Steve Keirn Stephen " Steve " Paul Keirn ( 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 alligator hunter from the Everglades . During his time in WWF , Steve was also one of a number of wrestlers to play the role of the masked Doink the Clown . He is currently signed with WWE , and works as President of NXT Wrestling , WWE ' s developmental territory . 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 twelve times ; once each with Bob Backlund , Jimmy Garvin , and Brian Blair , and nine times with Mike Graham . In addition , the team of Keirn and Graham won the NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship three times . In 1980 and 1981 , Keirn focused on his career as a singles wrestler . He won many titles in Florida and Georgia , including the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title by defeating Chavo Guerrero Sr . . This title reign was recognized by New Japan Pro Wrestling , as well as the Los Angeles and Florida NWA territories , but not by the NWA as a whole , which considered the title vacant and held a tournament to crown a new champion . The title Keirn held was later renamed the NWA International Junior Heavyweight Title . Keirn also won the NWA National Television Championship twice , defeating Terry Funk and Kevin Sullivan . 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 . He also held the NWA Mid - America Heavyweight Championship on two occasions . 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 reigns as one half of the Fabulous Ones with Stan Lane . Keirn and Lane also teamed to win the CWA World Tag Team Championship twice . The Fabulous Ones competed in various promotions over the next decade . In 1984 , the team won the Southwest Championship Wrestling World Tag Team Championship while wrestling in Australia . In the United States , they won the NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship twice . In 1991 , the pair wrestled in the United States Wrestling Association , defeating Tony Anthony and Doug Gilbert to win the USWA Tag Team Championship . World Wrestling Federation ( 1991 – 1993 ) . In the summer of 1991 , Keirn debuted in the WWF as Skinner , an alligator hunter from the Florida Everglades . He was portrayed as a generally nasty individual , always chewing on tobacco and sometimes spitting it on his opponent . He carried an alligator claw to the ring 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 . While still being billed as undefeated , he challenged Hart for the WWF Intercontinental Championship at This Tuesday in Texas on December 3 , 1991 but lost by submission . At WrestleMania VIII , Skinner was defeated in one minute and eleven seconds by Owen Hart . While in the WWF , Keirn also portrayed Doink the Clown on occasion . At WrestleMania IX , Keirn helped the original Doink defeat Crush by attacking Crush dressed as Doink during the match . 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 " . Despite the tag team success both Keirn and Eaton enjoyed in the past ( with The Fabulous Ones and the Midnight Express respectively ) , the team made little impact , losing dark matches to Brian and Brad Armstrong at Bash at the Beach 1994 and Fall Brawl 1994 . 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 Hogan ' s matches . Retirement and FCW / NXT . Since the late 1980s , Keirn has run a school to train wrestlers . Originally located in Tampa , Florida , Keirn ' s " Professional Wrestling School of Hard Knocks " is now located in Brandon , Florida . Keirn helped train many wrestlers , including Mike Awesome , Dennis Knight , Joe " Destiny " Clapp , Diamond Dallas Page , Dustin Rhodes and Tracy Smothers . The school has since been incorporated into the WWE ' s developmental territory , NXT Wrestling ( formerly Florida Championship Wrestling ) . Keirn is President of the NXT school and makes regular appearances on NXT television .