2014 Hall of Fame: The late great Paul Bearer

On March 5 2013, the wrestling industry lost one of its finest managers and personalities in William Moody, known to fans of World Wrestling Entertainment as the great Paul Bearer. Last week on Raw, Paul Bearer rightly and deservedly honored with a place into the WWE Hall of Fame.

One of the most celebrated managers in sports-entertainment history, he began his career as Percy Pringle III. An obnoxious heel, he appeared for a number of old territories, the most notable being Florida Championship Wrestling and World Class Championship Wrestling.

As a manager in the territorial days, he had the opportunity to manage a number of up-and-coming stars who would go on to achieve great success in the pro wrestling industry. Among those men were “Ravishing” Rick Rude, Lex Luger and future World Wrestling Federation champion The Ultimate Warrior.

Not to mention a little-known Steve Austin.

As successful as he proved to be during his tenure with the above mentioned promotions, Moody would find his greatest success by returning to his roots as a mortician and creating a lasting character that will live forever in the annals of professional wrestling.

In February of 1991, Paul Bearer made his debut on World Wrestling Federation television and forever changed the course of his career. Assuming the role of manager for The Undertaker, a fresh new character that had been turning heads with his undying commitment to character and his impressive athleticism, Bearer was the missing piece for the gimmick.

With his wailing voice and pale complexion, Bearer was as unique a character as there was in the company. They were a perfect match at a perfect time for Vince McMahon‘s wrestling company.

From 1990 until 1996, Bearer was the controller of the urn. He was the one man that could keep the Phenom in check and he was outstanding at his job. In August of ’96, however, it felt as if the pairing had run its course and Bearer was paired with Undertaker’s nemesis, Mankind.

With Mankind, and soon after Vader, Bearer continued to be one of the premiere managers in the industry. He led his team of monstrous Superstars into battle at WrestleMania 13 as they unsuccessfully challenged tag team champions Owen Hart and the British Bulldog.

In the summer of 1997, Bearer shocked the world by announcing that Undertaker’s brother, Kane, was still alive and soon, he would arrive to the Federation to pay back the Phenom for the years of suffering he endured.

At Bad Blood in October of that year, Bearer led Kane to the ring in the middle of Undertaker’s Hell in a Cell match against Shawn Michaels. Bearer would watch as Kane delivered a Tombstone Piledriver to his brother.

It was revealed on Monday Night Raw in April of 1998 that not only had Bearer discovered that Kane was alive and brought him to the World Wrestling Federation, he also was the Big Red Monster’s father. It was a soap opera twist that the WWF and creative head Vince Russo became infamous for. Bearer would remain a central figure of the Undertaker-Kane rivalry through 1999.

He would return in 2000 as Kane’s manager but would leave shortly thereafter. He would not be seen on programming for four years. The legendary manager would make one final, full-time run with WWE when he returned at WrestleMania 20, managing Undertaker for his match against Kane. With a single “Oh yes,” the fans inside Madison Square Garden erupted for the return of an old favorite.

Bearer would accompany the Dead Man to the squared circle for the next four months. Then, at Great American Bash in July of 2004, The Undertaker would bury his long time friend and manager in a concrete crypt. The manager would return one last time for a short period in 2010, managing Undertaker at first, before turning on him and siding with Kane.

Late in that year, he would be abducted by Edge and stored in a walk-in freezer, never to be seen again.

The passing of William Moody brought an end to the Paul Bearer character. For six years during his initial pairing with Undertaker, Bearer proved to be as important to the success of the character as Mark Calaway was.

He brought a uniqueness to both his and the character of The Undertaker that helped them stand out, thrive and survive during a period in which gimmicks were running wild and rapidly failing.

More importantly, every Superstar ever paired with Bearer in his WWE days was instantly recognized as a top star in the industry. Undertaker, Mankind, Vader and Kane all made main event runs and were involved in championship matches under Bearer.

Without the introduction of Bearer to the Undertaker character, who knows if he would be the iconic figure he is today. Bearer was one of the most impressive managers to have stepped into the WWE.