10 Wrestling Moments More Terrifying When You Know The Truth

3. Paul Bearer’s Concrete Crypt Gone Wrong

WWE Elimination Chamber 2010 The Undertaker Fire Pyro
WWE.com

What do you remember about the Great American Bash 2004? Presumably, most remember that the main event pitting The Undertaker vs. The Dudley Boyz was one of the most pathetic WWE PPV headliners ever. Why this went on last and Eddie Guerrero vs. JBL didn't is a mystery. A mystery, bah gawd!

The bout peaked when Paul Bearer, who was locked in a glass case, was consigned to a concrete grave by 'Taker's own hand. Bearer's screaming and close-ups were all pre-taped, but there was a stunt double filling in on the live broadcast. He'd boasted to WWE about how he could hold his breath under water for a long time.

As Bruce Prichard said via his podcast...this wasn't water.

The mock concrete substance WWE used was thicker, so the stuntman found it harder to hold his breath. He pressed a panic button almost immediately, and nearly drowned live on pay-per-view. That's hideous! Nobody backstage could tell whether or not he'd pushed the button by accident.

Did it matter? Panic alarms are there for a reason, guys.

Contributor

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.