Paul Bearer/Percy Pringle is dead

[HarmonicGenerator]

His monthly column for - I think - RAW Magazine back in the day was always really good too. I didn't imagine that, did I?

[Egg Shen]

RIP Percy, sad news

[deathrey]

As with many of you, Paul Bearer was on of my favourites as a kid, really sad news.

[ShortOrderCook]

Paul Bearer was brilliant. Really saddened to hear this news. While everyone goes on about Hogan's turn at Bash at the Beach, his turn on Undertaker that summer was just about as shocking, as a kid. This shows how much affection there was for this character and his double act with the Undertaker. I also loved some of his 1997-1999 heel stuff without the make-up. He was able to evolve this over the top character from the cartoon era into a pretty realistic adaptation for the 'Attitude' years. Not to mention his facial expressions, which were just tremendous.

 

 

Yeah, this. I've long thought he was just phenomenal in that 97-98 heel run. Sad news, a great talent that added a lot the wrestling world.

[NEWM]

"I'm Paul Bearer...AND YOU'RE NOT!" after he turned heel on The Undertaker was fucking brilliant. Brilliant. I was never an Undertaker fan as a kid but that heel turn was still brilliant. They'd obviously made more of an impact on me with the characters than I thought.

 

RIP

[mim731]

Very sad news indeed. RIP

[Callum1993]

Sad news. Way too young. R.IP.

[The Four Horsemen]

Horrible new to wake upto indeed.

 

I've always thought there was a fantastic four of managers (Paul Bearer, Jim Cornette, Bobby Heenan and JJ Dillon) sadly one has been taken away from us, the fans but his body of work will continue to live on.

 

R.I.P Paul/Percy.

[Murtz]

Gutted with this news. It was only a year ago where I met him at WM28 Axxess. I asked him if I could shine my phone flash light in his face whilst we got our picture taken, he politely told me to fuck off.

 

Not many could do facial expressions as good as him, and the work he did in making Taker who he is today will never be forgotten.

 

RIP.

[air_raid]

Rather than just parrot things others have said that already sum up my thoughts/feelings, here are some of my favourite memories of the character of Paul Bearer, the little moments that made his performances memorable :

 

* Survivors '91, Bearer chokes Hogan while the ref is backing Taker away, then turns to the camera and says "Rest in peace, Hulk Hogan!" before laughing maniacally, prompting Gorilla Monsoon to shout "You piece of garbage!"

 

* The vignettes concerning the construction of the pine box for the Undertaker/Kamala Survivors '92 Coffin Match were very harrowing for 10 year old Raid, even though the pair of them were babyfaces. Everything Paul said scared me shitless, especially the phrase "eviscerate his blueing flesh." Had I known what "eviscerate" meant at the time, I'd probably have soiled myself.

 

* Every appearance Paul made searching for the Undertaker and confronting DiBiase in summer 1994 was superb.

 

* I had a wry chuckle when he told Big Daddy Cool he hadn't been too cool lately at the end of IYH December '95.

 

* The way he launched himself off the apron when bonking Taker on the head with the urn at Rumble '97, taking a spill onto the floor, which has been commented on by other posters in the past. He looked like the effort of the attack had sent him onto the floor, like he'd put everything into it, even though it wouldn't have hurt Taker for real. He made it look real. That's working for you. That's Paul Bearer being a better worker than dozens of actual wrestlers hurting each other and getting hurt for real every night.

 

Two moments that stick out is him coming out with Taker at WM 20 and his oohhhhh yeeessss ringing out through MSG;

 

* .... the way that even though he didn't have a mic on (and I couldn't tell you if he knew the camera was on him or not), he pointed to Kane in the ring and twice exclaimed "He's no son of mine!" I laughed my balls off.

 

 

Great performer, great bloke. Rest in peace, as The Brain might have said, you've "urn'd it."

[the mullet]

RIP

[Fatty Facesitter]

The Garden went NUTS when that was played and he came out. Probably my favorite moment of his. And also the Raw where Kane came back after a couple of weeks, with Bearer coming out in that swank red blazer, while Kane went through about 8 people and tombstoned Tori in the process.

 

I wasn't a big fan of the renewed feud, but I remember the arena going crazy when he popped up from the coffin in 2010 on Smackdown during the Taker/Kane stuff. Not sure if that was post-produced or not but it didn't sound like it?

[ravishing1]

Im gutted by this news, I was a massive fan, here is a copy of an email I sent him in 2007 and I was so chuffed when he replied

 

Dear Percy

 

I just wanted to say what a great interview you did on 'In your head.com'.

I listened to it in work and had a really good laugh. I would love it if you could reply to this email as I am a massive Paul Bearer fan and it would make my day.

 

Many Thanks

 

Steven Carroll

 

PS. What was Ravishing Rick Rude really like to work with?

 

 

Thanks for the kind words, Steven. I'm sure you could tell I was having a good time. Rick was a gentleman both in and out of the ring.

Be Blessed.

~Percy

[AshC]

If you read his Tweets from the last few days, he seemed really happy. Although it's ended prematurely, he must have had a brilliant life.

[wandshogun09]

I loved his diving urn smash off the apron at the Rumble in 97, as air_raid mentioned. And his heel run from 96-98 was just brilliant. He played the bastard perfectly, but always came across as a lovely bloke in "real life".

 

Really sad news. Shocked to read he was only 58. I always assumed he was probably mid-late 40s in the WWF run.

 

I always expected that when Taker finally has his last match, possibly with the old original grey gloves look, that Paul Bearer would be in his corner.

 

RIP