Matt Osborne
Matthew "Matt" Wade Osborne was an American professional wrestler. Osborne was a second generation wrestler, being son of "Tough" Tony Borne, and is best known as being the first and longest-running wrestler to portray the character of Doink the Clown. He was born in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1957. sborne was found dead on June 28, 2013, in the Plano, Texas apartment he lived in. Though no weapons were found near his body, and police said the death appeared accidental, they launched a precautionary homicide investigation. The cause of death was later determined to be an accidental overdose of morphine and hydrocodone. He also suffered from heart disease, which had been a contributing factor in his death. In June 2015, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against WWE, alleging that "WWE created a culture of violence and sacrificed Matt Osborne’s brain for its own profit" which "led to further illnesses and injuries, including depression and drug abuse, which ultimately resulted in his untimely death." WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt said the suit was without merit and blamed the attorneys for taking advantage of the families involved. The suit was filed by Michelle James, the mother of two of Osborne's four children, and was litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in a number of other lawsuits against WWE. The lawsuit was dismissed by US District Judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant, who ruled that they failed to show that his death was linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy Matt Obsorne appeared in SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 as a DLC character in 2008 under the name, Doink the Clown. However, he did not appear in any other licensed wrestling game afterwards.
Photos
Movies (35)
Legends of Mid-South Wrestling
2013 · Matt Borne
ECW - Unreleased Vol. 2
2013 · Doink the Clown
JCW Legends and Icons
2011 · Doink The Clown
Mid-South Wrestling Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains vol. 1
2007 · "Maniac" Matt Borne
Aar Ya Paar
1997 · Joker
WAR Ryogoku Crush Night
1996 · Doink
WWE Mega Matches '95
1995 · Doink the Clown
ECW's NWA World Title Tournament
1994 · Doink The Clown
Inside the WWF
1994 · Doink The Clown
WWF 1993: The Year in Review
1993 · Doink the Clown
WWE Survivor Series Showdown 1993
1993 · Doink The Clown
WWE SummerSlam 1993
1993 · Doink The Clown
WWE Global Warfare
1993 · Doink The Clown
WWE Invasion of the Bodyslammers
1993 · Doink the Clown
WWF European Rampage 1993
1993 · Doink the Clown
WWE U.K. Rampage 1993
1993 · Doink the Clown
WWE UK Rampage '93
1993 · Doink the Clown
WWE WrestleMania IX
1993 · Doink the Clown
WCW WrestleWar 1992
1992 · Big Josh
WCW Clash of The Champions XVIII
1992 · Big Josh
WCW Starrcade 1991
1991 · Big Josh
WCW Clash of The Champions XVII
1991 · Big Josh
WCW Halloween Havoc 1991
1991 · Big Josh
WCW Clash of The Champions XVI: Fall Brawl '91
1991 · Big Josh
WCW The Great American Bash 1991
1991 · Big Josh
WCW Clash of the Champions XV: Knocksville USA
1991 · Big Josh
WCW SuperBrawl 1
1991 · Big Josh
WCW Starrcade 1990
1990 · Sgt. Kruger
NWA Clash of The Champions XIII: Thanksgiving Thunder
1990 · Sgt. Krueger
WCCW Christmas Star Wars '87
1987 · Matt Borne
WCCW Cotton Bowl Extravaganza '87
1987 · "Maniac" Matt Borne
WCCW Parade of Champions '87
1987 · Matt Borne
WCCW Cotton Bowl Extravaganza '86
1986 · "Maniac" Matt Borne
WCCW Labor Day Star Wars '86
1986 · "Maniac" Matt Borne
WrestleMania
1985 · "Maniac" Matt Borne
TV shows (10)
Dark Side of the Ring
2019 · Self (Archival Footage)
ECW Hardcore TV
1993
Raw
1993 · Doink The Clown (archive footage), Doink, Doink The Clown, Doink the Clown
GWF Presents: The Best of USWA
1992 · Matt Borne
Clash of the Champions
1988 · Sgt. Krueger, Big Josh
World Class Championship Wrestling
1982 · Matt Borne
Mid-South Wrestling
1981 · Matt Borne (Archive footage), Matt Borne
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
1981 · Matt Borne
USWA Championship Wrestling
1977 · Matt Borne
WWE Old School
1973 · Matt Borne