10 Wrestling Facts We Didn’t Know Last Week (15 Nov)

6. Steve Lombardi's Crazy 'Doink Day'

Doink The Clown
WWE

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.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.