Steven Kenneth Lombardi (born April 18, 1961) is an American
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...
and
road agent, better known by his
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...
, the Brooklyn Brawler. He is currently signed to
Major League Wrestling
Major League Wrestling (MLW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in New Rochelle, New York. The promotion was founded in 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by former WWE writer Court Bauer. The promotion markets its product as ...
(MLW), where he performs as an on-screen personality and promoter under the ring name Kimchee.
[ He is best known for his tenure in ]WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
, as well as several independent promotions.
Early life
Lombardi studied biochemistry at St. Francis College prior to his wrestling career.
Professional wrestling career
World Wrestling Federation / WWE (1983–2016)
Early career (1983–1989)
Lombardi began his WWF career in late 1983, competing under his real name, and being a heel
The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
, primarily as an enhancement talent. His debut came on July 15, 1983, in Queens, NY where he was defeated by Swede Hanson. After facing Ivan Koloff
Oreal Donald Perras (August 25, 1942 – February 18, 2017) was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by the ring name "the Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff, where he was billed from Russia and, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, ...
and Sgt. Slaughter on house show matches, Lombardi made his TV debut on the October 29 episode of All American Wrestling
AAW: Professional Wrestling Redefined or simply AAW Wrestling (AAW), an initialism of its original name, All American Wrestling, is an American independent professional wrestling
Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro w ...
where he was submitted by The Iron Sheik
Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri (; March 15, 1942 – June 7, 2023), better known by his ring name the Iron Sheik, was an Iranian-American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and actor. To date he is the only Iranian-born champion in WWE histor ...
and carried out on a stretcher. He then began regular appearances on both television and house shows.
After losing numerous matches that winter, Lombardi gained his first success on March 18, 1984, when he wrestled Jerry Valiant to a draw. Another draw, this time with Terry Daniels came on April 24 in Mountaintop, PA. But apart from that he continued on as an enhancement talent, losing to much of the WWF roster including Big John Studd
John William Minton (February 19, 1948 – March 20, 1995) was an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name, Big John Studd. Studd is best known for his appearances with the World Wide Wrestling Federation/World ...
, Paul Orndorff
Paul Parlette Orndorff Jr. (October 29, 1949 – July 12, 2021), nicknamed "Mr. Wonderful", was an American professional wrestler and football player, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Champions ...
, David Schultz, Iron Mike Sharpe
Michael Sharpe (October 28, 1951 – January 17, 2016) was a Canadian professional wrestler better known as "Iron" Mike Sharpe. A second-generation wrestler whose father and uncle ( Mike and Ben Sharpe) also competed in the profession, Sharpe w ...
, Rocky Johnson
Rocky Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles; August 24, 1944 – January 15, 2020) was a Canadian professional wrestler. Among many National Wrestling Alliance titles, he was the first Black NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion as well as the NWA Tel ...
, and others. In the midst of another long losing streak, Lombardi then gained a second draw against Daniels on June 1 in Winston-Salem, NC. He made his Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
debut on June 16, losing to Mad Dog Vachon
Joseph Maurice Régis Vachon (September 14, 1929 − November 21, 2013) was a Canadian professional wrestler, best known by his ring name Mad Dog Vachon. He was the older brother of wrestlers Paul and Vivian Vachon, and the uncle of wrestl ...
in the latter's first match back in the WWF in a decade. A month later on July 6 in Long Island, NY Lombardi gained his first pinfall victory when he upset Vachon in a return match. On July 31 he became involved in a mild angle with WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan
Terry Gene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Known for his flamboyance and massive physiq ...
during the company's initial "Championship Wrestling" taping in Poughkeepsie, NY. During a sub-minute loss to Kamala
Kamala may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Kamala (name) — lists people and characters with the surname or given name
** Kamala Harris, 49th Vice President of the United States and 2024 Democratic Party presidential nominee
* Kamala ...
, Hogan came out to the ring to give encouragement to Lombardi. Nothing further came from this angle, and Lombardi closed out his second year as a wrestler with numerous additional losses to wrestlers such as Buddy Rose
Paul E. Perschmann (November 27, 1952 – April 28, 2009) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Playboy Buddy Rose. He wrestled primarily for the AWA, WWF, and for promoter Don Owen in Pacific Northwest W ...
and a young Bret Hart
Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal U ...
, as well as a defeat to manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.
As the company continued to expand, Lombardi remained a young enhancement talent, although this time he was switched to face other similar talent in house shows across the country. He consistently put over various young wrestlers such as Paul Roma
Paul Centopani (born April 29, 1959) is an American retired professional wrestler and boxer, better known by his ring name Paul Roma. He is best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling between 1984 ...
, David Sammartino
David Lugogo Sammartino (born September 29, 1960) is an American personal trainer and retired professional wrestler. He is the son of former WWWF/WWF World Heavyweight Champion, Bruno Sammartino.
Professional wrestling career
Early career
...
, Barry O, Terry Gibbs
Terry Gibbs (born Julius Gubenko; October 13, 1924) is an American jazz vibraphonist and band leader.
He has performed or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Chubby Jackson,Theroux, Gary"Gibbs, Terry".''Grove Music Online''. Oxford University Press. R ...
