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Post by pillman9mm on Mar 25, 2008 23:37:47 GMT -5
Does anyone else feel that the original Doink The Clown gimmick never gets its due?
For people who weren't watching then, just the name "Doink" sparks an image in even the slightest wrestling fans head of a terrible clown wrestler that plagued the WWF in the mid-90's. If asked more about the character, the most common responses would be words like "Dink", "Wink", maybe even the occasional "Pink". Hell, the term Wrestlecrap derived from this abyssmal jester. I just find it a damn shame that 90% of the wrestling fans out there don't even realize that there was a time when Doink was actually....... cool. Not cool as in, "oh hey, a clown wrestler and a midget", but actually cool. Dare I even say... badass?
Veteran grappler Matt Borne was the man who played the inaugural Doink character. His incarnation of the clown was simply awesome. I'll save you the biography and just list some of the top Doink-ism's.
- Would pop childrens balloons with a lit cigar.
- Beat the hell out of Crush with a fake arm.
- The man once hit an opponent with a CAR BATTERY.
- Easily, one of the greatest theme songs in the history of the WWF.
- Had AMAZING matches with Curt Hennig (check out any of their three KOTR qualifying matches), Marty Jannetty (2-out-of-3 falls, a forgotten Raw classic) and Bret (Summerslam '93)
- Anyone who does a top-rope ass bomb onto Virgil gets points in my book.
He played his character to perfection. An evil wrestling clown. Just the words "wrestling clown" would have one assume that the character is doomed to fail. As it turned out, not only did Borne make the gimmick work, he also got it OVER. The people loved an evil wrestling clown. Vince, being the genius he is, listened to the crowd and turned Doink into a total babyface for absolutely no reason. Gone was the cool edge. Gone was the crazy persona. And soon thereafter, gone was Borne.
With Borne gone, along with it went any "cool" factor a wrestling clown could have. All gone. For no reason. Just flushed down the wrestlecrapper. The gimmick lived throughout the next few years with various men donning the grease paint. It didn't matter though, the clown character had been neutered, destined to be nothing more than a first ballad HoF'er in the Wrestlecrap wing.
I said it before and it's the truth, evil Doink was badass before it was cool to be badass in the WWF.
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redypiper
Main Eventer
bravery over timidity
Joined on: Jun 29, 2005 19:51:33 GMT -5
Posts: 2,946
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Post by redypiper on Mar 26, 2008 0:38:12 GMT -5
i wish i knew bourne was doink when it was happening.
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The Boglin
Main Eventer
Team Goldie.
Joined on: Apr 20, 2005 16:46:22 GMT -5
Posts: 4,171
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Post by The Boglin on Mar 26, 2008 10:39:34 GMT -5
Does anyone else feel that the original Doink The Clown gimmick never gets its due? For people who weren't watching then, just the name "Doink" sparks an image in even the slightest wrestling fans head of a terrible clown wrestler that plagued the WWF in the mid-90's. If asked more about the character, the most common responses would be words like "Dink", "Wink", maybe even the occasional "Pink". Hell, the term Wrestlecrap derived from this abyssmal jester. I just find it a damn shame that 90% of the wrestling fans out there don't even realize that there was a time when Doink was actually....... cool. Not cool as in, "oh hey, a clown wrestler and a midget", but actually cool. Dare I even say... badass? Veteran grappler Matt Borne was the man who played the inaugural Doink character. His incarnation of the clown was simply awesome. I'll save you the biography and just list some of the top Doink-ism's. - Would pop childrens balloons with a lit cigar. - Beat the hell out of Crush with a fake arm. - The man once hit an opponent with a CAR BATTERY. - Easily, one of the greatest theme songs in the history of the WWF. - Had AMAZING matches with Curt Hennig (check out any of their three KOTR qualifying matches), Marty Jannetty (2-out-of-3 falls, a forgotten Raw classic) and Bret (Summerslam '93) - Anyone who does a top-rope ass bomb onto Virgil gets points in my book. He played his character to perfection. An evil wrestling clown. Just the words "wrestling clown" would have one assume that the character is doomed to fail. As it turned out, not only did Borne make the gimmick work, he also got it OVER. The people loved an evil wrestling clown. Vince, being the genius he is, listened to the crowd and turned Doink into a total babyface for absolutely no reason. Gone was the cool edge. Gone was the crazy persona. And soon thereafter, gone was Borne. With Borne gone, along with it went any "cool" factor a wrestling clown could have. All gone. For no reason. Just flushed down the wrestlecrapper. The gimmick lived throughout the next few years with various men donning the grease paint. It didn't matter though, the clown character had been neutered, destined to be nothing more than a first ballad HoF'er in the Wrestlecrap wing. I said it before and it's the truth, evil Doink was badass before it was cool to be badass in the WWF. 500% agree with you, Evil Doink was awesome. |
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Post by sincityhero on Mar 26, 2008 10:52:20 GMT -5
I LOVED heel doink.
