Tony Borne | |
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Tony Borne (left) throwing an opponent out of the ring.
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Birth name | Anthony Wayne Osborne |
Born |
Columbus, Ohio, United States |
July 13, 1926
Died | August 27, 2010 Oak Grove, Oregon, United States |
(aged 84)
Children | Matt Osborne |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Tony Borne |
Billed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
Billed weight | 220 lb (100 kg; 16 st) |
Trained by |
Ali Pasha Karl Pojello |
Debut | September 23, 1952 |
Retired | 1981 |
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Osborne (July 13, 1926 – August 27, 2010) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Tough" Tony Borne.
Osborne was an amateur wrestler in both high school and in the United States Navy. Promoter Al Haft first convinced him to try professional wrestling. His initial trainers were Ali Pasha and Karl Pojello. Pojello convinced Osborne to shorten his ring name to Borne.
In the 1950s, he wrestled mostly in Texas and Pacific Northwest territories, becoming a mainstay in the NWA Pacific Northwest under promoter Don Owen. in 1953, he had a stint in Mexico, where he wrestled the Blue Demon.
Throughout his career he wrestled for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Pat O'Connor, Gene Kiniski and Lou Thesz. In the early 1960s in the Omaha territory for promoter Joe Dusek, Osborne had matches with AWA World Heavyweight Champion Verne Gagne. He influenced up-and-coming wrestlers who spent time in the Pacific Northwest such as Roddy Piper, Rick Martel, Buddy Rose, Rip Oliver, Lonnie Mayne and Billy Jack Haynes.
After his son Matt became a professional wrestler, the duo worked occasionally as a tag team.