10 Wrestling Facts We Didn’t Know Last Week (15 Nov)
6. Steve Lombardi's Crazy 'Doink Day'
Shortly after Matt Borne left the WWF in 1993, Steve Lombardi received a phone call from his boss asking if he'd be up for playing Doink The Clown on an upcoming house show. As a staunch company man, Lombardi said he was up for it, but told Vince McMahon he was worried about applying the circus make up properly.
Not to worry, for VKM had a solution.
First, Steve told Wrestlezone he ran to catch a flight to Cleveland so Borne's wife could meet him with the character's costume at the airport. Then, Lombardi dashed onto another plane bound for Stamford. There, "Jill the make up girl" helped show him how to become Doink. After that, the weary wrestler jumped on another flight to Calgary for the match with Bret.
That whirlwind travel day is one Lombardi will never forget. He managed to cobble together some passable face paint and become Doink. As soon as he stepped through the curtain in Canada, fans booed him heavily because they thought he was the original.