10 Times WWE Were Shamelessly Exploitative
3. Paul Bearer's Death
In April 2013, to build up their blowoff match at the upcoming WrestleMania XXIX, CM Punk decanted the entire contents of The Undertaker's urn all over his opponent, before lathering himself in ash. Implicitly, they were the remains of 'Takers deceased manager, Paul Bearer.
Fans had seen the Bearer character die on screen - more than once - but this had nothing to do with that. William Moody - the man behind the Bearer persona - had actually died just a month earlier.
Paul Heyman, made up in ghoulish pancake to resemble Bearer, looked on as Punk supposedly soaked himself in Bearer's residuum. Even though Moody himself, as committed to the industry as anyone, probably would have approved of the angle, it felt more like cheap exploitation than a tribute.
After the stunt, Moody's family, whilst confirming they had signed off on WWE's intentions, were disappointed with how things had transpired on screen. It was an uncomfortable watch for Moody's sons, and just as uncomfortable for fans, as the angle itself became the talking point, rather than the upcoming match.