, and George Wells. On the June 29th episode of "All-American Wrestling" Lombardi teamed with Dave Barbie in a losing effort to The Killer Bees in their debut match. Lombardi went on to face numerous wrestlers in their debuts during his long career. Almost eleven months after his first ever victory, Lombardi gained another when he pinned Jack Armstrong on June 22 in Boston, MA. After numerous losses, a month later Lombardi garnered the first win streak of his career when he defeated Dan Rignati and George Sanders on successive house shows. On November 14 defeated Dennis Goulet, and then on December 5 in Long Island, NY pinned Paul Roma, thus finishing with five wins for 1985.
Lombardi remained a consistent presence on television and house shows, wrestling over 150 times. The company continued to pair the young but now experienced Lombardi against other new wrestlers, and he faced newcomers such as Sivi Afi, Tony Parisi, Nick Kiniski
Nicholas Kiniski (born August 25, 1961) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with WCCW, PNW and AWA and for being one half of the tag team American Force with Paul Diamond in Texas All-Star Wrestling. He ...
, Dan Spivey
Daniel Eugene Spivey (born October 14, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestler best known under the ring names "Dangerous" Dan Spivey, Dangerous Dan, The Left Hand Man, Danny Spivey, Mr. America, and Waylon Mercy, initially working u ...
, and Scott McGhee
Garfield Portz (born 1 May 1959) is an English retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Scott McGhee. He is best known for his appearances in the United States with Championship Wrestling from Florida, Jim Crockett Promotion ...
. He gained his first ever tag-team win when he teamed with fellow enhancement talent Lanny Poffo
Lanny Mark Poffo (December 28, 1954 – February 2, 2023) better known by his ring names "Leaping" Lanny Poffo and the Genius, was a Canadian-American professional wrestler, motivational speaker, poet, and actor. Poffo was a second generation pr ...
to defeat SD Jones and George Skaaland on April 13 in Brisbane, Australia. After dozens of defeats he gained his first pinfall victory of 1986 in singles action when he defeated Terry Gibbs in Pittsburgh, PA on August 9. On the November 15 episode of WWF Superstars he participated in another debut, teaming with Moondog Spot in a loss to the newly arrived The Can-Am Connection
The Can-Am Connection was a tag team composed of Rick Martel and Tom Zenk in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) through 1986 and 1987.
History
In 1986, Canadian wrestler Rick Martel returned to the WWF with his then tag team partner, American ...
. Lombardi closed out 1986 with wins over Barry O, Jim Powers
James Manley (born January 4, 1958) is an American retired professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Jim Powers. He worked for the World Wrestling Federation from 1984 to 1994, then elsewhere until 2010. He wa ...
, Mark Young, Frankie Lane, and an upset of Tony Garea
Anthony Gareljich (born 20 September 1946) is a New Zealand retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Tony Garea. He is best known for his appearances in the United States with the World Wide Wrestling Federation/ World Wr ...
.
Despite a tick upwards in in-ring success, Lombardi began 1987 seemingly cemented as an entry-level wrestler without an angle. But that was not to last long, as he began to establish an on-screen presence as a heel. On the January 24th episode of WWF Superstars Paul Orndorff defeated Paul Roma; following the match Lombardi entered and tossed Roma from the ring. This led to a house show series between Roma and Lombardi, and for both wrestlers it was their first real feud. Despite coming out winless, Lombardi was now more than just a non-descript jobber. He upset Sivi Afi on March 1 in Landover, MD, then gained another surprise victory over Tony Garea a month later. On June 17 Lombardi participated in yet another debut, this time facing The Dingo Warrior (Ultimate Warrior) in Wichita Falls, TX.
A month later, he began an on-again, off-again team with Barry Horowitz
Barry Horowitz (born March 24, 1959) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, best known for his time in the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Early life
Horowitz attended Florida State University, where he studied spo ...
, losing to The Young Stallions on the July 26 episode of Wrestling Challenge
''WWF Wrestling Challenge'' is a professional wrestling television show that was produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE). It was syndicated weekly and aired from 1986 to 1995. The show became simply known as ''WWF C ...
. Four weeks later, on August 21 in Detroit, the team defeated Sivi Afi and Scott Casey. After gaining a pair of pinfall singles wins over the newly arrived Sam Houston
Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two indi ...
, Lombardi then switched alliances to join Mike Sharpe. The two proclaimed themselves as "the tag-team of the future" in an inset during a match with The Young Stallions in August, but were unsuccessful.
Entering the fall, Lombardi continued to lose regularly but was now gaining a smattering of wins (Sivi Afi, David Sammartino, Jerry Allen, Tony Garea, and Outback Jack). Still an enhancement talent, he was now beginning to climb the ladder.
Lombardi began 1988 with several squash losses, and then a win over Scott Casey on January 23 in Lexington, KY. Two days later at Madison Square Garden he resumed his partnership with Barry Horowitz and faced The Young Stallions in a losing effort. The following day in Hershey, PA Lombardi and Horowitz gained their first victory as a team when they defeated Scott Casey and Lanny Poffo in a match that aired on Prime Time Wrestling. The same night, they lost to The Killer Bees. The pairing continued into the summer.
