Doink the Clown is a professional wrestling persona originally and most popularly portrayed by Matt Osborne, who debuted the Doink persona in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1992. Doink is a clown wearing traditional clown makeup and brightly colored clothes. In addition to Borne, Doink has been portrayed occasionally by other wrestlers in the WWF and unofficially on the independent circuit.
Doink the Clown
Doink wrestling Jeff Jarrett in 1994
An independent wrestler performing as Doink in 2008
Professional wrestling is a form of athletic theater that combines mock combat with drama, under the premise that the performers are competitive wrestlers. Although it entails elements of sports wrestling and martial arts, including genuine displays of athleticism and physicality before a live audience, professional wrestling is distinguished by its scripted outcomes and emphasis on entertainment and showmanship. The staged nature of matches is an open secret, with both wrestlers and spectators nonetheless maintaining the pretense that performances are bona fide competitions; this is likened to the suspension of disbelief employed when engaging with fiction.
Triple H setting up the Pedigree on John Cena in October 2005.
Spectators gather in Pyongyang, North Korea for Antonio Inoki's Pro Wrestling Friendship Games. A traditional wrestling ring can be seen in the lower left corner
A WWE Money in the Bank ladder match in 2009
Tommy Seigler applies a hold to Nick Kozak while a referee looks on
