WWE Veteran Recalls The Time They Wrestled A World Champion On 2 Days Notice

In the ’90s, Steve Lombardi, famously known as “The Brooklyn Brawler,” temporarily took on the persona of Doink The Clown to wrestle then-WWE Champion Bret Hart. This last-minute switch happened just two days before the match.

During an interview with “Insight,” Lombardi shared the behind-the-scenes story of how he ended up playing Doink. Vince McMahon himself approached Lombardi with the idea.

I love Bret, I’d do it any day of the week. Vince goes ‘The only thing is I want you to do it as Doink.’

Despite his enthusiasm to face Hart, Lombardi faced a significant challenge: the clown makeup.

I’d never painted in my life and the regular Doink [Matt Borne] was suspended.

McMahon’s plan required Lombardi to embark on a rapid and intricate journey. He first flew to Cleveland to collect the Doink outfit from Matt Borne’s wife. Then, he flew back to Calgary, where he had to learn the makeup application from WWE’s makeup artist, Jill.

I did all this in two days.

Lombardi recalled, emphasising the frantic pace of the transformation. Lombardi’s dedication to the role was evident in his commitment to make his version of Doink as sinister as possible. He managed to keep his identity under wraps, ensuring the surprise element for the audience.

Not one person knew it was me.

What Did Brooklyn Brawler Say About Working The Rock’s First Match In WWE?

The Brooklyn Brawler recalled wrestling The Rock’s first-ever match at a WWE event in front of 15,000 people. Brawler recalled how The Rock wasn’t sure about winning the match as he thought that a wrestler shouldn’t ‘go over’ in their first match.

H/t to ITRWrestling.com