Later that winter Lombardi began a house show series with Brady Boone, and for the first time in his career enjoyed a consistent string of success. While still losing to top level stars on television, he was now consistently trading wins with other entry-level talent that he previously had succumbed to. On the March 21 episode of Prime Time Wrestling he defeated SD Jones, and began trading wins with Brady Boone. However beginning in July his small push seemed to dissipate as he found himself consistently on the losing end to Paul Roma and the new arrival, The Blue Blazer (Owen Hart). In December matters took a turn as Lombardi enjoyed the first sustained win streak of his career, defeating Jim Powers and Jose Estrada on multiple occasions and closing out 1988 on a seven match win streak. It was a sign of Lombardi's first major angle.
The Brooklyn Brawler (1989–1993)
After a breakup between The Red Rooster
Paul Worden Taylor III (born August 12, 1955) is an American retired professional wrestler better known by his ring name Terry Taylor and for his time as an in-ring performer in National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling, and Wo ...
and Bobby Heenan, the latter invited Rooster onto the set of Prime Time Wrestling on January 23 to make the peace. When Rooster was about to shake Heenan's hand he was suddenly attacked by Lombardi, who hit Rooster and host Gorilla Monsoon
Robert James "Gino" Marella (June 4, 1937 – October 6, 1999), better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, Sports commentator, play-by-play commentator, and Glossary of profess ...
with a stool. The next week Lombardi made his debut as "The Brooklyn Brawler" The Brawler character was that of a street fighter
is a Media mix, Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Capcom. Street Fighter 1, The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by List of Street Fighter video games, six other ma ...
/thug, wearing battered jeans and a torn New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
T-shirt, which was ironic, since the Yankees play in The Bronx
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
and were hated by many Brooklynites when the Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. Founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York, the ...
played in the borough until moving to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
in 1958.
Under the tutelage of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, the Brawler entered a feud
A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...
with the Red Rooster
Paul Worden Taylor III (born August 12, 1955) is an American retired professional wrestler better known by his ring name Terry Taylor and for his time as an in-ring performer in National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling, and Wo ...
. When the Red Rooster left Heenan's villain
A villain (also known as a " black hat", "bad guy" or "baddy"; The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.126 "baddy (also baddie) noun (pl. -ies) ''informal'' a villain or criminal in a book, film, etc.". the feminine form is villai ...
group
A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together.
Groups of people
* Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity
* Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
and became a fan favorite, Heenan stated that he had made the Red Rooster a star and could do the same with anyone in the WWF. The Red Rooster defeated the Brooklyn Brawler on '' Saturday Night's Main Event XX'', and then Heenan at WrestleMania V
WrestleMania V was a 1989 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the fifth annual WrestleMania and took place on April 2, 1989, at the Atlantic City Convention Hall in ...
. The Brawler was defeated by the Rooster again on the May 20, 1989, episode of ''Superstars of Wrestling''. His alliance with Heenan was then phased out, though in storyline Heenan said it was an amicable departure, and Heenan continued to speak highly of the Brawler whenever a match featured him. Lombardi soon returned to his former enhancement talent status and won only five more matches ( Tom Stone, Jerry Monti, Paul Roma, and Al Perez
Al Perez (born July 23, 1957) is an American retired professional wrestler. He held 16 titles during a 20-year career, including the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1982–1985)
Perez began wr ...
) for the rest of 1989. However, he retained the Brawler gimmick, a role he utilized throughout his career.
Now firmly re-established as an enhancement talent sans Heenan, 1990 marked a first for Lombardi when he wrestled his debut match at a PPV. At the 1990 Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
he was defeated by Paul Roma in a dark match, which marked the first of several PPVs where he worked the opening dark match to warm up the crowd. After sustaining numerous defeats to upper level talent such as Intercontinental Champion The Ultimate Warrior
Warrior (born James Brian Hellwig; June 16, 1959 – April 8, 2014) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, Bodybuilding, bodybuilder and Motivational speaker, motivational speaker. Best known by his ring name The Ultima ...
, Lombardi finally gained a measure of revenge by pinning The Red Rooster on March 18 in Calgary, Alberta. He began a winning streak against the Rooster, who soon departed the WWF.
Lombardi wrestled the dark match of WrestleMania VI
WrestleMania VI was a 1990 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the sixth annual WrestleMania and took place on April 1, 1990, at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, Can ...
, losing again to Paul Roma. After another long string of defeats to Roma, Hillbilly Jim
James Morris (born July 5, 1952) is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and current radio host, better known by his ring name, Hillbilly Jim. He is best known for his appearances with the WWE, World Wrestling Federa ...
, Tugboat
A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...
and others, Lombardi earned a smattering of victories in May against Martin Roy, Jim Brunzell
James Brunzell (born August 13, 1949), best known under the ring name "Jumping" Jim Brunzell, is an American retired professional wrestler known for his successful tag teams, Brunzell performed for various wrestling promotions during his 21-year ...
, and Brady Boone. During the summer he engaged in a house show series against the newly arrived Shane Douglas
Troy Allan Martin (born November 21, 1964) is an American professional wrestler, manager, and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship ...
but was turned away in each encounter. The two wrestled in the dark match of SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
90. On October 9 Lombardi faced Davey Boy Smith
David Smith (27 November 1962 – 18 May 2002) was an English professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the United States with the World Wrestling Federation under the ring names Davey Boy Smith and The British Bulldog.
