The Brooklyn Brawler Discusses Relationship With Vince McMahon, WWE Departure

Steve "The Brooklyn Brawler" Lombardi was employed by WWE for 30 years, so it's safe to say he got to know Vince McMahon quite well. While speaking on "Insight with Chris Van Vliet," the former WWE star discussed his relationship with the now-disgraced ex-chairman.

"[McMahon] kept me for 32 years, so [our relationship] must have been pretty good," he said. "He used to say to say s**t to me like, 'If I asked you to take a flag off the building, you'd come down with two flags.'"

Lombardi says he was always willing to do anything his old boss asked of him. This is why he ended up working with everyone from Randy Savage to Tiger Jackson, aka The Macho Midget, Dink, and Little Hulkster. He was also viewed as a trustworthy figure behind the scenes, as McMahon asked him to accompany Paul "Triple H" Levesque to a doctor's appointment after he suffered a torn quadriceps injury. Lombardi was also The Rock's first opponent, and he did the job for the young rookie.

Of course, good things can't last forever, including Lombardi's tenure with the company. The longtime WWE employee was released in 2016, but he doesn't harbor any ill will toward McMahon as he was ready to call it a day.

"All I can say is, [my release] is not like people think," he said. "I'm not going to give you the details of it, but I was told that a question like that would be asked, and the question is not warranted. It really isn't, because I was ready. I couldn't do it, two to four planes a week for 32 years. That's a lot of traveling."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Insight with Chris Van Vliet" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.