| Steve Keirn |
| Ring name(s) | Steve Keirn
Doink The Clown
Skinner |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Billed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Born | September 10, 1951 (1951-09-10) (age 58) |
| Billed from | Tampa, Florida |
| Trained by | The Funk Brothers
The Brisco Brothers
Eddie Graham
Hiro Matsuda |
| Debut | 1972 |
| Retired | 2004 |
Steve Keirn (born September 10, 1951) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for being part of the tag team The Fabulous Ones, with Stan Lane, and later for a run in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as Skinner, a gimmick that portrayed him as a tobacco spitting Everglades Crocodile Hunter. During his time in WWF, Steve was also one of a number of wrestlers to play the face-painted role of Doink the Clown.[1]
[edit] Career
[edit] Early career
Much of Keirn's early career was spent wrestling as part of a tag team. While wrestling in Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF), he held the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship one time with each of Bob Backlund, Jimmy Garvin and Brian Blair.[2] He enjoyed his greatest success in the promotion, however, teaming with Mike Graham. Keirn and Graham teamed up to win the title nine times.[2] In addition, the pair won the NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship together three times.[3]
In 1980 and 1981, Keirn focused on his career as a singles wrestler. He won many titles in Florida and Georgia, including the NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship by defeating Chavo Guerrero.[4][5] As a result of this victory, his title reign was also recognized by New Japan Pro Wrestling.[5] Keirn also won the NWA National Television Championship twice, defeating Terry Funk and Kevin Sullivan.[6]
In 1981, Keirn began wrestling with the Tennessee-based Continental Wrestling Association (CWA). He was successful as a singles wrestler, winning a tournament to claim the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship.[7] He also held the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship on two occasions.[8] As in CWF, Keirn found his greatest success in the tag team division. He held the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship 17 times, including 14 victories as a member of the Fabulous Ones with Stan Lane. Keirn and Lane also combined to win the CWA World Tag Team Championship twice.[9]
Keirn continued to team with Lane in various promotions over the next decade. In 1984, the team won the Southwest Championship Wrestling World Tag Team Championship while wrestling in Australia.[10] In the United States, Keirn won the NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship twice more, both times with Stan Lane as his partner.[3] In 1991, the pair wrestled in the United States Wrestling Association, defeating Tony Anthony and Doug Gilbert to win the USWA Tag Team Championship.[11]
[edit] World Wrestling Federation (1991 - 1993)
In the summer of 1991, Keirn debuted in the WWF as Skinner, an alligator hunting mountain man from the Florida Everglades.[12] He was portrayed as a generally nasty individual, always chewing on tobacco and sometimes spitting it on his opponent. He also always carried an alligator claw with him, which he would often use as a weapon against his opponents. He competed in the 1991 King of the Ring tournament, defeating Virgil in the first round but losing to Bret Hart in the second round.[13] He challenged Hart for the WWF Intercontinental Championship at This Tuesday in Texas on December 3, 1991 but lost by submission.[14] At WrestleMania VIII, Skinner was defeated in one minute and eleven seconds by Owen Hart.[15]
While in the WWF, Keirn also portrayed Doink the Clown on occasion. At WrestleMania IX, Keirn helped the original Doink defeat Crush by dressing as Doink and attacking Crush during the match.[1]
[edit] World Championship Wrestling (1994)
Along with Bobby Eaton, Keirn wrestled in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1994 in a tag team known as "Bad Attitude".[13] They enjoyed little success, losing dark matches to Brian and Brad Armstrong at Bash at the Beach 1994 and Fall Brawl 1994.[16][17] While in WCW, Keirn was also involved in an angle in which masked men attacked Hulk Hogan. Several times in October 1994, Keirn wore a black mask to attack Hogan during and after his matches.[18][19]
[edit] Retirement
Since the early 1990s, Keirn has run a wrestling school to train wrestlers. Originally located in Tampa, Florida, Keirn's "School of Hard Knocks" is now located in Brandon, Florida.[20] Keirn has worked with many wrestlers, including Mike Awesome, Dennis Knight, Diamond Dallas Page, Dustin Rhodes and Tracy Smothers.[20]
The school has since been incorporated into the WWE's developmental territory, renamed Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). Keirn also makes regular appearances on the FCW television show where he is referred to general manager of FCW. Keirn oversees as head trainer along with Dr. Tom Prichard and Dusty Rhodes.
[edit] In wrestling
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
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[edit] References
[edit] External links
