Matt Osborne
7/27/1957
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.
Matt Osborne
Appeared In:
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WrestleMania
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Inside the WWF
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WWE Invasion of the Bodyslammers
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WWE U.K. Rampage 1993
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WCW SuperBrawl: Return from The Rising Sun
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WCW Halloween Havoc '91
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WCCW Cotton Bowl Extravaganza '87
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Mid-South Wrestling Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains vol. 1
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JCW Legends and Icons
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WWF European Rampage 1993
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ECW - Unreleased Vol. 2
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Legends of Mid-South Wrestling
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WCCW Christmas Star Wars '87
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WCW Clash of The Champions XVIII
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WCW Clash of The Champions XIII: Thanksgiving Thunder
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WCW Starrcade '90: Collision Course
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WCCW Labor Day Star Wars '86
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WCCW Cotton Bowl Extravaganza '86
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WCCW Parade of Champions '87
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WCW Clash of the Champions XV: Knocksville USA
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WCW The Great American Bash 1991
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WCW Clash of The Champions XVI: Fall Brawl '91
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WCW Clash of The Champions XVII
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WCW Starrcade 1991
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WAR Ryogoku Crush Night
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WWE WrestleMania IX
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WWE SummerSlam 1993
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WWE Survivor Series Showdown 1993
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WCW Wrestle War: WarGames
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ECW's NWA World Title Tournament
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WWF Mega Matches '95