The Stunning Number Of Wrestling Championships Bobby Eaton Won

On August 4, 2021, wrestling legend "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton died at the age of 62, leaving behind a legacy as an all-time great whose career is often overlooked, even by longtime fans. As one of the many men who represented the Midnight Express since the 1980s, Eaton was primarily known for his contributions to tag team wrestling, as well as the long in-ring rivalry between the Midnights and the Rock 'n' Roll Express. However, one reason why he doesn't get as much attention for his accomplishments as he should is the fact that he never competed for the so-called "worldwide leader in sports entertainment," WWE, as noted by TheSportster. He did spend some time with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which was once WWE's main rival, but even with the rise of newer promotions such as AEW, Vince McMahon's company is still considered the be-all and end-all of pro wrestling for many a fan.

Looking back on his career, there's a very strong case for Eaton to eventually become one of the few individuals to enter WWE's Hall of Fame despite being exclusively known for his work outside the promotion. But that's not because of his association with the Midnight Express per se; Eaton also happened to win a surprising number of championships across different companies. We're not saying how many just yet, but it's far more than what many of you may be expecting.

Granted, many of Bobby Eaton's title reigns took place during stints in territorial or independent promotions. But a look at his Cagematch page shows that he won a total of 42 singles and tag team championships in his nearly four-decade-long wrestling career. Although he was arguably best known for his time with the Midnight Express, a closer look reveals that he also won tag titles with other teammates — for example, he won the NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship while partnering with the likes of George Gulas (promoter Nick Gulas' son) and Lanny Poffo ("Macho Man" Randy Savage's brother). 

That all said, Eaton's most notable tag team championship reigns happened when he was with the Midnights; he and Stan Lane won three WCW United States Tag Team titles between 1987 and 1990, and he won two NWA World Tag Team Championships, the first with Dennis Condrey in 1986 and the second with Lane in 1988.

More than just a tag team specialist, Eaton also had some success in singles competition — most of his reigns were very short-lived, but he won a whopping 10 NWA Mid-America Heavyweight titles during his early years in the wrestling business. In 1991, he defeated Four Horsemen member Arn Anderson to take the WCW World Television Championship – arguably his most prominent title win as a singles wrestler. He may have only worn the belt for 15 days before losing it to a young Steve Austin (well before his "Stone Cold" days), but that short reign helped establish him as an integral part of the company's mid-card scene in the early '90s.