William Moody A.K.A. Paul Bearer passed away Tuesday night at the age of 58. Moody has been in professional wrestling for over 30 years. He got his start in the business as a ringside photographer, wrestler and later became a manager for wrestlers. He used the name Percy Pringle III and was a fixture in the southern independents for years until moving on to Championship Wrestling From Florida, World Class Championship Wrestling and the United States Wrestling Association. Moody managed notable wrestlers like Rick Rude, Steve Austin. Lex Luger, Kamala and the Great Kabuki. But his biggest break came in 1990 when he got called up to the World Wrestling Federation to manage The Undertaker.
Moody spent the next 12 years in the W.W.F. mostly at the side of The Undertaker. He was also involved with his onscreen brother Kane (originally the name of The Undertaker believe it or not) in several major angles that became part of the "Attitude Era" of the late 90's W.W.F. During the last two years of his stay in the Federation, He worked as a road agent and other behind-the-scenes duties before his contract ended. He briefly worked for N.W.A.-T.N.A. before resigning with the newly named W.W.E. to work as The Undertaker's manager and as a booker/road manager before going into semi-retirement.
His character Paul Bearer was based upon his real life profession as an operator of a funeral home. Moody also wrestled for a few years under the names of Mr. X, The Embalmer and The Mortician whilst attending the University of South Alabama and working as a licensed apprentice Funeral Director/Embalmer for Old Higgins Mortuary. He was married to his wife Dianna for over thirty years until she passed away from breast cancer in 2009. William Moody is survived by his two sons Michael and Daniel.
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