Smith ...
in his first match back after nearly a two-year absence, and in December he went on his first overseas tour when the WWF joined forces with Super World Sports to promote in Japan. On December 6 in Hijemi, Japan he teamed with Nuboyashi Sugawara and Kenny the Striker to defeat Biff Wellington, Road Block
Campaign for Better Transport is an advocacy group in the United Kingdom that promotes sustainable transport, particularly bus and rail services. It was launched as Transport 2000 in February 1973 by the National Union of Railwaymen with the ...
, and Masao Orihara
(born June 16, 1969) is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is known for his tenure with various Japanese promotions such as Michinoku Pro Wrestling, Wrestle Association R, Battlarts and Dramatic Dream Team.
Professional wrestling career
Or ...
. Despite his return to enhancement status, 1990 proved to be Lombardi's most successful year in his career to date as he won 35 singles matches.
Lombardi entered 1991 as probably the most prominent opening card act in the company, but the wins did not continue. Wrestling still as the Brooklyn Brawler, he was defeated by almost every member of the roster and gained just six victories during the year. On the March 30th episode of WWF Superstars, Lombardi faced Ricky Steamboat
Richard Henry Blood Sr. (born February 28, 1953), better known by his ring name Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat, is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his work with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), Jim Crockett Promo ...
in "The Dragon"'s return match after a three-year absence. On March 24 he was pinned by Koko B Ware in the dark match of WrestleMania VII
WrestleMania VII was a 1991 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the seventh annual WrestleMania and took place on March 24, 1991, at the Los Angeles Memorial Sport ...
.
Other notable losses saw Brawler lose to a young Scott Putski on a May 28 WWF Superstars dark match, as well as Vic Steamboat (wrestling as "Jesse Bolt") in another dark match at the July 29th WWF Superstars taping.
In August Lombardi traveled to Japan again as part of another joint WWF/SWS tour and teamed with Rick Martel
Richard Vigneault (born March 18, 1956) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler, trainer, and television presenter, better known by his ring name, "The Model" Rick Martel. He is best known for his appearances with the American Wrestling As ...
. The following month saw Lombardi engage in his first feud since 1989, when he became part of a short angle with newcomer Big Bully Busick to determine who was the true bully of the WWF. On the October 28th edition of Prime Time Wrestling the Brawler defeated Busick by countout in what turned out to be the blowoff for the feud. Brawler defeated the Bully by countout and in a rematch one week later saw the Brawler dominate the Bully until the latter's manager Harvey Wippleman
Bruno Lauer (born October 27, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, referee, and occasional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Harvey Wippleman and Downtown Bruno.
Wippleman began his career working in professional wrestlin ...
grabbed the Brawler's leg, leading to a controversial win for the Bully. The feud with Busick led to a quasi-face turn for Lombardi as he was then matched up against various heel opponents for the remainder of 1991.
Lombardi opened 1992 anchoring the dark match of yet another PPV, this time the 1992 Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
. He initially defeated Chris Walker with his feet on the ropes; afterwards WWF President Jack Tunney
John Tunney Jr. (January 21, 1935 – January 24, 2004) was a Canadian professional wrestling promoter. He was known worldwide for his appearances on World Wrestling Federation television as Jack Tunney under the character of the promotion's pr ...
came out and reversed the decision. Lombardi returned to heel status with his Brawler gimmick, matching up against numerous faces during the winter and spring such as Kerry Von Erich, Tatanka, and Big Bossman. Lombardi renewed his partnership with a returning Barry Horowitz on March 9 at a WWF Superstars taping, facing and losing to The Samoan Swat Team
In professional wrestling, the Samoan SWAT Team was a tag team comprising Juicy Finau and Lance Anoa'i, who work in Major League Wrestling (MLW), where they are former MLW World Tag Team Champions.
The original Samoan SWAT Team primarily compris ...
in the latter's tryout match. They teamed again in December against The Bushwhackers. He spent much of the spring and summer engaged in a house show series with Jim Powers, Jim Brunzell, Crush, and Tito Santana during which he was winless. He closed out 1992 on a lengthy losing streak to Jim Duggan
James Edward Duggan Jr. (born January 14, 1954), better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best-known for his time in World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), where he won the first ...
.
Going into 1993 Lombardi was back where he had been prior to the Brawler gimmick – stuck as enhancement talent with no clear path upwards. And it was finally during this year, a decade into his tenure with the company that he went on his longest winning streak to date. Matched again versus Jim Powers in numerous house show matches, Lombardi put together an eight match winning streak in March and April. Later in the spring Lombardi defeated a young Scott Taylor in a tryout match in Sydney, Nova Scotia at a Wrestling Challenge taping. In the summer the Brawler was matched up against another young wrestler – The Predator ( Mike Bollea), with Lombardi winning each match. He closed out the summer teaming with Blake Beverly and Little Louie against The Bushwhackers
The Bushwhackers were a professional wrestling tag team who competed first as the New Zealand Kiwis and then as The Sheepherders during their 36-year career as a tag team. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation, Jim Crockett Promotions ...
and Tiger Jackson
Bandai Namco Entertainment's ''Tekken'' media franchise is known for its diverse cast of characters hailing from various nationalities, all coming together to compete in the King of Iron Fist tournament. In addition to the human characters, '' ...
