Doink the Clown was very much the stuff of nightmares for the younger fans of the WWE audience. A deranged clown who took pleasure in the evoking tears from the children that packed arenas every night, he terrorized them with mean-spirited jokes and vicious assaults on their favorite Superstars. Even more disturbing was the way that Doink would go from laughing and joking to suddenly staring into the camera with malice in his eyes, a dangerous man behind the paint. The massive Crush was the first Superstar to feel the unpleasant wrath of Doink, the recipient of a fake arm-assisted beating. See, Doink had been feigning a broke arm and the moment that Crush turned around to walk away from him, he removed a dummy arm and beat him senseless with it. Fans watched in horror as the clown snapped, punishing the one Superstar who had stood up to him. It was a disturbing display, one that had even the adults in the crowd shielding their faces. As disturbing as the character was, it was also cool. It was fresh and unlike any that WWE had ever produced. The man behind the mask, Matt Borne, had such a way with facial expressions and body language that he repeatedly hit it out of the park every time he stepped through the curtain. He was brilliant and evil and deranged and it was glorious. Unfortunately, Vince McMahon decided to turn the clown babyface, killing the character and ridding the company of one of its most interesting and compelling characters after just one year.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
