Michael Brendli

World Wrestling Entertainment (2005-2008)

Ohio Valley Wrestling (2005–2006) Brendli signed a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) developmental contract in February 2005, and was assigned to OVW full-time. They later became a part of the ongoing scripted feud between WWE chairman Mr. McMahon and Shawn Michaels. The heel (villainous) McMahon brought in the Spirit Squad to attack Michaels on numerous occasions, including placing them in multiple handicap matches.

They also wrestled in the tag team division, and on April 3, on Raw, Mikey and Kenny defeated Big Show and Kane to win the World Tag Team Championship, with help from the other Spirit Squad members. After winning the championship, all five members of the Spirit Squad were recognized as the champions under the freebird rule, allowing any combination of them to defend the championship. This led to Triple H and Michaels reforming D-Generation X (DX) and they began a feud with the Spirit Squad. DX played various sophomoric jokes on the Spirit Squad and the McMahons, as well as defeating the Spirit Squad in handicap tag team matches at Vengeance and a clean sweep in an elimination handicap match at Saturday Night's Main Event XXXIII.

At the same time as their feud with DX and their alignment with McMahon, the Spirit Squad also wrestled other teams in Raw s tag division over their World Tag Team Championship, successfully defending the championship against the teams of Jim Duggan and Eugene, Charlie Haas and Viscera, and Snitsky and Val Venis. They then entered a lengthy feud with The Highlanders, whom they eventually defeated to retain the championship at the Unforgiven pay-per-view in September. The Spirit Squad as a whole later began a losing streak with Johnny, Mikey, and Mitch losing singles matches to Ric Flair on consecutive episodes of Raw. After two consecutive losses to the debuting Cryme Tyme tag team, Kenny attacked Mikey on the October 23 episode of Raw and announced that he was going to defeat Flair. With the help of the other Spirit Squad members, Kenny was successful, despite Flair being accompanied to the ring by his own reinforcements (Dusty Rhodes, Sgt. Slaughter, and Roddy Piper). It was then announced that Flair and a legend, selected by interactive voting, would wrestle the team for the World Tag Team Championship at the Cyber Sunday pay-per-view in early November.

The group disbanded on the November 27 episode of Raw, when they were defeated in a five-on-three handicap match by DX and Flair. In a backstage segment later that episode, DX placed all members into a crate stamped "OVW, Louisville, Kentucky", a reference to the developmental territory from which all the Spirit Squad members had come.

Return to developmental territories (2007–2008) Brendli, under the name Mikey Mondo, appeared at the January 17 OVW taping along with Nick Nemeth and teamed with Mike Kruel in a match against Seth Skyfire, Shawn Spears, and Cody Runnels. The pair teamed up for a while as The Frat Boys, and later The Frat Pack, but they had disbanded by late March 2007. Mondo moved into singles competition, and picked up wins over Steve Lewington, Boris Alexiev, and Colt Cabana, among others. A one-night reunion with Nemeth followed, before he began dubbing himself "The Professional" Mike Mondo and began feuding with Atlas DaBone.

In September 2007, Mondo was moved to the Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) developmental territory and defeated Chris Gray in his debut there. He once again reformed his tag team with Nemeth, and they wrestled against teams including Hade Vansen and Chris Gray, and the New Generation Hart Foundation (Teddy Hart and TJ Wilson). At the start of 2008, however, they split and began feuding, competing against each other both in singles and tag team matches. Having dubbed himself "Mighty Mikey", he went to wrestle Ted DiBiase Jr., Sinn Bowdee, Heath Miller, and Jack Gabriel throughout the early part of 2008.

Independent circuit (2008–present) After his WWE release, Brendli returned to competing on the independent circuit, and, in an interview in December 2008, said he plans to wrestle in Mexico and Japan. After a win over Sinn Bodhi and the Odditorium (Qefka the Quiet and Sir Oliver Grimsly) on September 19, the Spirit Squad was eliminated from the tournament in the second round on September 20 by the Golden Trio (Dasher Hatfield, Icarus, and Mark Angelosetti).

He also returned to the New York Wrestling Connection on September 20, 2008, at Draw The Line, where he teamed with Mikey Whipwreck in a losing effort to Rob Eckos and Frederick of Hollywood. On February 28, 2015, Mondo defeated Rex Lawless to win the NYWC Fusion title. He later vacated the championship in April due a schedule conflict, meaning he could not defend the championship. In 2016, he was inducted into the NYWC Hall of Fame. The pair continued to compete as a tag team in the greater New York region throughout 2017 and 2018, and also traveled abroad to compete for Preston City Wrestling in England and Westside Xtreme Wrestling in Germany.