, as well as defeating a young Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and professional wrestling promotion, promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestli ...
at a WWF Superstars taping on August 17.
Various gimmicks (1993–1994)
Two weeks later, on August 31, Lombardi finally received a new gimmick – that of a baseball player seemingly modeled after The Furies from the movie '' The Warriors''. At a WWF Superstars taping in Grand Rapids, MI he debuted with the new persona and defeated Reno Riggins, then did the same the following day at a Wrestling Challenge event. A month later, as "MVP", he made his first appearance on Monday Night Raw
''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Netflix. The show features character ...
and participated in the 20-man battle royal to determine the champion for the vacated Intercontinental title. MVP was eliminated by Owen Hart. The following day at WWF Superstars he defeated Duane Gill, but at this point the WWF decided to shelf the gimmick and he was reassigned to temporarily play the role of Doink the Clown that had been vacated by Matt Borne.
Wrestling as Doink, he was winless against Bret Hart, 1-2-3 Kid, and Bam-Bam Bigelow. Still in the clown gimmick, Lombardi made his first appearance in the United States Wrestling Association on October 26 in Louisville, KY. Teaming with Brian Christopher
Brian Christopher Lawler (January 10, 1972 – July 29, 2018) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best remembered for his career in the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), where he performed as "Too Sexy" Brian ...
, the two defeated Jeff Jarrett
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he both wrestles and serves as Director of Business Development. He is also ...
and Tony Falk
Anthony Felker (born August 13, 1961) is an American retired professional wrestler, referee, promoter and trainer. He is best known for his appearances in the Memphis-based promotion United States Wrestling Association in the 1990s under the ri ...
. He continued to play Doink until Ray Apollo assumed the gimmick. Following the 1993 Survivor Series, Lombardi wrestled under his fourth gimmick of the year. Unofficially restarting his partnership with Barry Horowitz, the duo competed as The Red and Black Knights (the Knights having been a Survivor Series team under Shawn Michaels, previously portrayed by Jeff Gaylord, Greg Valentine, and Horowitz). The Knights participated in several house show matches against The Smoking Gunns
The Smoking Gunns were a professional wrestling tag team of kayfabe brothers Billy Gunn (Monty Sopp) and Bart Gunn (Mike Polchlopek). They portrayed cowboys in the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1993 to 1996, where they held the WWF T ...
. A fifth gimmick was also used at points, as Lombardi portrayed Kim Chee ( Kamala's handler) during his 1986–87 and 1992 stints with the WWF and briefly in 1993 as a singles wrestler after Kamala left him for the newly ordained Reverend Slick.
In November 1993, Lombardi also returned to his Brooklyn Brawler gimmick, but was winless in encounters with Diesel, Tatanka, and Bob Backlund. He made his first PPV appearance of the year, wrestling in the dark match at the Survivor Series and losing to Billy Gunn
Monty Kip Sopp (born November 1, 1963), better known by his ring name Billy Gunn, is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to the WWE under a Legends contract and All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also perfo ...
. Still, he ended 1993 having enjoyed more success than at any point in the decade, having garnered 23 wins. Over a decade into his tenure with the company, Lombardi now found himself as the long-tenured active wrestler within the WWF. Having returned to the Brawler gimmick however he remained in his enhancement talent role. He again participated in another wrestler's debut, this time facing Bob Holly on the January 29th episode of WWF Superstars (Fayetteville, NC). Lombardi earned yet another dark match at a PPV, this time at the 1994 Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
. However unlike previous appearances, he earned his first ever PPV victory by defeating long-time foe Jim Powers. This was his only victory for many months as he entered another long losing streak, falling to Bob Holly and Bob Backlund on numerous house show events.
The impending baseball shutdown of 1994 provided a window of opportunity for him, and on the July 16th episode of Monday Night RAW the WWF began hyping the impending debut of a new wrestler called Abe "Knuckleball" Schwartz. In early August as the 1994 Major League Baseball strike
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitting ...
began, Lombardi made his return as Schwartz. Basically a renamed version of the MVP gimmick, Lombardi's face was painted to look like a baseball and he wore a jersey with the number 00.[ In addition, he was accompanied to the ring by a carnival-like version of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Later, the MVP name was used by ]Montel Vontavious Porter
Hassan Hamid Assad (born Alvin Antonio Burke Jr.; October 28, 1973), better known by his ring name Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, Manager (professional wrestling), manager, and sub ...
in 2006.[ On the August 15th edition of RAW he made his debut as Abe Schwartz, blaming the fans for the baseball strike. Although barely recognizable in the gimmick, Lombardi's career was little changed by the new persona. He continued to lose matches to Bob Holly, as well as dropping numerous contests to a young ]PJ Walker
Phillip "P. J." Walker Jr. (born February 26, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Temple, and was signed as an undrafted free age ...
. Finally in late September he enjoyed his first win streak, defeating Louie Spicolli and PJ Walker on numerous house show matches on the West Coast. However the WWF pulled the plug on the gimmick again, and Lombardi returned once more to the Brooklyn Brawler persona.
