Bobby Eaton

Bobby Eaton (born Robert Lee Eaton), was a professional wrestler famous for his days as one half of the Midnight Express.

Profile

• Height: 6'0"
• Weight: 235 lbs.
• Birthday: August 14, 1958
• Hometown: Huntsville, Alabama
• Trainer: Tojo Yamamoto
• Other Gimmicks: Earl Robert Eaton, Beautiful Bobby
• Managers: Jim Cornette, Baby Doll, Paul E. Dangerously, Michael Hayes, Jimmy Hart, Theodore Long, Jeeves, Tojo Yamamoto
• Finisher: Flying Leg Drop "Alabama Jam"

Career

Bobby Eaton started wrestling in 1976 in the Memphis, Tennessee territories. He formed a regular team with George Gulas as "The Jet Set" that had success in the area. He feuded with Chris Colt, Tojo Yamamoto and Gypsy Joe.

In 1984, while working for Mid-South Wrestling, he formed The Midnight Express with Dennis Condrey. He became Beautiful Bobby to Condrey's Loverboy Dennis. They were joined by Manager Jim Cornette and started a feud with who would become their arch-rivals, The Rock 'N Roll Express of Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson.

They took their feud to the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions in 1985 and won the NWA World Tag Team Titles in 1986. They lost the belts back to Morton and Gibson later that year. In 1987, "Sweet" Stan Lane replaced Condrey and the duo won the United States Tag Team Titles twice, continuing to feud with Morton and Gibson and picking up on another old feud from WCCW in 1985, The Fantastics, Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers.

In 1988, Eaton and Lane won the NWA World Tag Team Titles from Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard, who were going to the WWF. They held them for two months before being destroyed by The Road Warriors.

After this, they had a feud with "The Original Midnight Express", Dennis Condrey and Randy Rose, (managed by Paul E. Dangerously), over who the real "Midnight Express" was.

In 1990, they feuded with the team of Brian Pillman and Tom Zenk over the U.S. Tag Team Titles and eventually lost them to Rick and Scott Steiner. Lane and Cornette left when Jim Crockett Promotions became WCW in 1991, and Eaton went on to feud with Arn Anderson and Ric Flair and win the Television Title. He lost the title to "Stunning" Steve Austin with whom he briefly feuded.

Over the summer, he feuded with Alexandra York's "York Foundation" when he refused to join.

In late 1991, Eaton joined Paul E. Dangerously's Dangerous Alliance with Anderson, Rick Rude, Larry Zbysko and Austin. He teamed with Anderson to win the Tag Team Titles and had some awesome matches with Dustin Rhodes and Ricky Steamboat over the titles.

When the Dangerous Alliance disbanded in 1992, Eaton started feuding with Anderson and then he teamed with Steve Keirn as "Bad Attitude". This team went nowhere and he teamed briefly with Chris Benoit.

Eaton left WCW for Smoky Mountain Wrestling in 1993 and won the Television title. He made an appearance for ECW at the "When Worlds Collide" show on May 14, 1994, where he teamed with Sabu to lose to Arn Anderson and Terry Funk.

Eaton returned to WCW and was taken in by Lord Steven Regal who tried to culture him and renamed him Earl Robert Eaton. They formed the Blue Bloods and were later joined by David Taylor. They feuded with Fit Finlay, "The Nasty Boys" and Dick Slater and Bunkhouse Buck.

Eaton limited his wrestling around 1998 and worked backstage as a trainer for WCW and then for the WWF.

In 2003, he started working for NWA-Mid-Atlantic as the Midnight Express with Ricky Nelson.

In 2004, he started a tour with Dennis Condrey as the Midnight Express and they are still wrestling today.

Trivia

• Eaton is married to Bill Dundee's daughter.

Championships/Accomplishments

World Championship Wrestling

• 1-Time WCW World Tag Team Champion (with Arn Anderson)
• 1-Time WCW World Television Champion

National Wrestling Alliance

• 2-Time NWA World Tag Team Champion (with Dennis Condrey and Stan Lane)
• 3-Time NWA United States Tag Team Champions (with Stan Lane)
• 1-Time NWA Television Champion
• 1-Time NWA-Mid Atlantic Tag Team Champion (with Ricky Nelson)
• 4-Time NWA Six-Man Tag Team Champion (with George Gulas, Jerry Barber, Arvil Hutto, Mexican Angel, Tojo Yamamoto and Mystery Man)

World Class Championship Wrestling

• 1-Time WCCW American Tag Team Champion (with Dennis Condrey)

Mid-South Wrestling

• 2-Time Mid-South Tag Team Champion (with Dennis Condrey)

Tennessee Area Titles

• 1-Time SMW Television Champion
• 1-Time CWA Heavyweight Champion
• 9-Time Mid-American Heavyweight Champion
• 6-Time Mid-American Tag Team Champion (with Lanny Poffo once, Great Togo once, Mexican Angel once, George Gulas 3 times)
• 4-Time Mid-Southern Tag Team Champion (with Koko Ware twice and Duke Myers twice)

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him # 91 of the best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003. PWI also ranked him three times in the best tag teams of the "PWI Years". He was ranked # 21 with Dennis Condrey, # 32 with Stan Lane and # 72 with Arn Anderson.
• Eaton also won PWI Tag Team of the Year in 1987 with Stan Lane.