Why Bobby Eaton Is One Of The Most Beloved Wrestlers Ever

Pro wrestling is full of polarizing figures. Fan reactions are one thing, but, there are wrestlers who seem to have made enemies out of so many of their peers, like Ryback and Ahmed Johnson, as well as wrestlers who seem to have gotten along with everyone like Big E and Cesaro. There are those wrestlers who are universally respected like Harley Race. Few wrestlers have generated as much love from their colleagues as Bobby Eaton. For all of his talents and personality, it seems no one has a bad thing to say about him, and long-time fans—particularly those who followed WCW and the brands to precede it—tend to have fond memories of him, despite him never being a main event guy. But why was Eaton so widely appreciated?

Bobby Eaton Was A Great Tag Team Wrestler

There’s a very real case to be made that Bobby Eaton was the greatest tag team wrestler to never sign with WWE. The man was technically savvy, could fly, could brawl, and perhaps most importantly of all understood the psychology of tag team wrestling. His most famous run was as half of The Midnight Express.

Particularly for The Midnight Express’s rivalry with The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, Eaton was a master at playing his role. He was a unique combination of a punishing heel and one who could electrify the crowd with a well-timed, perfectly executed high spot. Moreover, he knew how to cut off the ring and create scenarios in which a referee wouldn’t make a tag during heat segments. On top of that, he could bump and feed with the best of them after a hot tag, making not only his own team, but all the more so his opponents look like a million bucks.

Bobby Eaton Was Adaptable

While Bobby Eaton had his greatest successes teamed with Dennis Condrey or Stan Lane under the banner of The Midnight Express, he worked with and won tag team gold alongside a cavalcade of other performers across well over three decades active in the ring. More than simply working with different guys, though, Eaton distinguished himself for his ability to adapt his wrestling persona.

Related: 10 Wrestlers Who Reinvented Themselves In WCWComing out of The Midnight Express, Eaton gently reinvented himself to be a key veteran presence in Paul Heyman’s Dangerous Alliance faction that ran roughshod over WCW for much of 1992. From there, in an even more dramatic reinvention, he transformed into Earl Robert Eaton. Over the course of a series of entertaining vignettes, William Regal coached him into being a proper gentleman for the two to form a new, outstanding tag team (which also included Dave Taylor in time). Eaton’s ability and willingness to change up his whole identity made him easy to work with and wildly entertaining in different contexts.

Bobby Eaton’s Alabama Jam Was Ahead Of Its Time

Bobby Eaton hardly looked the part of a high-flyer, with an old school, not particularly defined physique. However, his signature finishing move, The Alabama Jam, was a thing of beauty.

The Alabama Jam saw Eaton leap off the top rope only to deliver a perfect leg drop to a prone opponent in the middle of the ring. The move was a crowd pleaser, but on top of that, he executed it safely, always protecting the wrestlers he worked with. This ahead of its time offensive style and high degree of skill and care it entailed only further bolstered respect for Eaton’s ability, not to mention who he was as a person.

Bobby Eaton Was a Genuinely Nice Guy

Plenty of wrestlers are respected, but few generate a genuine sense of affection from their colleagues. Bobby Eaton was one such wrestler. As Steve Austin recalled in his book, a veteran Eaton went so far as to bring an extra suitcase on the road with him, full of toiletries, so he could help out any of his colleagues who might have forgotten something important.

The point was reinforced in an insight shared in Mick Foley’s first book, where he similarly lauded Eaton’s generosity. The Hardcore Legend cited that Eaton regularly picked up the tab when he went out with the boys (adding a self-deprecating line about how this tendency fit Foley well, because he was a cheapskate).

For his talent, adaptability, innovation, and true kindness toward his colleagues, Bobby Eaton earned one of the most spotless reputations in pro wrestling. He was a class act, and the consensus is he’s long overdue for a WWE Hall of Fame induction.