10. Paul Bearer Aligns With Mankind Against The Undertaker
The then-WWF used a bit of revisionist history to sell the impact of Paul Bearer's turn on The Undertaker in the Summer of 1996. It was said that Bearer had been there since the beginning for 'The Deadman', but that wasn't strictly true. Indeed, Brother Love had been the character's first manager in the federation, not Bearer. Still, it was a huge moment. During a 'Boiler Room Brawl' opposite Mankind at SummerSlam, Undertaker called upon Bearer to aid him with the mysterious power of the urn. The portly valet promptly refused, allowing Mankind to win the match. In the middle of all the furor, Bearer slapped and kicked his former client, point blank turning his back on the man and aligning himself with a new charge. It's likely that Undertaker enjoyed working with Mick Foley, because Mankind enabled him to have an exciting match without the limitations of carrying someone. People enjoyed the brawl, but that wasn't the real story. In fact, Mankind's win was lost in the melee of Bearer's defection. It felt like a new dawn for The Undertaker, who had been with Bearer since February, 1991.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
