Matt Borne (AKA Doink The Clown) Dies At Age 57

Professional wrestler Matt Borne, who some know better as the original Doink The Clown, passed away in Texas on Friday, at the age of 57.

Borne, who's given name was Matt Osbourne, was a second generation wrestler. His father was "Tough" Tony Borne, who wrestled in the 1950's and 1960's.

After his debut in Portland, Oregon, back in 1978, Borne made various stops in the early part of his career, wrestling in such territories as Mid-South Wrestling, Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, Pacific Northwest Wrestling, and World Class Championship Wrestling, before becoming a major star in the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment in 1992, where he portrayed the original Doink the Clown, an evil clown that would pull tricks on wrestlers and fans, before later turning into a fan favorite.

Prior to his stint with Vince McMahon and company, Borne made a stop in World Championship Wrestling, where he was known as Big Josh.

In Mid-South, Borne was part of the "Rat Pack" trio along with Ted DiBiase and Jim Duggan. In a memorable match, DiBiase tagged with Borne, in a "loser leave town" match against the Junkyard Dog and Mr. Olympia. Duggan, who was dressed in a gorilla suit, interfered, and helped his stablemates to a victory, sending the Junkyard Dog away for 90 days, and bringing in Stagger Lee.

Below is that match from 1982:

Below is video of Borne, as Doink the Clown: