I know this is going to sound really strange, but if you follow this blog through then maybe, somewhere in it, you’ll find the sense in what I’m about to say. Wrestlemania, kind of feels like a death. Trust me, I have a vague sense of where I’m going with this. What I mean by that last statement isn’t that it’s dreary and we all try to avoid it at all costs, but the feeling you get when Wrestlemania comes around is the kind of feeling you get when you’re told someone you love or know is going to kick that proverbial bucket. Not in the sense that everything is about to come to an end as you know it, but the fuzzy, nervous feeling deep down that is suddenly followed by the hazy feeling in you head which only every sticks its head around the door when something uncertain is about to happen.
Wrestlemania has provided us with so many unforgettable memories over the years that we almost forget all the tripe we’ve had to sit through to get to them. Not every Wrestlemania has been a classic or unforgettable, Wrestlemania 9 wasn’t great by any sense but we remember it fondly because it was Wrestlemania. Had it been any other pay per view event we would have consigned it to history and forgotten all about it by now.
Any wrestling fan you ask, will tell you what Wrestlemania means to them and could probably rattle their top ten Wrestlemania moments off of the top of their heads. For some it will be Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage at Wrestlemania three. Other will tell you that it was Hulk Hogan just about managing to body slam Andre the Giant on the same night that made them both invest their life and emotion in the business and is the image they pluck up when April rolls around. The more modern fans may say that John Cena and the Rock is their ultimate Wrestlemania moment or The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin at either Wrestlemania 15, 17 or 19. Take your pick.
Wrestlemania means something to everyone. The end of the pay per view. The one night when nothing matter but the men in the ring and the results that come out of it. A childhood memory. The way Wrestlemania makes us feel as fans. Watching another slice of history be created. Undoubtedly, there is a special feeling about Wrestlemania. Something even I can’t explain. And before we rip it to shreds decision by decision, everyone who has put their lives into the business, wrestlers and fans alike should stop, just for a moment and take it in. Take in the grandeur and the spectacle. Take in the feeling of being part of something massive. It’s not something that comes along everyday and it’s not a feeling you can conjure up at the drop of a hat.
For me though, Wrestlemania means more than it did two year ago. More than it did ten years ago. Because one year ago, I sat, frustrated and angry that so much wrong was happening and I didn’t have a platform to express my feelings. So I looked into opening up a blog. Something I didn’t have to pay to open or maintain but something and where I could air my grievances. And this where I ended up. This is where we ended up. Us few who want the truth. Us few who wanted to read the truth about this business and ignore the sugar coated lies and the bullshit that goes through WWE.Com and some other wrestling related websites that are circulating. Not many people know this but this blog started life with just me writing it and one person reading it. It was opened about a week before Wrestlemania 28 and then the most wonderful thing happened. When the Wrestlemania 28 preview went up one year ago, suddenly it had 125 hits in a week. One hundred and twenty five people came out of nowhere to hear the truth.
And it didn’t stop. It just kept growing and growing and growing and one year after I decided to let the world know how I felt and you agreed with me for the most part, those one hundred and twenty five people have turned into four thousand and counting. And for that I tip my hat to you all.
Wrestlemania is everything noted above but to me it’s something extra special. It means the start and continuation of something truly special. And I’m not going anywhere soon.
The Passing of a Legend
As most of you will have read by now, the wrestling world suffered a tragic loss on March 5th. WWE legend, Paul Bearer, real name William Moody, passed away aged 58 years old, just one month before his 59th birthday. For those not old enough to remember Paul then I can only sympathise with you. The long time manager and close personal friend of The Undertaker, Moody can be credited with a helping hand in making the Undertaker what he became in the world of wrestling.
A manager, wrestler and referee in the territorial system long before WWE hired him to stand and the side of the Phenom, Moody plied his trade under the name Percy / Percival Pringle. When the call came to take the step up to the big leagues Moody did so with grace and style. Never overshadowing the man he was tasked with getting over, William Moody as Paul Bearer helped make the Undertaker look a million dollars. I do truly believe that had it not been for the presence of Paul Bearer at ringside, the Undertaker may not have made it in the WWE. And I know for certain Mark Calloway would agree with me on that one.
His wonderfully overstated facial expressions and haunting voice added to the magic of one of the most enchanting times of mine and many other people’s childhoods. I have never heard a wrestler, road agent, fan WWE producer or booker who has ever had a bad word to say about William Moody. When news of his death broke, wrestlers and wrestling personalities took to twitter to express their sadness.
Michael Cole tweeted; “So sad. We lost a great person and a wonderful man today. Rest in Peace Paul Bearer. God bless his family and Godspeed.”
Jim Ross tweeted; “Just informed via http://wwe.com Paul Bearer aka Percy Pringle passed away earlier today. I have no other detail. RIP old friend.”
Zeb Colter aka Dutch Mantel tweeted; “RIP Paul Bearer. Great Manager. Wonderful Man.”
Diamond Dallas Page tweeted; “Sad to hear of the passing of Bill Moody (Paul Bearer)...Not a nicer man in the biz. RIP bro.”
Triple H tweeted; “Rest in peace, Paul Bearer. You will never be forgotten. There will never be another.”
That is how much the wrestling world loved William Moody and Paul Bearer. I don’t know of a wrestler or fan who isn’t truly saddened by his passing but now we must not mourn his loss but celebrate his life. None of us will ever forget Paul Bearer or his impact on the world of wrestling. And I think I speak for everyone who reads this when I say, William, you shall be sadly missed.
Paul Bearer shall never be forgotten and now his legend can finally “Rest...In...Peace!”
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| William 'Paul Bearer' Moody April 10th 1954 - March 5th 2013 |