Sporadic appearances (1995–1998)
Lombardi made his first PPV appearance of 1995 in the dark match of the Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
, facing Buck Quartermain
Jason Seguine (born July 24, 1967) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler known by his ring name Buck Quartermain.
He has worked for WWE, World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment, Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Champ ...
. Wrestling now full-time as The Brooklyn Brawler, his career was seemingly devoid of momentum as he dropped matches to Lex Luger
Lawrence Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), better known by the ring name Lex Luger, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, bodybuilder, and gridiron football player. He is best known for his work with Jim Crocke ...
, Duke Droese, Man Mountain Rock, and Doink (Ray Apollo). For the first time in over a year, he resumed his partnership with Horowitz yet again and faced off against Tekno Team 2000 in their Monday Night Raw debut on May 16. They also lost to The Bushwhackers and The Smoking Gunns.
With the WWF cutting back touring that year, Lombardi's appearances became less frequent. He was now the last of the troupe of enhancement talent.
As the Brawler, he made a non-wrestling appearance on the January 1st episode of RAW to present the "Steve Lombardi Trophy" to the winners of the RAW Bowl. His appearances from this point forward became much more limited. However, on March 10 at a WWF Superstars taping in Corpus Christi he participated in the debut of perhaps the most famous of the wrestlers that he had helped usher into the company – Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on a part-time basis. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional w ...
. This came over a decade after a young Lombardi had faced his father Rocky Johnson. Johnson later recalled the match in his autobiography
An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...
; praising Lombardi as a stand-up wrestler. He wrestled only thirteen times that year, ending with matches against Sid and Bob Holly.
Although his appearances were now occasional, Lombardi enjoyed his biggest moment thirteen years into his WWF career. On the September 22 show at Madison Square Garden he unexpectedly won a 20-man battle royal to earn his first ever WWF World Title opportunity. On the following show on November 15, Lombardi received his shot. Coming out to Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
's "New York, New York", he wrestled for 15 minutes against Shawn Michaels and dominated the world champion; however he finally lost after Chyna
Chyna (born Joan Marie Laurer; December 27, 1969 – April 17, 2016), also known as Joanie Laurer, was an American professional wrestler, fitness model, bodybuilder, actress, adult actress, and television personality.
Chyna first rose to pr ...
and HHH interfered. On December 15, he faced Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry (born June 12, 1971) is an American former powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and retired professional wrestler currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract.
Henry is a two-time Olympian (1992 and 19 ...
in a singles match, but lost by Submission. On January 12, 1998, when he lost a Monday Night RAW dark match to Bart Gunn
Michael Polchlopek (born December 27, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1993 to 1999 under the ring names Bart Gunn and ...
, who was then billed briefly as "Black Bart". Still working in as The Brooklyn Brawler.
Semi-retirement and WWE departure (1998–present)
Lombardi retired from full-time active competition and instead worked primarily as a road agent for the WWF. He still made occasional appearances in ring, and the first came at Fully Loaded: In Your House where he hugged Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon ( ; born August 24, 1945) is an American businessman and former professional wrestling promoter. McMahon, along with his later-estranged wife Linda McMahon, Linda, is a co-founder of the modern WWE, the world's largest ...
, Sgt. Slaughter, Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco
Floyd Gerald "Jerry" Brisco (born September 19, 1946) is an American retired professional wrestler. Brisco is best known for his time in the wrestling promotion WWE, where he was a backstage producer, and, during the 1990s, an on-screen charact ...
. His first match back he lost to Bob Holly on Shotgun Saturday Night episode October 3, 1998 (taped September 28, 1998).
With the Monday Night War in full-swing and business soaring for the company, Lombardi's activity picked up in 1999. He wrestled several times on a European tour in April 1999, facing Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, X-Pac, and Al Snow
Allen Ray Sarven (born July 18, 1963) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Al Snow. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation/ World Wrestling Entertainm ...
.
Lombardi wrestled his first televised match in two years when he appeared on the July 3rd edition of Shotgun Saturday Night in a match against WWF Hardcore Championship Al Snow. The referee in the match was former heel manager Harvey Wippleman
Bruno Lauer (born October 27, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, referee, and occasional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Harvey Wippleman and Downtown Bruno.
Wippleman began his career working in professional wrestlin ...
, who prevented Snow from using weapons while allowing Lombardi to use outside objects instead. Snow successfully retained his title. The following month during the WWF referee strike storyline, Lombardi worked as a ref during a Sunday Night Heat match. He concluded 1999 with a Jakked appearance, tagging with Mideon in a losing effort to Taka Michinoku
(born October 26, 1973), better known by his ring name (stylized as TAKA Michinoku), is a Japanese professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He primarily appears for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he is a me ...
and Sho Funaki.
On the February 28, 2000 edition of Monday Night RAW The Rock came out and said that he would become WWF World Champion at WrestleMania 2000. WWF World Champion HHH then came out and said that since The Rock was no longer the #1 Contender, he would have to start at the very bottom and work his way up. HHH then booked a match between The Rock and The Brooklyn Brawler, which Rock won in under a minute. On the July 4th edition of Smackdown Lombardi gained his first victory in several years when he joined Taka Michinoku and Sho Funaki to face HHH in a 3 on 1 match. Lombardi pinned Helmsley after Chris Jericho interfered. Lombardi continued to be semi-active throughout 2000, wrestling in numerous house shows and facing Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "the King" Lawler, is an American retired color commentator and professional wrestler signed to WWE under a Legends contract.
