In 1999, there were few more colourful tag-teams than The Headbangers. When the tandem first appeared in the WWF, they were cast as metalheads, quickly expanding to be fans of bands like Marilyn Manson and The Insane Clown Posse (ironically). This was an attempt by the company to broaden the appeal of their wrestlers, almost having something for everybody. Eyeliner was prevalent on both Mosh and Thrasher, but somewhere along the line, the latter started painting his face, in a style oddly similar to how many would when going to a Halloween party as an evil clown. Interestingly, this wasn't quite as co-incidental or inconsequential as it may first seem. Just before the turn of the millennium, there was talk of splitting The Headbangers up, and casting Thrasher as an updated, even more gnarled version of Doink The Clown. It's likely that the character would have retained a lot of the same elements of Thrasher, and notable that the man already had a shaved head - were the creative team looking to finally bring the prototype Doink with no hair into play? Obviously, the gimmick would never end up happening, but it's nonetheless curious to imagine what it would have been like, and exactly where on the card the character would be placed. A corrupted, industrial Doink may have been perfect for the WWF's Hardcore division, which played host to some of the more unique characters on the roster. What are your favourite Doink The Clown moments? Who was the best at portraying the clown? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
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.