8. He Was The Undertaker Before The Undertaker Was The Undertaker
I mentioned that Moody was a wrestler before he was a manager. From around 1974, hed worked for what were referred to as outlaw wrestling promotions around the South. These were the days of the National Wrestling Alliance, that federation of wrestling promoters intent on controlling and monopolising all professional wrestling in their various catchment areas, and those small independent organisations that flouted the NWAs iron grip on the industry were pirates, blackballed and ostracised from the mainstream. In those early days, riffing on his real life job, Moody had wrestled under a hood as, variously, Mr. X, the Embalmer, the Mortician and even Dr. Rigor Mortis. Interestingly, hed even carried an urn to the ring with him as a prop and potential international object. That idea would carry on down to the WWFs early interpretations of the Undertaker character after Paul Bearer took over management duties. Its doubtful that Moodys early mordant wrestling gimmickry was anything like as iconic as the one hed come to support, sixteen years later. Again, the irony is wonderful.