Matt Osborne, better known to wrestling fans as Doink the Clown, was a second-generation wrestler who had a long and varied career in the ring. He was best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the early 1990s, where he portrayed a sinister clown who played pranks on his opponents and the audience. He also wrestled for several other promotions, such as World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), Mid-South Wrestling, and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). He won several championships and was respected by his peers for his talent and charisma. However, his life was also marred by personal problems, such as drug abuse, legal issues, and health complications. On June 28, 2013, he was found dead at the age of 55 in a hospital in Plano, Texas. The cause of his death was later revealed to be an accidental drug overdose.
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Early Life and Career
Matt Osborne was born on July 27, 1957, in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was the son of Tony Borne, a professional wrestler who was famous in the Pacific Northwest Wrestling (PNW) territory. Osborne followed in his father’s footsteps and began wrestling in 1978, under the ring name Matt Borne. He worked for various National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territories, most notably PNW, where he won the heavyweight and four-time tag team titles. He also teamed up with Buzz Sawyer in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and Mid-South Wrestling, where they won the tag team titles twice. He also wrestled in Canada, Japan, and Puerto Rico.
WWF and Doink the Clown
In 1985, Osborne joined the WWF, where he was mainly used as a jobber, a wrestler who loses to more popular wrestlers to make them look good. He had a brief feud with Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, whom he faced at the first WrestleMania in Madison Square Garden. He left the WWF in 1986 and returned to WCCW, where he reunited with Sawyer and won the world tag team titles under the management of Percy Pringle III (later known as Paul Bearer). He also had a feud with the Von Erich family, the top stars of the promotion.
In 1992, Osborne returned to the WWF, where he was given a new gimmick: Doink the Clown. He wore a green wig, a colorful outfit, and face paint, and carried a bucket of water or confetti, a squirting flower, and a rubber mallet. He acted as a heel, a villainous character, who played cruel jokes on his opponents and the fans, such as tripping them with a tripwire, spraying them with water, or hitting them with his mallet. He also had a mini version of himself, called Dink, who assisted him in his antics. Some of his notable rivals were Crush, Bret Hart, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Jerry “The King” Lawler.
Doink the Clown was a unique and memorable character, who combined comedy and horror elements. He was also portrayed by different wrestlers, such as Steve Keirn, Ray Apollo, and Nick Dinsmore, but Osborne was the original and most popular one. He received praise from critics and fans for his performance and versatility as Doink. He was also one of the few wrestlers who could make the crowd boo or cheer him, depending on his actions.
Later Career and Personal Problems
Osborne left the WWF in 1993, after failing a drug test. He then joined ECW, where he wrestled as Doink for a short time, before dropping the gimmick and becoming a more serious and hardcore wrestler. He feuded with Tommy Dreamer, Shane Douglas, and Sabu, and won the ECW tag team titles with Cactus Jack (later known as Mick Foley). He also wrestled for Smoky Mountain Wrestling, where he was known as Borne Again, a parody of his former Doink persona.
Osborne struggled with drug addiction throughout his career, which affected his performance and behavior. He was arrested several times for various offenses, such as assault, theft, and possession of drugs. He also suffered from health problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart issues. He tried to overcome his demons and sought help from rehabilitation programs, but he relapsed several times.
Death and Legacy
On June 28, 2013, Osborne was found unresponsive in his girlfriend’s home in Plano, Texas, by emergency medical personnel. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was 55 years old. The cause of his death was later determined to be an accidental drug overdose, according to a medical examiner’s report. He had high levels of morphine and hydrocodone in his system, as well as traces of other drugs, such as oxycodone, alprazolam, and carisoprodol. His death was ruled as an accident, and no foul play was suspected.
Osborne’s death was mourned by his family, friends, and fans, who remembered him as a talented and charismatic wrestler, who entertained millions of people with his skills and personality. He was also honored by his fellow wrestlers, who paid tribute to him in various shows and events. He was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015, and the Cauliflower Alley Club in 2016. He was also featured in several documentaries and books about his life and career.
Matt Osborne was a wrestling legend, who left a lasting impression on the industry and the fans. He was one of the pioneers of the Doink the Clown character, which became one of the most iconic and controversial gimmicks in wrestling history. He was also a versatile and adaptable performer, who could wrestle in different styles and promotions. He had a troubled and tragic life, but he also had a passion and love for wrestling, which he shared with the world. He was a clown, a villain, a hero, and a star. He was Matt Osborne.