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Post by Blazer034 on Mar 26, 2008 11:44:09 GMT -5
Evil Doink was awesome. Matt never got all of the credit that he deserved for him being Doink.
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Deleted
Joined on: May 14, 2024 7:49:56 GMT -5
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2008 12:26:33 GMT -5
I think the fact that they had a guy dress up as a clown and wrestle was stupid. Borne did a good job with it, but I think it makes wrestling look bad to literally have a clown wrestle.
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Post by pillman9mm on Mar 26, 2008 12:56:43 GMT -5
I think the fact that they had a guy dress up as a clown and wrestle was stupid. Borne did a good job with it, but I think it makes wrestling look bad to literally have a clown wrestle. To an extent I agree with what you said, but that's not what they really did. It's not like they said in the middle of Borne's run something like, "hey, you're doing a good job, but this character just isn't working out." Back in 1993, heels and babyfaces were very cut-and-dry. The faces were cheered and the heels were booed accordingly. And here you have this evil wrestling clown, whose character was 100% heel, beginning to get cheered by the crowd. A gimmick that shouldn't have lasted more than a few weeks, began getting over. Yes, I'll admit that Borne didn't help by getting released due to "personal demons," but the damage had already been done by that point. Doink lost his evil edge, was given crappy all-circus music, and slowly turned into the extremely annoying clown wrestler that everyone expected him to be right from the start. Although the comparison is a bit different, I see Doink's downfall the same way the WWE handled both the Diesel and Batista characters. Both were definitive heels. Just them being a bit badass helped get the crowd popping for them. Instead of exploiting their inner heel (which they DID do for Austin/Rock), WWE pushed them to the top tier, but as clear-cut babyfaces. As Diesel, Kevin Nash got the character over by being a big, grimacing force who kicked ass. Next thing you know, the guy is champion, but coming to the ring with a smile on his face like he just successfully helped an old lady at a crosswalk. Notice though, how much more over the Diesel persona was right before he left the WWF as opposed to his run as champion. Same thing went for Batista. He was this big, bad guy who mauled opponents and rarely spoke. As champion, however, he too was stripped of his killer edge and the next thing you know, he's sticking flag poles up Daivari's ass with a smirk on his face. Way too cute for a monster like that. Vince screwed Bret? Maybe so, but at least Bret had a hell of a career. Vince Screwed Doink!..... that's the real crime, dammit! |
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Post by slammed86 on Mar 26, 2008 19:36:27 GMT -5
Ok, Everyone we must find a clip of this car battery used in a match. Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Thanks!
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Post by Calcifer Boheme on Mar 26, 2008 20:03:08 GMT -5
Plus, in the beginning, he wasn't a clown... He was this psychotic man that dress as a clown for reasons no one understood. that's part of what made it great.
After Doink turned face, it was still fun, but not what it was when Bourne was doing it.
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Zincdust
Main Eventer
WF 20+ Year Member
WF Day 1 Member
Redefining "Old Toy Weirdo"
Joined on: Dec 18, 2001 15:13:21 GMT -5
Posts: 3,481
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Post by Zincdust on Mar 26, 2008 23:34:25 GMT -5
One of my favorite Evil Doink moments: Doink sets up a line of wire between the steel railings which lead from the locker room to the ring while the Big Bossman is wrestling.
After BBM wins his match, he runs towards the locker room... and trips on the wire, falling on his face.
As Doink laughs hysterically, BBM gets up, looks around and says "That's not funny..."
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Post by pillman9mm on Mar 27, 2008 18:07:43 GMT -5
One of my favorite Evil Doink moments: Doink sets up a line of wire between the steel railings which lead from the locker room to the ring while the Big Bossman is wrestling. After BBM wins his match, he runs towards the locker room... and trips on the wire, falling on his face. As Doink laughs hysterically, BBM gets up, looks around and says "That's not funny..." Haha, Bossman acting like a second grader who just got called a "doody-head." Classic. |
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Post by S on Mar 28, 2008 14:00:10 GMT -5
Heel Doink was awesome, he just looked so miserable... which is odd when your a clown
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Pope Kiril I
Main Eventer
We Choose to Be called by Our Own Name Kiril
Joined on: Mar 11, 2003 22:47:53 GMT -5
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Post by Pope Kiril I on Mar 29, 2008 0:05:02 GMT -5
yep I have to say I liked Heel Doink as well even more so when her went to ECW and thanks to Shane Douglas became Borne again and started dressing his beaten opponents in the clown Costume
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Post by sincityhero on Mar 29, 2008 18:21:05 GMT -5
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