Bobby's health had been waning for over a decade so it doesn't come as a huge shock but it's still sad to see one of the most celebrated wrestlers pass before their time.

By the time I got into Pro Wrestling, Eaton was at the tail end of his career. My first exposure to him was through DDT Digest who conducted an interview with him that's still on the front page to that day. He was doing body motion capture for Electronic Arts and the upcoming WCW Mayhem game which was one of my most anticipated games. I don't think I saw him wrestle until some of the DVD comps came out and I caught the odd Midnight Express matches which held up tremendously. I've never been a huge fan of 'southern rasslin' but the guys worked at such a pace and found that balance between being heels but also being entertaining.

I'd say the period I'm most familiar with was his run in WCW 1996 where he was Earl Robert Eaton of the Blue Bloods which I can only imagine was Steven Regal's pitch to team with Bobby. From there he was one of the better utility guys they'd have and he'd work some nice competitive television matches where he'd invariably make his opponent look good.

Otherwise, it's actually through shoot interviews I'm most familiar with him and to a man I've never heard anyone say anything bad about him. It was usually the complete opposite and how unselfish he was as a performer and despite being this great performer, he'd put it to the side to let his opponent shine. I never heard anything about him trying to affect somebody's livelihood in the industry or any mean spirited rib, just a consumate professional through and through.

Absolute legend. Everyone acknowledges Eaton as one of the greats and yet he still seems underrated. Numerous wrestlers of that era have said that Bobby Eaton was routinely the best worker on the card, and this was while sharing cards with Flair, at Flair's peak. I suppose because we don't often associate one-half of a tag team in the same way we do with singles wrestlers, Eaton getting acknowledged like this really made me think of things in a different way, and truly appreciate how great he was, especially during his time. And he holds up spectacularly to this day. R.I.P. to one of the greatest to ever do it, Beautiful Motherfucking Bobby.

I blame this on mikec equating Eaton to the fucking Sultan.

I read this and out loud said, "Oh no."

The Midnight Express were one of the best tag teams ever and what a run both incarnations of the team had in the 80s. He also was a great singles wrestler, having his run in WCW until it closed down, where the story goes Goldberg wanted to lose to him. Nobody could do a top rope knee drop more crisp and smooth than Bobby.

RIP

Damn I can’t put to words right now…

R.I.P. Bobby Eaton.

One of the best workers in the 80s/90s. Going to be interesting to hear Jim Cornette's podcast over the next day or two.

One of the best ever in ring, he was the common denominator in both legendary incarnations of The Midnight Express. His Alabama Jam finisher was pure poetry in motion and he possessed one of the best working punches in the game. He made everything he was a part of better whether it be the Dangerous Alliance or the Blue Bloods, he excelled at any role you put him in. I was stunned at first but then remembered Corny mentioning he had been in poor health recently.

RIP

Aug 5, 2021 10:38:02 GMT 🤯 said:

I blame this on mikec equating Eaton to the fucking Sultan.

Same. I just read the title and was like fuckin mikec.

Way to go mikec.

Sadly, another great passes on. The Midnight Express vs. Rock N Roll Express was always one of my favorite feuds in wrestling, and even when Bobby stayed behind in WCW (after Cornette and Lane left), he was still a solid wrestler, and a great fit in the WCW version of the Dangerous Alliance.

RIP Bobby, and thanks for the memories.

Damn. This sucks.

It's no secret I'm a huge Bobby Eaton fan. Nor is it any great secret the Midnight Express are my all time favorite tag team. Had Beautiful Bobby at *checks notes* my 22nd favorite wrestler of all time when we did that countdown a while back. Loved the MX in real time. Loved them even in more when I went tape rental crazy in the mid 90s. To me, the Eaton/Lane Midnight Express are tag team wrestling personified.

Two things inevitably come up anytime you hear somebody discuss Bobby Eaton- how good he was in the ring and what he a nice guy he was. Eaton is one of the few individuals in the cutthroat, ego-driven business of professional wrestling who I never heard a bad word about.

