Known For
Acting
Born
Jul 27, 1957
Died
Jun 28, 2013
Place of Birth
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Credits
43 titles
Matt Osborne
Biography
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.
Known For
Filmography
Dark Side of the Ring
Self (Archival Footage)
Legends of Mid-South Wrestling
Matt Borne
ECW - Unreleased Vol. 2
Doink the Clown
JCW Legends and Icons
Mid-South Wrestling Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains vol. 1
"Maniac" Matt Borne
WAR Ryogoku Crush Night
Doink
WWE Mega Matches '95
Doink the Clown
ECW's NWA World Title Tournament
Doink The Clown
Inside the WWF
Doink The Clown
WWE Survivor Series Showdown 1993
Doink The Clown
WWE SummerSlam 1993
Doink The Clown
WWE Global Warfare
Doink The Clown
WWE Invasion of the Bodyslammers
Doink the Clown
WWF European Rampage 1993
Doink the Clown
WWE U.K. Rampage 1993
Doink the Clown
WWE UK Rampage '93
Doink the Clown
ECW Hardcore TV
WWE WrestleMania IX
Doink the Clown
Raw
Doink The Clown (archive footage)
WCW WrestleWar 1992
Big Josh
GWF Presents: The Best of USWA
Matt Borne
WCW Clash of The Champions XVIII
Big Josh
WCW Starrcade 1991
Big Josh
WCW Clash of The Champions XVII
Big Josh
WCW Halloween Havoc 1991
Big Josh
WCW Clash of The Champions XVI: Fall Brawl '91
Big Josh
WCW The Great American Bash 1991
Big Josh
WCW Clash of the Champions XV: Knocksville USA
Big Josh
WCW SuperBrawl 1
Big Josh
WCW Starrcade 1990
Sgt. Kruger
NWA Clash of The Champions XIII: Thanksgiving Thunder
Sgt. Krueger
Clash of the Champions
Sgt. Krueger
WCCW Christmas Star Wars '87
Matt Borne
WCCW Cotton Bowl Extravaganza '87
"Maniac" Matt Borne
WCCW Parade of Champions '87
Matt Borne
WCCW Cotton Bowl Extravaganza '86
"Maniac" Matt Borne
WCCW Labor Day Star Wars '86
"Maniac" Matt Borne
WrestleMania
"Maniac" Matt Borne
World Class Championship Wrestling
Matt Borne
Mid-South Wrestling
Matt Borne (Archive footage)
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Matt Borne
USWA Championship Wrestling
Matt Borne
WWE Old School
Matt Borne