Steve Carrier on April 23, 2025
Steve “Mongo” McMichael is entering the final stage of his battle with ALS, and the sports world is rallying around him.
The 67-year-old NFL legend and former WCW United States Champion is being moved to hospice care, according to a report from WGN in Chicago. McMichael is being taken off a ventilator in the ICU and will now receive end-of-life care as his condition progresses.
WGN’s Jarrett Payton, son of McMichael’s late teammate Walter Payton, asked fans to send support: “Four years ago today, I stood beside Steve McMichael as he bravely shared his #ALS diagnosis. Today, as he enters hospice care, I ask that you please keep Steve and his family in your prayers. Thank you. #Bears”
McMichael was diagnosed with ALS—also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease—four years ago. The condition has no known cure and gradually robs individuals of motor functions. Despite the devastating diagnosis, McMichael kept fighting and was finally honored with his long-overdue induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024. He received his gold jacket at home with his wife Misty and several of his former Chicago Bears teammates by his side.
Fans of the 1985 Bears remember McMichael as one of the fiercest defensive linemen on what’s still regarded as one of the greatest defenses of all time. But to wrestling fans, “Mongo” will always be the loud, brash member of WCW’s Four Horsemen, where he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ric Flair during one of wrestling’s wildest eras.
Hospice care focuses on comfort and quality of life when curative treatment is no longer effective. Patients typically enter hospice when doctors expect six months or less to live.
What are your favorite memories of Steve “Mongo” McMichael—on the field or in the ring? Leave your thoughts and support in the comments below as fans continue to honor one of sports and wrestling’s most unforgettable personalities.
April 23, 2025 3:26 pm
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