Return to OVW (2009–2012) In early 2009, he returned to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) both to wrestle and to be an assistant trainer. On February 7, 2009, he defeated Idol Stevens and Johnny Punch in a triple threat match to become the new OVW Television Champion. He lost the OVW Television Championship to Jamin Olivencia on May 9. Mondo was stripped of the championship on May 4, after attacking OVW president Danny Davis. On November 2, at OVW's episode 637, Christian Mascagni prevented Mondo from winning an eight-man melee, costing him a match for the OVW Heavyweight Championship.

Ring of Honor (2010–2013) Mondo appeared at Ring of Honor (ROH)'s Bluegrass Brawl event on July 22, where he lost to Delirious. He returned to ROH at the Ring of Honor Wrestling television tapings on December 9 and 10, defeating Grizzly Redwood the first night, before losing to Colt Cabana on December 10.

In late 2011, Brendli returned to Ring of Honor as a full-time member, under his 'Mike Mondo' personality. After a string of losses to begin his full-time ROH career, he eventually defeated Matt Taven. He then feuded with T. J. Perkins, whom he defeated in their first match together, but lost the second. Making his ROH pay-per-view debut at Border Wars, he teamed with the Young Bucks to lose to Perkins and The All Night Express of Kenny King and Rhett Titus. Following a draw with Davey Richards in May and a win over Mike Bennett at Best in the World 2012: Hostage Crisis, he had his first title opportunity when he unsuccessfully challenged Kevin Steen for the ROH World Heavyweight Championship. Mondo won an ROH World Television Championship number one contendership six-man mayhem match, and faced Adam Cole for the championship at Death Before Dishonor X: State of Emergency in a losing effort. Following the loss, Mondo defeated Kyle O'Reilly in a qualifying match for the 2012 Survival of the Fittest tournament, but lost in the final to Jay Lethal. At Glory By Honor XI: The Unbreakable Hope, Mondo lost to Mike Bennett, suffering a leg injury in the process which sidelined him for several months.

Mondo returned in March 2013, forming a tag team partnership with Grizzly Redwood and starting a feud with S.C.U.M. At Supercard of Honor VII, Mondo, B. J. Whitmer, Caprice Coleman, Cedric Alexander, and Mark Briscoe lost to five members of S.C.U.M.

He made a further return at television tapings in April 2017, when he and Kenny unsuccessfully challenged The Young Bucks for the ROH World Tag Team Championship.

Return to WWE (2016) In late 2016, Brendli, as Mikey, alongside Kenny, returned to WWE for a short storyline with Dolph Ziggler (formerly Nicky in the Spirit Squad). On October 4, on SmackDown, they utilised their Spirit Squad characters to taunt Ziggler about his time in the Spirit Squad, before attacking him at the behest of the Intercontinental Champion The Miz and Maryse. Five days later, at the No Mercy pay-per-view, he and Kenny attempted to distract Ziggler in his career vs. title match against The Miz, but were unsuccessful. On the October 11 episode of SmackDown, Mikey and Kenny faced Ziggler in a two-on-one handicap match; Ziggler won but was attacked by The Miz before being saved by Rhyno and Heath Slater. This led to a six-man tag team match the following week, which Mikey, Kenny, and The Miz won. Mikey and Kenny unsuccessfully challenged Slater and Rhyno for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship on October 25. They appeared throughout November in tag team matches, before disappearing off television.

Major League Wrestling (2019) On July 24, 2019, it was announced that Squad members Mondo and Kenny Dykstra were now signed to Major League Wrestling (MLW). They would go on to debut at that month's Never Say Never show.

National Wrestling Alliance (2025–present) On the January 7, 2025, episode of NWA Power, Mondo made his debut, defeating Boz. On the April 8 episode of Powerr, Mondo challenged Mims for the NWA National Championship, but was unsuccessful. He would later go on to defeat Mims for the NWA National Championship at NWA 77th Anniversary Show on August 16, 2025.

Personal life Brendli played football in middle and high school. On June 1, 2008, Brendli was arrested for driving under the influence in Florida. He was released the next day after posting $500 bail. NWA FTW: Fight The World NWA Fight The World Heavyweight Championship (1 time, current) National Wrestling Alliance NWA National Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA Year End Awards Breakthrough Star of the Year (2025) New York Wrestling Connection NYWC Fusion Championship (1 time) NYWC Heavyweight Championship (3 times) NYWC Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Kenny Ohio Valley Wrestling OVW Heavyweight Championship (2 times) OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Turcan Celik OVW Television Championship (1 time) Sixth OVW Triple Crown Champion Preston City Wrestling PCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Kenny Pro Wrestling Illustrated Ranked 135 of the top 500 wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 2013 World Wrestling Entertainment World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Johnny, Kenny, Mitch, and Nicky