The most famous wrestling talent we lost this year was undoubtedly Paul Bearer, the legendary manager of The Undertaker. Played by William Moody, Bearer was one of the most distinctive WWF characters of all time, and he is arguably the greatest wrestling manager ever. Although it was the Bearer role that made Moody famous, he enjoyed a long history of successes in the wrestling industry, working his way through various territories and wrestling companies before the WWF, and was also used in a booker capacity within the WWE. Moody had a great mind for the business, and was hugely respected by his peers who often sought his wisdom. He was a very popular man backstage. Moody died in March aged 58 due to respiratory issues. Being part of the Wrestlemania season, the real life death ended up becoming a part of WWE storylines, including the questionable moment when CM Punk poured "Bearer's ashes" over The Undertaker. Moody's sons expressed displeasure at this extreme, despite having earlier approved WWE to write Bearer into the story. Despite that unfortunate incident, Undertaker would end up beating Punk at Wrestlemania, in a match dedicated to Moody. He was a true legend and will never be forgotten in the storied history of the WWE.
