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Paul Bearer is one of the most recognized wrestling personalities of the 1990s. Best known as The Undertaker's manager throughout that decade, Paul Bearer's contributions to the wrestling industry gets highly regarded. So much so that WWE wanted to re-sign Paul Bearer in the early 2000s. And even though Paul Bearer at first refused to return to WWE, with the help of "Good ol' JR" Jim Ross, Paul Bearer signed a new WWE deal in late 2003 and returned to the historic Wrestlemania 20 PPV reuniting with The Undertaker.
Paul Bearer's Legendary Career As A Manager
Before managing The Undertaker in WWE, Paul Bearer, also known as William Moody, was already a veteran in the wrestling business. Going back to the 1970s, Paul Bearer even wrestled during his off-duty time when he enlisted in the United States military. However, starting in the late-1970s, Paul Bearer began his stardom career as a manager. Before arriving at WWE, Paul Bearer's best known for his stint in WCCW in the 1980s under the "Percival 'Percy' Pringle III" name. He managed many wrestlers, including The Undertaker, before his "deadman" gimmick in WWE.
Fast-forward to joining the WWE in 1990, Paul Bearer became a signature piece to The Undertaker's character throughout the 1990s, managing him off-and-on for the next decade. Whether being The Undertaker's closet associate or being his worst foe by aligning with Kane and Mankind, Paul Bearer played a role in the overwhelming success of The Undertaker's character.
What's also remarkable about Paul Bearer is his ability to be featured prominently on WWE TV for a decade. Considering Paul Bearer's character is widely beloved by fans, there's a reason why Paul Bearer kept appearing on WWE TV, even long after retiring as a full-time character.
Jim Ross Successfully Entices Paul Bearer On Returning To WWE
In 2000, Paul Bearer shifted away from being an on-screen character to working behind the scenes in many departments. Until his deal with WWE ended in 2002, Paul Bearer worked as a stage manager, road agent, and talent scout for the next two years. But on October 2002, after almost twelve years with the company, Paul Bearer departed from WWE.
However, Paul Bearer's absence didn't last very long, as WWE reached out to him the following year in 2003. The lead announcer of Monday Night Raw at the time, Jim Ross, contacted Paul Bearer for a potential return to the company. At first, when Jim Ross reached out to him for a deal, Paul Bearer declined due to suffering from depression over his weight as he was suffering from health issues at the time. However, credit to Jim Ross, he continued to reach out to Paul Bearer to come back home to WWE.
Jim Ross enticed him with a more appealing deal, as Paul Bearer accepted and re-signed with WWE on October 2003. For those wondering what WWE offered him, as promised by Jim Ross, WWE would be paying for Paul Bearer's gastric bypass surgery as a bonus. And considering that gastric bypass surgeries can be expensive, it was a nice gesture from WWE, as it's understandable why Paul Bearer wanted to re-sign with the company.
Paul Bearer's Short WWE Run In 2004
For the first time in four years, Paul Bearer was to appear on WWE TV as an on-screen character. At Wrestlemania 20, Paul Bearer returned to WWE TV along with The Undertaker in one of the most memorable returns in Wrestlemania history. Paul Bearer resumed his on-screen manager role as The Undertaker himself revived his previous "deadman" gimmick to defeat Kane in a singles match.
Although Paul Bearer's return as The Undertaker's manager was historic, it didn't last very long. In the summer of 2004, Paul Bearer got involved in a storyline where Paul Heyman and The Dudley Boyz held him hostage. Because of this, The Undertaker got forced to do Paul Heyman's dirty work until he defeated The Dudley Boyz in a handicap match at The Great American Bash 2004.
Speaking of The Great American Bash 2004, Paul Bearer's last appearance in his second WWE stint was at that PPV, where he got contained in a glass crypt with Paul Heyman threatening to drown him in cement. And although The Undertaker overcame the odds and prevented Paul Heyman from dumping cement on Paul Bearer, The Undertaker proceeded to do it himself, writing Paul Bearer off TV for good.
Paul Bearer's Name Value Moving Forward
Despite being in a storyline with Paul Hayman and The Dudley Boyz, in reality, Paul Bearer continued to have health problems that led to much of his absence on WWE TV. After getting written off WWE TV following The Great American Bash 2004, Paul Bearer worked as a booker behind the scenes until WWE released him on April 2005. However, only a few months later, Paul Bearer re-signed with the company again on June 2005, as his name value in wrestling was too hard for WWE to pass.