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Former WWE and Ring of Honor star Mike Mondo aka Mikey of the Spirit Squad will officially return to the ring for the first time since 2019 at the 2/25 NYWC Psycho Circus in Islip, NY, wrestling Dickie Rodz. He will also be touring Italy in March.
Mondo, who had been out of the ring for several years due to a medical issue, was finally given the green light to return to active training and competing last year and has since taken a position as the head trainer for the New York Wrestling Connection's academy in Deer Park, Long Island.
"I had blood clots in, in my right leg, " Mondo told PWInsider.com. "Unfortunately, doctors wouldn't let me participate anymore in the ring, physically, because hey put me on blood thinners and I was on them for like about a year and a half. It was really, uh, a little bit of a depressing time for me because wrestling was what I love the most in life, and I, gosh, have such a huge passion for professional wrestling and the business itself. It was taken away from me and I was trying to at least try to stay in the mix as, as best as I can, you know, doing seminars, coaching, training guys here down at the NYWC Wrestling Academy, But Thank God, Thanks to the man above that I'm healed. I got clearance by doctors that I'm good to go and off the blood thinners. Now we're a hundred percent ready to return to entering competition. The past few months I've just been really training, trying to get my wind back up, my cardio, my body back in shape. It's definitely been a couple of years and, but I'm really, really looking forward to the opportunity to face Dick Rodz and, and get my name back out there and again, show the wrestling world just what I can truly do. I, I feel there's a lot left in the tank in, in me, and I'm just gonna, I'm, I'm going to go full force."
On working to get himself back to ring shape and even come back from such an extended absence due to health issues, Mondo commented, "Man, I couldn't wait for the day. Everytime I went into the doctor's office hoping to give me clearance, he constantly, pushed it back and pushed it back and pushe it back again, but and you know what, rightfully so because what I had, it was more of a serious condition than I thought. I mean, the doctor pretty much sat me down and was like, 'Mike, you know, you don't understand it. The spreads, this can kill you, you know?' That kind of threw me for another whole loop, you know what I mean? He was just taking everything step at a time, and then it was, Okay, now I'm gonna get back in the gym and, and do my cardio. I couldn't even hit hit the weights at the time because, you know, God forbid a dumbbell hit my head or I got cut or something, that would open up a whole another avenue of problems."
"I was just trying to do what I can do just to try to stay afloat and just to try to stay mentally ready for when the time does come and I was given the clearance, the green light, so to speak, that I'd be prepared to go, Mondo continued. "I'm not gonna lie, Mike, when I walked back into that school after I got the clearance, my confidence was a little shaken, you know, and that's something that I'm not really used to. I was always a very confident performer in my abilities and everything like that. The ring almost looked very intimidating to me and I was kind of...almost afraid to get in there. I had to stick to my guns and, and just kind of just push myself and just take things in stride...not push myself too far and just kind of see how I felt at the practice and do a little bit more each time. Gradually, as time went on, my confidence like just improved, like a little bit more and a little bit more, and my wind was starting to come back a little bit bit more. Honestly, like five or six practices in, I almost kind of felt like the old Mike again, you know? Emotionally I felt very much fulfilled because again, I was back in the ring, doing what, what I love to do and what my passion is. I'm just not ready to, to call it quits. Like I said before, I feel like I have a lot left in the tank. Physically, man, I'm gonna be turning 40 in March. I remember how I felt in my twenties, you know, I was able to recover a lot faster and recoup, and it almost felt like I was invincible. The ring doesn't get any softer, you know what I mean? It's not that I'm softer, but it's just different. You have to stretch a little bit more and just warm up a little bit more before I kind of go full speed and get into to full throttle mode, if that makes sense. But, physically, I've been feeling like I'm just much better now that I get more repetitions in, emotionally feeling much better now that I'm able to get clearance to do what I love to do and, and, and kick ass at it, so to speak."
Mondo sat down with PWInsider.com for an extended 60 minute conversation this morning about his return to the ring and more, which Elite subscribers can listen to by clicking here.
Mondo is now taking bookings at TheMikeMondo@gmail.com.
"I do feel accomplished just being able to come back from such a thing," Mondo stated. "I think that's definitely a milestone in itself. I just want show the wrestling world exactly what I'm all about. My main goal right now is to make a living in the wrestling business, because ultimately that's what I love to do and I want to keep moving forward."
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