So here we are in a break from #MidCardMonday I have decided to do a #ManagerMonday this week. I have my opinion chosen one of the top managers for the WWE and go for William Alvin Moody better known as Paul Bearer and to others as Percival Pringle III Moody was born in Mobile, Alabama on April 10, 1954. He attended San Antonio College and The University of South Alabama. He would enter wrestling on the ground floor during his teenage years as a ringside photographer and after high school he enlisted in the US Air Force serving for 4 years. During this time he would wrestle in his off hours mainly for Indian Coast Independent Promotions. In 1979 he would go on to manage as Percival Percy Pringle III, in south eastern independent promotions. There had been previous wrestler under the Pringle name who were not Moody. After the birth of his first son, Moody went to college and cut back his involvement in wrestling to gain his degree in mortuary science and earn certification as an embalmer and qualified mortician. In 1984 he returned to wrestling full time still as Percy Pringle in Florida Championship Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas, and the United States Wrestling Association (a successor to WCCW). During this time he would manage some of the top future stars of the WWF/E that included Rick Rude, Stunning Steve Austin (Stone Cold Steve Austin), and Mark Calaway (The Undertaker) in their early careers.He woudl also be associated with the careers of Lex Luger, Eric Embry, and The Ultimate Warrior. In 1990 on the recommendation of Rick Rude, Moodys name would be passed to Vince McMahon. Vince would use Moodys real life experience of funerals homes to create the character of the infamous Paul Bearer a ghostly manager who was almost always seen carrying an urn his catchphrase was Ohhh yyyes! The urn would end up being involved in some story lines involving it being stolen. The name of Paul Bearer was used a play on words for the term pall-bearer. Through the decaded that followed Moody would go on to manage some of the top names in the business which included The Undertaker, Kane and Mankind amongst others. Moody was the catalyst behind some of the great storylines of the 90s which included the introduction of Kane and the formation of the Ministry of Darkness. Not forgetting the talk show segment The Funeral Parlor, which included memorable moment where the Ultimate Warrior was locked inside a casket. After Wrestlemania 2000 Moody took time off screen and then returned working backstage as WWF road agent, stage manager, and talent scout. His contract with WWE ended in October 2002. Bearer then went and worked for TNA for a year as Percy Pringle III. October 2003 he signed a three year deal with WWE after intially turning it down after contact from Jim Ross. JR called again and Moody admitted that he was suffering health problems and with depression related to his obesity. In Novemeber of 03 he went under the surgeons knife for gastric bypass surgery and as a signing bonus as part of a deal made with Jim Ross, WWE agreed to pay for the surgery. After recovering from surgery Paul made and appearance alongside The Undertaker at Wrestlemania XX and also did TV spots as Takers manager in his feud with Kane. Shortly afterward Wrestlemania Bearer had to take time off screen due to Gallstones a common side effect of the surgery he had the previous year. After complaints due to the incident during the Great American Bash involving bearer being encased in concrete and with its leaking online of the stunt only half complete Moody worked as a booker for 2 years until WWE terminated his contract in 2005. After this Bearer would then return to the independent circuit and after signing a new contract with WWE for sporadic appearances and for the use of his likeness in video games and other media. On March 2, 2013, he attended the annual Gulf Coast Wrestlers Reunion in Mobile, AL. According to club board member Cowboy Bob Kelly, Moody was having breathing difficulties at the event, was coughing, and told friends he was going to seek treatment for respiratory problems. Kelly said that Moody was treated for a blood clot after the reunion. On March 5, 2013, Moody died in Mobile, Alabama at the age of 58 due to a heart attack. On the March 11 Edition of WWE Raw, a promo and ten bell salute was made as a tribute to Moody. So thats a brief history of who I think is one of the greatest managers of the attitude era. Inducted into the Hall of Fame earlier this year. Moody was brilliant and I think in a large part really sold the characters of Kane and The Undertaker. GothicLamas As always here is a video of William Moody at his best with The Undertaker. https://youtube/watch?v=lBr_Kz2MCrk
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 21:00:00 +0000
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