential in Mongo as perhaps a top heel eventually, or did he always need to be protected and surrounded by the best people to hide his weaknesses and have the best chance at success?

He was in the ring sparingly at first, and only wrestled in 13 matches those last 6 months of 1996.

Meltzer’s review of his first singles match at Bash at the Beach 96:

“6. Steve McMichael pinned Joe Gomez with a tombstone piledriver in 6:44. McMichael has the attitude and his wife as the look. But it was painful putting two guys who are both so green out there on a PPV and having them go this long and it exposed him big- time. Just terrible. -1/2*”

Was there a winning plan in getting Steve better in the ring? Obviously putting him in the Horsemen helps hide some of those weaknesses as he is literally learning on the fly in a big time role…but when you look back…McMichael being Goldberg before Goldberg…shit there could’ve been some money there don’t you think?

We’ve always heard football players once they get into a ring and do their first bump it’s unlike anything they’ve ever felt before. Did Steve ever comment to you the damage he had suffered to his body from football compared to professional wrestling?

Mongo gets into a feud with Jeff Jarrett when he joins WCW over Debra, and she ends up costing Steve his match against Jeff at SuperBrawl in February 97, so thank you for putting Jeff with the Horsemen and leading to this Flair - Jarrett heat all these years later.

Putting Mongo with a worker like Jeff though…it makes sense in the long run does it not?

Mongo had two big high profile matches against two fellow football players as we’ve covered this year on 83 Weeks. First it’s against Reggie White at Slamboree where Mongo gets the win and Kevin Greene the next month at Great American Bash where Greene picks up the victory. These are big spots for McMichael very early on in his wrestling career. Here’s a crazy stat for you Eric…Steve’s 14th singles match IN HIS CAREER is against Reggie White! And his 17th is against Kevin Greene. You had a lot of faith that McMichael would step up in these spots didn’t you?

Somehow Mongo and Jarrett have this off again on again tag team but it eventually ends when Debra sides with Jarrett and it turns into a singles feud. Were you aware of the issues between Debra & Steve at this time?

Mongo defeats Jarrett for the U.S Title at the final Clash of Champions on August 21st. The US title is a big deal to be put on Mongo. Did you think there were any legs to him as champion?

Mongo is the one who submits at the infamous Fall Brawl we’ll cover in a few weeks which sees Curt Hennig turn on the Horsemen.

Mongo only held the US title for a few weeks, losing to Curt Hennig the next night on Nitro. Wins and losses didn’t really affect Steve so much did it?

Debra begins to put together a stable of wrestlers to go after her husband on TV…between Jeff Jarrett, Eddie Guerrero and Alex Wright. There’s a common theme here Eric…very good workers. Are you trying to have Steve improve his in-ring or have him in there with good wrestlers to hide any weaknesses?

Was McMichael kind of…lost in the shuffle without the Horsemen?

At Halloween Havoc Alex Wright is the mystery opponent of McMichael’s and McMichael takes the loss when Goldberg comes out and hits the spear and jackhammer on him. Debra hands Goldberg Mongo’s Super Bowl ring and it’s obvious that Goldberg is a hired gun for her. This is the first storyline that Goldberg enters into and McMichael makes Goldberg look like an animal taking those moves. How much credit can you give McMichael for helping make Bill early?

The first singles match between Goldberg & McMichael is announced for World War 3 but Goldberg fails to show up for the match and when Goldberg is shown in the back he’s laid out and McMichael has his Super Bowl ring back. Any consideration at this time of McMichael getting a win over Goldberg?

Debra attempts to rejoin Steve and Steve blows her off to a big babyface pop the next night on Nitro. It’s no surprise he was this over right?

Goldberg gets the win at Starrcade over Mongo and really this is the start of the rocket that is Goldberg is it not?

1998 is an odd year for Steve. He has a loose affiliation with Benoit in his feud with Raven’s Flock before getting into a program with the British Bulldog who had returned to WCW after the Montreal Screwjob. They faced off at SuperBrawl but Mongo broke his hand during the match. What do you remember of the injury and how bad it was?

McMichael returned in June of 1998 and worked a lot against Stevie Ray to some of the worst matches in the history of professional wrestling. Do you think it was the injury or did you start to see a breakdown in Steve?

At the time him & Debra were separated and ended up divorced. Just another wrestling marriage failing Eric sadly.

The Four Horsemen were memorably reformed in September 1998 and Mongo is one of the members but still there’s not much being done with him. Was he sour on the sport? Was it hard to do anything with him around this time?

He flounders around with the Horsemen the next few months and his final appearance is at a house show on March 8, 1999 as he, Benoit & Malenko defeated Barry Windham, Curt Hennig & Wrath.

Was Steve fired? Did he quit? Contract not renewed? He never wrestled again as far as I can tell.

What was your relationship like with him during his tenure?

His only pro wrestling related appearance since was as a guest referee for the Monster’s Ball match at Bound For Glory 2008. Do you know why he never returned to professional wrestling?

Steve’s fight with ALS has been well documented. We wish him all the best in his battle!