Bruce Prichard Says Former WWE Superstar 'Legitimately Hated' Entertaining Kids

Clowns are typically seen as happy, jolly individuals who make balloons and act silly to entertain children, but that was far from the case when it came to Doink The Clown. The classic WWE character fell into the same territory as other infamous clowns who struck fear into the hearts of children, a true heel in every sense. Flipping the norms with Doink proved to be a great idea for the company, and during the latest "Something To Wrestle," Bruce Prichard revealed the extent to which the persona was rooted in reality.

"It wasn't really a role," Prichard said. "It was just Matt with paint on and a wig."

While several wrestlers have had the chance to put on the iconic Doink The Clown face paint, Matt Borne is the man who originally took on the character, and who made the biggest impact with it. Despite the fact that clowns are generally considered happy, funny children's entertainers, that wasn't something Borne was ever going to fight to make happen, according to Prichard. 

"If there was ever a perfect gimmick for someone, this was it for Matt Borne, because he embodied it," Prichard said. "He was a perfect evil clown, and he legitimately hated going out there and having to entertain the kids, he hated that. So you had that really miserable, nasty clown."

Over the years, the likes of Steve Lombardi, Jeff Jarrett, and even Chris Jericho have dressed as Doink, with the latest appearance of the gimmick taking place at the Money in the Bank ladder match in 2020, which took lace at WWE headquarters during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.