Interview: Brooklyn Brawler on His WWF Championship Match against HBK

Recent episode of the Prime Time Wrestling with Sean Mooney podcast show had “Brooklyn Brawler” Steve Lombardi as the guest discussing his WWF Championship match against Shawn Michaels at Madison Square Garden in 1997.

On the topic of the origins of his WWF title shot in 1997, Lombardi stated WWE originally planned for Ken Shamrock to be the challenger for the WWF Championship at their Madison Square Garden house show in November 1997. Those plans were shelved due to Shamrock suffering an injury during a Number One Contender’s Battle Royal and Vince McMahon changing the winner on the spot without realizing the stipulation of the match.

“Okay so we’re wrestling in Madison Square Garden and we’re having a battle royal. I’m in the battle royal but I’m just a guy to get thrown out, this and that. All of a sudden Ken Shamrock who was scheduled to win the battle royal got injured in her sternum, his chest he got injured.”

“Put Brooklyn Brawler over, he’s local.”

On the topic of the planning for his WWF Championship match against Shawn Michaels, Lombardi stated he was surprised Michaels actually agreed to do the match and was very helpful with planning the layout of the match. He also praised Michaels for making him look like a big star as an opponent and the match itself being very entertaining.

“His finish is the Superkick if I Superkicked him people would come unglued. What a match we had. It was the first Garden show with DX with Chyna and Triple H on the apron on the outside of the ring. Me and Shawn Michaels in Madison Square Garden.

I remember The Undertaker walking into the room, into the dressing room and looking at the line-up and it shows me in the main event, he’s underneath me and he goes, ‘what the f–k is this?’ That’s what he said. I just said, ‘it’s not me I didn’t do it!’ Because nobody wants heat with The Undertaker. But I tell ya, my career, you couldn’t even write this the way it happened.

He’s kicking out at two-and-a-half and he’s selling and doing all these crazy moves,” Brawler said remembering his MSG match against HBK. “I mean he made me look like a million bucks. I’m telling ya and then Triple H jumps on the apron and I pop him, nail him then Chyna comes in and gives me a Frankensteiner. I mean, it was great.”