Confession: Doink the Clown, who debuted around Survivor Series twenty-seven years ago on WWF television, nauseated me.
The silly clown gimmick was precisely why I preferred WCW and the independents over WWF. In 1992, amidst the fallout from Hulkamania and the Ultimate Warrior’s inability to carry the company in the same way, I thought WWF was stuck in a rut of goofiness. Repo Man, Kona Crush, Doink—my nine-year-old self thought they were all too childish.
Between the cartoonish characters and the WWF’s decision to put the belt on then mid-carder Bret Hart instead of someone like Roddy Piper or Macho Man, I couldn’t, as the Dude once said, abide. I was wrong about Bret Hart. And twenty-seven years later, I’m here to admit I was wrong about Doink too. Not to mention how blind I was to the silliness going on in WCW. In the Fall of 1992, I was too enamored with Sting and Jake the Snake Roberts to recognize how poorly their rivalry ultimately played out (see my previous article on TWM detailing Jake’s not-so-great stint in WCW).
Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t done a complete 180. I still believe many of the WWF gimmicks from 1992 don’t hold up. However, Doink has transcended the era and the wrestler, becoming one of those rare things in wrestling—a sustained touchstone usable in various contexts. How did that happen? How is it possible that, in an era where the New Generation superstars are mostly bumbling through their own version of events on wrestling docs and podcasts or are no longer with us, Doink still pops up in mainstream and independent circuit rings? The answer is twofold.
First, a half-silly, half-psychotic clown was a good idea for a gimmick, if not at the right time. Think I’m wrong? Look at the current WWE Champion, The Fiend: half silly, half psychotic. The Joker’s franchise run since Heath Ledger’s iconic portrayal or the fascination with Pennywise in “It” also highlights the enduring appeal of the psychotic clown archetype.
Second, despite the 1993 Survivor Series, which featured Men on a Mission Doinks and Bushwhacker Doinks, and the 1994 Survivor Series with numerous little Doinks against little Jerry Lawler court jesters, the Doink character has been, at times, brilliantly utilized across various promotions.
The basic building blocks for a compelling character were there from the start: memorable entrance music and distinctive mannerisms. Credit where credit is due—Road Warrior Hawk (rest in peace) came up with the idea, and WWF executed it well. The entrance music was perfect: whimsical circus tunes suddenly shifting to a dark, demonic tone, then back again. Matt Borne (rest in peace), the original and best Doink, had the mannerisms to match. He danced, paraded, and squirted his flower water pistol when the circus music played, and then switched to a manic, psycho expression when the dark music hit. Borne took the character seriously, studying psychotic clowns like Pennywise and crafting a nuanced performance.
According to Borne, WWF initially envisioned a rivalry between Doink and Hulk Hogan. The long buildup, with Doink initially staying out of the ring and merely causing mischief, was reportedly due to Hogan’s veto of the idea. Of course, this should be taken with a grain of salt, as Borne also spread the rumor that Macho Man Randy Savage gave Hogan a black eye at WrestleMania IX, which was actually the result of a jet-skiing accident.
At WrestleMania IX, Borne’s Doink had one of his most intriguing matches against Crush (Brian Adams). The double-Doink twist, with a second Doink (played by Steve “Skinner” Keirn) emerging to hit Crush with a loaded prosthetic arm, was a highlight. Unfortunately, the WWF announcers treated it as an illusion rather than acknowledging the heel faction aspect.
More tragically, Doink was turned face the following year, and the psycho clown persona lost its edge, reducing Doink to just a goofy clown. Even more tragically, Matt Borne was soon released from WWF due to substance abuse issues. He was replaced by a series of jobbers for house shows and tapings, and the gimmick itself became a jobber too: Ray Apollo, John Maloof, and Steve Lombardi (aka the Brooklyn Brawler).
The gimmick eventually appeared in other promotions. Perhaps the most intriguing Doink was Dusty Wolfe, who portrayed the character in NWA and is now a college history professor. Borne, however, remains the most associated wrestler with the gimmick and the best in-ring talent among the group. When Borne moved to ECW, Paul Heyman knew how to leverage the character, turning Borne into “Borne Again,” a bipolar persona with half-painted Doink face paint, reflecting Borne’s real-life struggles and dissatisfaction with being forced into the clown role.
Before his untimely death in 2013, Borne took the Doink/Borne Again gimmick further on the indie circuit, adopting a near-direct parody of Ledger’s Joker, calling himself Reborne Again. Rest in peace. Doink continued in WWF/E, often appearing in Gimmick or Legends matches and battle royals. Ray Apollo donned the gimmick for the WrestleMania X7 Gimmick Battle Royale, and Borne himself returned for a one-off at the Raw 15th Anniversary Alumni Battle Royal in December 2007.
Doink’s most interesting appearances have come from star wrestlers using the gimmick for disguises, such as Edge and Christian’s Conquistador bodysuits. Jeff Jarrett used Doink’s paint to prank Doink’s partner, Dink, before defeating Doink himself. Chris Jericho used the gimmick in 2001 to ambush William Regal during their memorable feud.
According to one of Jericho’s confessionals, a very stoned Shawn Michaels saw Jericho in Doink paint and criticized him for taking on the gimmick despite Jericho’s assurance it was just for one night, creating one of the most authentically funny moments the clown character ever provided. Seeing Jericho put Regal in the Lion Tamer while in Doink paint was equally awesome.
Shelf life can be a funny thing. Many of us found Doink repulsive and a symbol of everything wrong with the cartoony WWF product in Fall 1992. Yet, Doink has endured and reemerged in wrestling’s mainstream and independent circuits more than most gimmicks or wrestlers from that New Generation era. He’s outlived his original performer, though Matt Borne certainly laid the foundation. Sadly, Borne passed away in 2013 due to an accidental overdose and heart issues in Plano, Texas.
In an age of Marvel and literary psycho clowns, Borne and WWF created something quite enduring with Doink the Clown.
