In late 1992, World Wrestling Entertainment was invaded by a maniacal clown named Doink who found great pleasure in making the children in the audience cry. Appearing to be a fun-loving and joyful clown any another other, he would stop and stare into the camera, his eyes full of menace and danger. It was a revolutionary character that, to this day, remains a favorite of die hard and internet wrestling fans. Matt Borne, the man behind the face paint, was an outstanding performer who approached the persona with seriousness and treated it with respect. His matches with Randy Savage, Mr. Perfect, Marty Jannetty and Bret Hart were nothing short of outstanding. Why, then, WWE opted to switch the dangerous circus performer from Parts Unknown from captivating villain to generic, fun-loving babyface remains a mystery. Every bit of intrigue and interest in him was lost the moment Vince McMahon and the other members of the creative staff turned him. Borne was gone from the company and Doink became a laughing jokester with a mini sidekick named Dink. The character remained over at first but by the end of 1994, fans were crying for the end of act. After chants of "kill the clown" rung out at the 1997 Slammy awards, Doink retired to Parts Unknown for good. Today, any independent wrestling fan can see a Doink (or twelve) running around on smaller shows across the country. None of them, however, have the uniqueness that Borne's did.
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.
