WhatCulture! and the wrestling community is saddened to hear today of the passing of one of the greatest mangers of all time, William Moody, aka Paul Bearer. Although no news had broken of Moody suffering from ill health it has been well documented that he has had ongoing issues relating to his weight especially since the death of his wife. Moody had been the long time manager of The Undertaker after joining forces with the Dead Man in 1991. The two men were a permanent fixture for years, two of the most iconic presences on our screens in the early-mid 90s, until Bearer turned on 'Taker during his feud with Mankind. He would later emerge as the father of Kane and feud with his former protege for a number of years. In recent years Bearer has appeared as both a heel and babyface with both Brother's of Destruction, including a memorable feud with Edge. The WWE broke the news over at their official website and issued the following statement:
"WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of William Moody, a/k/a Paul Bearer. Moody made his WWE debut in 1991 as the manager of The Undertaker and went on to become a memorable part of WWE over the course of the next 20 years. Our deepest condolences go out to Moodys family, friends, and fans."
The death of the former Paul Bearer - who also wrestled as Percy Pringle III - coincides with the return of The Undertaker at this week's Old School RAW. He was the most logical choice to induct The Undertaker into the Hall of Fame when WWE finally makes that move and will be sorely missed as a wrestling personality.