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Stephen Douglas McMichael (October 17, 1957 – April 23, 2025), nicknamed " Mongo", " Ming", and " Ming the Merciless", was an American professional football player and professional wrestler. He was a defensive tackle for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and was selected by the New England Patriots in the 1980 NFL draft. After retiring from playing football, he wrestled in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was part of The Four Horsemen stable.
While playing for the Bears, he was a two-time and four-time All-Pro, winning Super Bowl XX with the team. He ended his football career with the Green Bay Packers, before making appearances for the WWE (WWF) ahead of WrestleMania XI.
In World Championship Wrestling (WCW), he started off as a color commentator before ultimately obtaining a career as a professional wrestler. He would be a member of the Four Horsemen stable and was a one time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion. Before retiring from public appearances, McMichael was a regular presence on Chicago sports radio and was the namesake of a restaurant in the southwest suburbs of Chicago.
From 2007 to 2013, McMichael was the head coach of the Chicago Slaughter of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). He ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Romeoville, Illinois southwest of Chicago. In 2021, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). McMichael was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024. On April 23, 2025, McMichael was moved into hospice care. After transitioning into hospice care, McMichael died the same day at 67.
On July 17, 2010, McMichael was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
In a 1991 game against the New York Jets, with the Bears down 13–6 with 1:54 remaining, McMichael forced a Blair Thomas fumble and recovered it at the New York 36. Quarterback Jim Harbaugh then threw a game-tying touchdown to Neal Anderson with :18 left in the game. The Bears went on to win in overtime when Harbaugh scored on a one yard TD run. Bears coach Mike Ditka said in 2005 that McMichael was the toughest player he had ever coached. He played with the Green Bay Packers in 1994 before retiring. Aside from his "Mongo" moniker, McMichael was also nicknamed "Ming the Merciless", or "Ming" for short.
In August 2023, he was named a finalist for the Seniors ballot of the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the class of 2024. He had previously been nominated in 2014 and 2015. On February 8, 2024, McMichael was officially selected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He was formally inducted on August 3, 2024, with his sister Kathy delivering a speech on his behalf. Members of the 1985 Bears, including Mike Singletary, Jim Covert and Richard Dent, traveled to his home to share the celebration with him. Walter Payton's son Jarrett Peyton would be the one who inducted McMichael into the NFL Hall of Fame.
He then feuded with the Dungeon of Doom with the other Horsemen, and he had problems with Jeff Jarrett over the affections of Debra in late 1996 through early 1997. Woman trashed Debra, causing McMichael and Chris Benoit to step in each time. The turning point in the McMichael–Jarrett feud was at SuperBrawl VII. McMichael wrestled Jarrett, and if Jarrett won, he was an official Horseman. Debra interfered for Jarrett, so he would win. Then McMichael and Jarrett had to team, and they bickered at first but later became a solid tag team. McMichael wrestled two football players in 1997. He beat Reggie White at Slamboree and lost to Kevin Greene at The Great American Bash, which saw McMichael slapped by Greene's mother at ringside.
In July 1997, Jarrett was kicked out of the Horsemen, and Debra soon left McMichael for Jarrett. McMichael got his revenge when he defeated Jarrett for his WCW United States Heavyweight Championship on the August 21 episode of Clash of the Champions XXXV. Weeks earlier, Arn Anderson had been forced to retire due to an injury, and Curt Hennig joined the Horsemen. At Fall Brawl, Hennig turned on the Horsemen and joined the nWo, during the War Games match in which the Horsemen were involved. McMichael was handcuffed to the steel cage surrounding the ring along with Benoit, and neither man could defend Flair from the 5-on-1 assault from the nWo; the match ended after McMichael surrendered to stop the nWo from attacking Flair, although Hennig would still slam the cage door on Flair's head (which was edited out of the home video release, but included on the WWE Network in full), even after the submission was made. The next night on Nitro, McMichael dropped his United States title to Hennig, and Flair disbanded the Horsemen.
McMichael and fellow 1985 Chicago Bears alumni Dan Hampton and Otis Wilson performed in a rock and roll oldies band (with entertaining satirical Mike Ditka verses) called the Chicago 6.
On August 7, 2001, during the seventh-inning stretch of a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field, McMichael, who was visiting the Cubs television booth, took a turn as the guest singer for "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". Earlier in the game in the bottom of the 6th inning, home plate umpire Ãngel Hernández had controversially called Cubs infielder Ron Coomer out at the plate. Before singing Take Me Out to the Ball Game, McMichael announced to those in attendance over the PA system that he would "have some speaks" with Hernández after the game, presumably as a result of Hernández's call on Coomer. Crew chief Randy Marsh ordered McMichael to be ejected from the ballpark, and the umpires later received an apology for McMichael's conduct from then-Cubs general manager Andy MacPhail.
On August 16, 2012, McMichael announced his intentions to run for mayor of Romeoville, Illinois. He lost the race to incumbent John Noak, garnering 39 percent of the vote.
On April 23, 2021, McMichael announced that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The Les Turner ALS Foundation awarded McMichael the ALS Courage Award on September 18, 2021. McMichael was transferred to hospice care in Joliet, Illinois, southwest of Chicago, on April 23, 2025, and died later that day due to complications from ALS, at the age of 67.
Jarrett Payton would be among those who paid tribute. In his Twitter tribute, fellow member of the Four Horsemen Ric Flair referred to McMichael as "my best friend through it all."
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