Prior to joining the World Wrestling Federati ...
for the first time at an event in New Haven, CT on August 9, 2000. He gained several more victories that year as well, defeating Joey Abs
Jason Arhndt (born October 15, 1971) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name Joey Abs as part of the Mean Street Posse. He also performed us ...
and Just Joe.
The surge of in-ring activity continued, as Lombardi began 2001 with a victory over The Goodfather on January 13, 2001, in Detroit, MI after Billy Gunn interfered. He wrestled several house show matches that winter, facing Al Snow, Crash Holly
Michael John Lockwood (August 25, 1971 – November 6, 2003) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) / World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) f ...
, and Rhyno
Terrance Guido Gerin (born October 7, 1975) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Rhyno (or Rhino). He is a freelancer, appearing for various promotions such as All Elite Wrestling (AEW), National Wrestling Alliance ...
. After appearing in numerous dark matches throughout his career, Lombardi finally wrestled during the live broadcast of a PPV when he once again appeared as Kamala's handler Kim Chee at WrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania X-Seven, also known as WrestleMania 17, was a 2001 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the 17th annual WrestleMania and took place on April 1, 2001, at t ...
and competed in the gimmick battle royal.
After being inactive throughout the summer, Lombardi returned to the house show circuit to face Chuck Palumbo
Charles Ronald Palumbo (born June 15, 1971) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with professional wrestling promotions World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment ...
in October In November he was matched against MMA fighter Ron Waterman
Ronald Waterman (born November 23, 1965) is an American former mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and celebrity member of the Team Impact motivational group. He holds notable victories over Valentijn Overeem, Ricco Rodriguez, Kev ...
, who was working for the WWF at the time under a developmental deal. On November 26, Lombardi returned to television for the first time in over a year when he faced Perry Saturn
Perry Arthur Satullo (born October 25, 1966) is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler known by his ring name, Perry Saturn. Since debuting in 1990, Saturn wrestled for Professional wrestling promotion, promotions inclu ...
on Jakked. He lost to the Big Show
Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under his real name of Paul Wight. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) f ...
on December 30.
At this point Lombardi's in ring appearances became sporadic. After working a string of house show matches in January 2002, he was inactive for the entire year. In 2003 he participated in the APA Invitational Battle Royal at Vengeance in Denver, Colorado on July 27.
After being inactive during 2004, Lombardi returned on the April 18, 2005 edition of Monday Night RAW which was held at Madison Square Garden. He appeared in a segment where Jon Heidenreich read a poem devoted to The Brooklyn Brawler. In response Brawler dismissed the poem, disowned the city of Brooklyn, and declared himself "The Boston Brawler". They then fought backstage. As part of an angle
In Euclidean geometry, an angle can refer to a number of concepts relating to the intersection of two straight Line (geometry), lines at a Point (geometry), point. Formally, an angle is a figure lying in a Euclidean plane, plane formed by two R ...
on ''SmackDown!'', he adopted the moniker of the "Boston Brawler", shedding his customary New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
apparel in favor of Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
clothing. This was done in response to the Red Sox' defeat of the Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series
The 2004 American League Championship Series was a semifinal series in Major League Baseball's 2004 postseason deciding the American League champion earning the privilege to play in the 2004 World Series. A rematch of the previous year's ALCS, ...
.
He reprised his role as Kim Chee, having apparently reconciled with Kamala
Kamala may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Kamala (name) — lists people and characters with the surname or given name
** Kamala Harris, 49th Vice President of the United States and 2024 Democratic Party presidential nominee
* Kamala ...
, on the August 11, 2005, edition of SmackDown accompanying the Ugandan Giant to the ring for his match with Randy Orton
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2000, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. Orton is widely regarded as one of t ...
. He also appeared with him on the June 26, 2006, episode for Kamala's match against Umaga.
In early 2006, he still worked behind the scenes of WWE, including behind the camera with John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he is the current WWE Championship, Undisputed WWE Champion in his record 14th reign, which is ...
on his WWE.com show "Five Questions". Cena often makes references to Lombardi, even jokingly calling him the greatest technical wrestler of all time. Also, his face popped up in front of Cena's mouth to censor curse words, usually saying "nu-uh" or "brawler". On the June 2, 2006, episode of Five Questions, Brawler showed his face. He even censored himself, saying "you are a piece of Brawler". In another episode of "Five Questions," Cena made the claim that Lombardi was actually born in Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, and not in Brooklyn, however this was later proven false (and likely a work). On May 7, 2006, WWE.com announced that, as part of Jakks Pacific's ''WWE Classic Superstars'' collection, they would be releasing a Brooklyn Brawler action figure
An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game, television program, or sport; fictional or historical. These figures are usually ...
. At Vengeance
Vengeance may refer to:
*Vengeance (concept) or revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance
Film
* ''Vengeance'' (1930 film), action adventure film directed by Archie Mayo
* ''Vengeance'' (1937 film) or ''W ...
