Money For Mongo Brings Pro Wrestlers Together To Help Steve McMichael

HOMER GLEN, IL — Steve McMichael’s pro wrestling career wasn’t nearly as long or distinguished as his run as a mainstay with the Chicago Bears defense, but the impact his fight with ALS has had on some of his fellow squared circle competitors is nothing shy of remarkable.

McMichael, who was part of World Championship Wrestling between 1995 and 1999, became part of the famed Four Horsemen headed by the legendary Ric Flair. Wrestling under his familiar “Mongo” moniker and often wearing a Bears varsity-style jacket to the ring, McMichael became known for his brash style both in the ring and as a wrestling commentator, despite never displaying the polished wrestling skills possessed by his fellow competitors.

But like others who have watched McMichael’s health decline since he was diagnosed with ALS in 2021, the wrestling community is rallying around the former All-Pro and Super Bowl challenge. This weekend, several wrestling stars, including the 16-time World Champion Flair, Eric Bischoff, Jeff Jarrett, Mick Foley, Jim Ross as well as Tony Schiavone, will participate in a fundraiser “Money For Mongo”.

The event will emanate from the Hyatt Regency in Schaumburg at 12:30 p.m. Saturday and will be streamed free on Fite.tv. Organizers said all of the participants will appear live and the audience for the event is part of a VIP experience for members of AdFreeShows.com.

The top subscribing members get to be a part of "Top Guy Weekend," which is Friday, Saturday, and part of Sunday, and this "Money For Mongo" panel is part of that. In addition, ticket holders for The Wrestling Showcase are able to join in person.

The Wrestling Showcase is a live wrestling show that starts at 3:30 p.m. at the Hyatt in Schaumburg. "Money For Mongo" will actually be taking place inside that will be used for the show, organizers said.

The event will be hosted by Conrad Thompson, a pro wrestling promoter and podcast host, who said while McMichael’s legacy as a wrestler is “complicated”, his bruising in-style ring still left a mark on the world of sports entertainment.

“From a fan's standpoint, he wasn't a mat classic type of wrestler, who was going to wow you with a bunch of different moves,” Thompson told Patch in an email interview on Monday. “But that being said, he was always entertaining, whether in his matches or on commentary.

“He was really made to be a pro wrestler or sports entertainer, it just so happened he had a Hall of Fame-worthy professional football career that got in the way of some prime wrestling years. Now, if you are talking about his legacy with the people he worked with every week and in the locker room? He's hands down an absolute legend.”

Thompson said that the former wrestling stars who will appear at Saturday’s event maintain busy schedules, but dropped everything to do an event that will benefit McMichael. Flair, who is more commonly known as “The Nature Boy,” still calls McMichael on a weekly basis and has been emotional in interviews discussing what it has been like to watch McMichael’s health decline to the point where he can no longer speak, walk or even lift his arms.

Flair, who had to give his blessing to McMichael to be included in the WCW version of the Four Horsemen, said on the Mark Madden podcast that McMichael is “just an incredible human being” who found his way into wrestling and let his personality take over from there.

“(McMichael) brought so much life, humor, love of respect and (was) legitimately a really tough guy,” Flair said on the podcast. “But he’s having a really hard time.”

McMichael has been relegated to a bed inside his home in Homer Glen, where visitors still spend time with him as the disease better known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease” continues to take its toll on McMichael’s body. The former Romeoville resident and candidate for mayor still owns a restaurant bearing his name, but those organizing this weekend's fundraiser know that life hasn't been easy on McMichael and his family since his diagnosis last year.

“Steve's illness has hit everybody hard, and none harder than his wife Misty, who's been an absolute saint throughout this,” Thompson told Patch. “So, if our team can get together and get some help from the wrestling and sports community to raise money for the family, it's the least we can do."

Thompson said that 100 percent of the proceeds from Saturday’s event will go to McMichael and his wife, Misty. Together, the couple has watched McMichael’s former NFL teammates come to his side to support the former defensive tackle, who many are pushing to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his part in helping the Bears put together a dominant run to a Super Bowl title in 1985.

Now, Thompson, Flair, and others want to do the same. Funds can be donated to the cause either on Saturday or on the event’s website. As of Tuesday morning, nearly $2,000 has already been raised in the days leading up to Saturday’s benefit event.

“We really want Mongo to know how much we care about him, we appreciate what he did in professional wrestling and how much we love him and his family,” Thompson wrote. “The pro wrestling fan base, much like the Chicago Bears fan base, is extremely loyal and looks after each other.”