15 MORE Incredible WWE Attitude Era Moments Nobody Ever Talks About
6. Brooklyn Brawler Pins Triple H
Yes, this actually happened.
Fans tuning into the 6 July 2000 episode of SmackDown saw top star Triple H stare at the lights for one of the most iconic jobbers of all time. Going in, Hunter knew he'd get his hands on arch nemesis Chris Jericho on the following Monday's Raw if he could handle a carefully constructed 3-on-1 handicap match...vs. Taka Michinoku, Funaki and The Brooklyn Brawler.
That trio was a stone's throw away from becoming the greatest Survivor Series team that never was, brother. Seriously, it was a confusing setup, but a fun one. Trips eliminated Funaki then Taka, but would succumb to Brawler when Jericho ran in to hit a bulldog-into-Lionsault combo. 3 short seconds later, the bold Steve Lombardi had his hand raised in victory.
Incredibly, this wouldn't actually be Brawler's last televised win in the company. He beat Just Joe (remember him?) on the 21 October 2000 edition of Jakked. Not many fans would've watched that ahead of SmackDown though, and a win over 'The Game' was always going to be high profile stuff.
It was also a lesson for anybody else in the back who didn't like doing jobs - even the biggest stars in the biz can lose to the smallest under the right circumstances. Who says Triple H didn't like doing someone a favour and getting pinned?! He could thumb his nose at the critics here.
Brawler's shock win was a dramatic, thrilling and charming moment of TV that has nonetheless been largely lost to the sands of time.