, Brawler appeared as Doink the Clown when he came out to the ring with Eugene
Eugene may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Eugene (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Gene Eugene, stage name of Canadian born actor, record producer, engineer, composer and musi ...
during Eugene's match with Umaga. On August 1, 2006, Lombardi went to the ECW brand for a match against then ECW wrestler, Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He first earned recognition for winning a Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, gold me ...
. Lombardi quickly lost when Angle applied an ankle lock on him. That same week, he appeared on ''SmackDown!
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
'' against Vito, losing by submission
Deference (also called submission or passivity) is the condition of submitting to the espoused, legitimate influence of one's superior or superiors. Deference implies a yielding or submitting to the judgment of a recognized superior, out of re ...
. On the December 18 edition of '' Raw'', Lombardi appeared in the 30 man battle royal as the Brooklyn Brawler.
On the 15th anniversary of ''Raw'' on December 10, 2007, Lombardi appeared as Abe "Knuckleball" Schwartz in a segment. When Triple H saw him, he exclaimed "I guess the Brooklyn Brawler was busy".
On the 10th anniversary of "Smackdown" on September 29, 2009, in Boston, Lombardi appeared as The Brooklyn Brawler in a backstage anniversary party along with numerous other wrestlers.
Lombardi made a return appearance in the November 15, 2010 "Raw Goes Old School" episode of ''Raw'' as the Brooklyn Brawler with Harvey Wippleman
Bruno Lauer (born October 27, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, referee, and occasional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Harvey Wippleman and Downtown Bruno.
Wippleman began his career working in professional wrestlin ...
as his manager. He lost in a match against Ezekiel Jackson.
The Brooklyn Brawler made a surprise return to pay-per-view on December 16, 2012, at the TLC
TLC may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Television
* ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2
* TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network
** TLC (Asia), an A ...
pay-per-view (which took place at the recently opened Barclays Center
Barclays Center ( ) is a multi-purpose list of indoor arenas, indoor arena in the New York City Boroughs of New York City, borough of Brooklyn. The arena is home to the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association and the New York Liber ...
in Brooklyn), teaming with the Miz
Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name The Miz.
Mizanin first gained fame a ...
and Alberto Del Rio
José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to WWE and Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), where h ...
to defeat 3MB (Heath Slater
Heath Wallace Miller (born July 15, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE under the ring name Heath Slater. He also performed in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Impact Wrestling ...
, Drew McIntyre
Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June, 1985) is a Scottish Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre.
Galloway began ...
and Jinder Mahal
Yuvraj Singh Dhesi (born July 19, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is performing on the independent circuit under his real name, stylized as Raj Dhesi. He is best known for his tenures in WWE, where he performed under the ring nam ...
). Brawler won the match for his team via submission with a Boston crab
The Boston crab, also known as the ''cangrejo'' (Spanish for "crab") or , is a professional wrestling hold that typically starts with one wrestler lying in a supine position on the mat, with the other wrestler standing and facing them. It is a ty ...
on Mahal.
At the July 15, 2013 ''Raw'' taping from Brooklyn, in a match taped for ''Superstars'', Lombardi competed in a match almost thirty years after his debut. Wrestling as the Brawler, he was defeated by Ryback
Ryback Allen Reeves (born Ryan Allen Reeves; November 10, 1981) is an American retired professional wrestler and YouTuber. He is best known for his tenure with WWE, where he performed under the ring name Ryback.
One of the eight finalists on ' ...
. In May 2016, Lombardi was released from WWE, thus ending Lombardi's 33-year career with WWE.
On January 22, 2018, Lombardi made an appearance at '' Raw 25 Years'' in a backstage segment with Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler. He first earned recognition for winning a Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, gold me ...
.
As of 2024, he still wrestles in the independents.
Championships and accomplishments
* Allied Powers Wrestling Federation
**APWF Television Championship (5 times)
*Border City Wrestling
Border City Wrestling (BCW) is an independent professional wrestling promotion owned and booked by Scott D'Amore, and based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Many of the promotion's employees were trained at the ''Can-Am'' wrestling school. Afte ...
** BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
** BCW Can-Am Television Championship (1 time)
* International Wrestling Association
**IWA United States Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
* NWA Michigan
**NWA Michigan Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* NWA Southwest
**NWA Southwest Television Championship (4 times)
* Regional Championship Wrestling
**RCW United States Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Jay Love
*Total Professional Wrestling
**TPW Light Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
**TPW Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Red Flair
* Wrecking Ball Wrestling
**WBW Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
* World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
** Slammy Award
The Slammy Awards, also known as the Slammys, is a concept used by WWE, where awards, similar to the Academy and Grammy Awards, are given to professional wrestlers and other individuals within WWE, such as commentators and managers. Introduced i ...
(1 time)
*** Worst Idea (1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
)
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lombardi, Steve
1961 births
20th-century male professional wrestlers
20th-century American professional wrestlers
21st-century male professional wrestlers
21st-century American professional wrestlers
American male professional wrestlers
American professional wrestlers of Italian descent
Heenan Family members
Living people
People from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn
Professional wrestlers from New York City
Professional wrestling managers and valets