Steve Keirn

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Steve Keirn
Statistics
Ring name(s) Steve Keirn
Skinner
Doink the Clown
Gator
Billed height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Billed weight 215 lb (98 kg)
Born September 10, 1951 (1951-09-10) (age 56)
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 a retired professional wrestler. He is best known for being part of the Fabulous Ones tag team 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 masked role of Doink the Clown.[1]

Contents

Career

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]

World Wrestling Federation (1991 - 1993)

In the summer of 1991, Keirn debuted in the WWF as Skinner, a crocodile hunter from the Florida Everglades.[12] 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]

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]

World Wrestling Entertainment (2004 -)

On May 24, 2004 he was hired by World Wrestling Entertainment as a Producer for the SmackDown! Brand. He was also made operator of the newly opened WWE "developmental territory" Florida Championship Wrestling.[20]

As Skinner, he was named the 9th wildest superstar in WWE history by WWE.com.[12]

On the WWE Raw 15th Anniversary Spectacular special on December 10, 2007, Skinner participated in the 15th Anniversary Battle Royal.[21]

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.[22] Keirn has worked with many wrestlers, including Mike Awesome, Dennis Knight, Diamond Dallas Page, Dustin Rhodes and Tracy Smothers.[22]

In wrestling

  • Finishing and signature moves

Championships and accomplishments

  • Century Wrestling Alliance

References

  1. ^ a b Wrestler Profiles: Doink the Clown. Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved on 2001-10-12.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Florida Tag Team Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  3. ^ a b c d N.W.A. United States Tag Team Title (Florida). Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  4. ^ N.W.A. International Junior Heavyweight Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  5. ^ a b N.W.A. World Junior Heavyweight Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  6. ^ a b N.W.A. National Television Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  7. ^ a b N.W.A./A.W.A. Southern Heavyweight Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  8. ^ a b N.W.A. Mid-America Heavyweight Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  9. ^ a b CWA Tag Team Title. Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  10. ^ a b S.C.W. World Tag Team Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  11. ^ a b U.S.W.A. World Tag Team Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  12. ^ a b Wildest Stars #9: Gator Hater. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  13. ^ a b Wrestler Profiles: Steve Keirn. Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  14. ^ Other WWE Supercards. Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  15. ^ WrestleMania VIII. Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  16. ^ Bash at the Beach 1994. Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  17. ^ Fall Brawl 1994. Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  18. ^ WCW 1994. The History of WWE. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
  19. ^ Masked Wrestlers. Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
  20. ^ Fox, Geoff. "Area Wrestling Will Continue Under A New State Banner", The Tampa Tribune, 2007-09-08. Retrieved on 2007-09-09. 
  21. ^ Match Results: December 10, 2007. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  22. ^ a b Wrestling books, schools. Miami Herald. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  23. ^ N.W.A. Cold Front Television Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  24. ^ N.W.A. Florida Brass Knuckles Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  25. ^ Florida Heavyweight Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  26. ^ N.W.A. Southern Heavyweight Title (Florida). Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  27. ^ N.W.A. Florida Television Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  28. ^ N.W.A. North American Tag Team Title (Florida). Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  29. ^ N.W.A. Georgia Heavyweight Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  30. ^ N.W.A. Georgia Tag Team Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  31. ^ NWA International Junior Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
  32. ^ a b c N.W.A. (Mid-America)/A.W.A. Southern Tag Team Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  33. ^ Championship Wrestling Association International Tag Team Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.

External links

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