He was one of the 5-10 best in the business for at least half a dozen years during the Midnight Express' heyday. Dude was smooth as silk in the ring. One of the best flyers of his era and few have ever thrown a better punch. He bumped and sold like a champ while also being an innovator. He's on my Mt. Rushmore of tag team wrestlers as well. His later career saw him put in good work as a member of the Dangerous Alliance and teaming with Regal in the Bluebloods. 

One of my favorite live show moments is getting to see Beautiful Bobby and the rest of his old crew at ROH Midnight Express Reunion in 2004. 

I've told the story before of how it upset me to see the great Bobby Eaton reduced to a glorified jobber role in the mid-late 90s because I was worried the younger generation would view this all time great as just another jabroni. Judging by the outpouring of support I've seen today it would appear my fears were unfounded.

RIP Beautiful Bobby

Watching Baker Beautiful Bobby avatar gif over and over again. Just the details, the way he glides almost in slow motion, then seems to accelerate at the very end by snapping the leg drop. The slight lean to the side, mullet flying behind him like a pilot's scarf, Beautiful Bobby living up to the name.

Bobby Eaton such a great worker the Midnight Express one of the best tag team of all time, and they should be in the Hall Of Fame long time ago.

Love his early single run for the TV title his matches with Z-Man, Terry Taylor, and Arn Anderson were pretty damn good, and his tag run with Arn Anderson, William Regal, and Dave Taylor was good too underappreciate.

Aug 5, 2021 10:38:02 GMT 🤯 said:

I blame this on mikec equating Eaton to the fucking Sultan.

I regret nothing, but this was weird timing!

RIP Bobby. I hope you took that mullet to the grave.

Aug 6, 2021 16:09:38 GMT mikec said:

Aug 5, 2021 10:38:02 GMT 🤯 said:

I blame this on mikec equating Eaton to the fucking Sultan.

I regret nothing, but this was weird timing!

RIP Bobby. I hope you took that mullet to the grave.

Business on the surface, party six feet under.

Wait, the Midnights aren't in the hall of fame?

Aug 6, 2021 23:04:37 GMT Kilgore said:

Wait, the Midnights aren't in the hall of fame?

Nope and I don’t think Jim Cornett is in the HOF either 

It's a pretty good gif, best we've seen in a while if we're keeping it 100% funky.

Aug 6, 2021 23:10:02 GMT pduh said:

Aug 6, 2021 23:04:37 GMT Kilgore said:

Wait, the Midnights aren't in the hall of fame?

Nope and I don’t think Jim Cornett is in the HOF either 

Gotta be because the WWE hates Corny and he would get in with them, right? There could be no other reason for the Midnights to not be in a wrestling hall of fame. Absolutely ridiculous. 

Aug 7, 2021 0:08:38 GMT Kilgore said:

Aug 6, 2021 23:10:02 GMT pduh said:

Nope and I don’t think Jim Cornett is in the HOF either 

Gotta be because the WWE hates Corny and he would get in with them, right? There could be no other reason for the Midnights to not be in a wrestling hall of fame. Absolutely ridiculous. 

Corny was brought into induct the Rock N Roll Express and filmed a few Network specials for them so he's not exactly persona non grata.

Aug 5, 2021 16:14:42 GMT Da Gr8t I Is said:

R.I.P. Bobby Eaton.

One of the best workers in the 80s/90s. Going to be interesting to hear Jim Cornette's podcast over the next day or two.

I haven’t gone through the thing and you can tell Jim is taking this really hard. The man was balling.

Aug 9, 2021 14:29:33 GMT Big Pete said:

Aug 7, 2021 0:08:38 GMT Kilgore said:

Gotta be because the WWE hates Corny and he would get in with them, right? There could be no other reason for the Midnights to not be in a wrestling hall of fame. Absolutely ridiculous. 

Corny was brought into induct the Rock N Roll Express and filmed a few Network specials for them so he's not exactly persona non grata.

If the Rock N Roll express are in then the Midnight Express should have been in long before them.  They were easily the better team, especially the Eaton/Lane version.