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It was Tuesday night at approximately 9ish when I heard about a rumor.
While listening to Kayfabe Wrestling Radio (which just so happened to feature my friends over at VIPRude) , there lied a Facebook post saying Paul Bearer died at approximately 5:00 PM EST.
I suddenly felt ‘Moody’.
It’s odd that I feel so strongly about Bearer considering I wasn’t a fan of professional wrestling in my formative years. Bearer didn’t become a fixture on my television screen until the year 2004, and even then I knew he was there for practically a nostalgia pop.
What William Moody brought to the proverbial table though was something unique and special, which was to compliment a character equally as unique and special.
A licensed mortician (and he has even kept up on his licenses until death), Moody made strong enough impressions on promoters that he became a manager full-time.
To think that before he became a staple of the WWE, Percival Pringle the Third (III) was quite the decorated mouthpiece. Through the territories and towns, his clientele of wrestlers included Rick Rude, Lex Luger, Blackjack Mulligan, Dingo Warrior (who then became to be ultimately known as the ULTIMATE WARRIOR), amongst a who’s who of legendary greats.
Then Vince and the WWE came a-calling.
It was what you would call the ultimate Christmas present. A few days shy of Christmas 1990, Moody was invited by Vince McMahon to talk business.
Business that would be historic.
Little did William know his background in funeral getups set him up for a lifelong gimmick as a creepy mortician.
Paul Bearer was set up with newly-arrived Undertaker (Mark Calaway). While heels were hated before, these two took it to a whole new level. At live events, it was not uncommon to see kids turn away from the sight of these hideous characters. These same kids were also frightened by the very notion of their heroes about to get their asses kicked by death himself. It was a great paradox for both men, as the gimmick for Mark became more over than rover, and Moody was also just as synonymous with the sidekick.
Even in this wacky world of WWE, these two have a bond that would ultimately stand the test of time. Between betrayals, shocking unveilings, and reconciliations, Undertaker had his guidance peering ever so closely with an urn to possess it all.
While Paul Bearer’s most famous client was The Undertaker, he had several other men underneath his guidance. First we have Mankind (Mick Foley), whom Paul Bearer sided with when he heinously turned his back on Undertaker at SummerSlam 1996. Then there was Vader who started to have a beef with ‘Taker in early 1997.
Then there was Kane, Undertaker’s younger brother. A gimmick that could have been easily WrestleCrap, Glen Jacobs evolved under both Moody and Calaway. Both men rubbed off on his impressionable young man (who was born on a naval base in Spain), and it paid dividends big time.
Bearer has been subject to caricature in recent times from his facial movements to endlessly being tortured. His penultimate WWE appearance saw in being pushed off a makeshift scaffold, in a wheelchair no less, through tables a good 30-40 feet below. He also had the unfortunate final send-off in WWE as being locked in a meat freezer with Kane pretty much laughing it off. Don’t feel too bad though, as Bearer did manage Kane through his lengthy 2010 World Heavyweight Championship reign.
From most accounts, Mr. Moody has been described as practically one of the greatest men in wrestling. He has a charming attitude, a great sense of humor, and more yet, is a man you would definitely want to have a beer with. While sadly I never got to meet Mr. Pringle, I will say that with how he has been described, I feel like I have met him and he became one of my best friends.
One way that Bearer helped me while being a fan was that his character was so exaggerated that I found the finer points of how to imitate a character. His voice has been recreated by quite a few fans over the years, and even by Dolph Ziggler in the WWE tribute.
As a matter of fact, I invite you to watch Episode 46 of Mark’d Up. Yours truly actually did a Paul Bearer impression that culminated in a reading of Percy’s Prayer. While I don’t know how I stacked up compared to other impressions, I can tell you I gave it all I had with some quivering in my voice.
I can’t help but imagine what Bearer’s character would have been if he was one dimensional. Keep in mind folks, he’s had multiple shades of hair, multiple voice octaves, and multiple attires. One day he’s a ghoulish white-faced manager, and the next he looks like a fat man from the street. All the while still scary as hell with the intent of mind games always brewing.
Before I wrap this up, I do need to tell a Paul Bearer story.
So it’s WrestleMania XX. Madison Square Garden. The Undertaker is coming back with all signs pointing to the arrival of the Dead Man.
Long before Bad Booking knew about dirt sheets, I had to go by what I knew. I heard about the exploits of Bearer, but never saw the man straight up live. Or in this case at home on the couch.
I made a joking aside with one of my brother’s friends. We both had a PB impression going on during Kane’s entrance, but when that creepy little man bellowed out his signature phrase, marking out was not the accurate term for how pumped up the room was. The man with the urniverse in his hands had returned, and so hath the Dead Man Undertaker.
I hope you enjoyed reading this ‘emergency’ edition of the blog. It’s eerie how one man can make such a large impact while for the most part only coming in for a classic run. William A. Moody represents what is great about professional wrestling, and the class he carries himself with.
He can surely…. Rest…. in…..Peace….
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