The Newer Newer Official WWE/TNA thread.

[J529]

So lets get to it. Does Punk end The Streak or not? I think he should end it. He lost the Title to Rock,

lost to Cena and if he loses to Undertaker at WM, where does that leave him? Taker gains nothing by going over Punk. Punk can gain alot by ending The Streak. He can boast about having the 6th longest WWE Title reign ever and being the one who finally did the impossible in ending Undertaker's Streak at WM. Punk could leap over Cena and be the #1 guy and face of the company in ending The Streak. I really don't see Punk ending The Streak, but he should be the one to do it. Assuming The Streak remains intact, who is left to challenge The Streak? Cena, Sheamus, Lesnar, Rock, Ryback. If Undertaker is to work a final WM, there is no question is should be against Cena. They've faced off before early in Cena's career when he was heel and had the Rapper Gimmick. Cena/Undertaker at WM 30 would be a cash cow. Nowhere near Rock/Cena, mind you. Cena said to The Rock on Raw that he has accomplish everything in his career and overcome every roadblock except for The Rock. Cena hasn't accomplished everything - The Streak.

Edited March 6, 2013 by J529

[shiznak]

If Shawn Michaels couldn't end the streak, then no one should.

Honestly, I thought the streak should have ended a while ago, when Taker faced Kane the first time around at WM 14 or Orton, when he was the Legend Killer.

[J529]

WM 29 Card - As it stands right now. Top 4 Matches are set.

WWE Championship

John Cena vs. The Rock *

World Heavyweight Championship

Jack Swagger w/Zeb Coulter vs. * Alberto Del Rio w/Ricardo Rodriguez

The Streak

CM Punk vs. The Undertaker

HHH vs. Brock Lesnar

Mid-Card is still yet to be determined, but lets take a look at what it could resemble.

U.S. Championship

The Miz vs. *Antonio Cesaro

The Shield vs. ???, Orton, Big Show (he's still heel at the moment)

IC Championship

Sheamus vs. *Wade Barrett

Ryback vs. Mark Henry

WWE Tag Team Championship - Gimmick Match

*Team Hell No vs. Prime Time Players vs. Team Rhodes Scholars vs. Brodus Clay/Tensai vs. 3MB

vs. New Age Outlaws

Ziggler possibly left off the card. Of course he could finally cash in after Swagger/ADR. What better way to "Show Off" and "Steal the Show" on the grandest stage of all, becoming World Champion.

Jericho also could be in need of a match if he's not part of the Six Man Tag.

Edited March 6, 2013 by J529

[J529]

Rey Mysterio requires potentially more knee surgery.

Good morning!About to C the man, Doc. James Andrews... Things haven't been good since I stepped back in the ring, possibly Acl tear again!

Edited March 6, 2013 by J529

[J529]

Mysterio Tweeted update saying No surgery for now.

Have to wear a DYNASPLINT brace to prevent getting surgery! NO SURGERY 4 now!

[J529]

WWE confiscated Swagger signs at Raw.

WWE confiscated many Jack Swagger DUI signs last night at the Raw show in Buffalo, reports f4wonline.com

[J529]

Paul Bearer Passes Away

We are heartbroken to report the passing of William "Paul Bearer" Moody, one of the top managers of the 1980s and 1990s. He would have been 59 next month. Details aren't known as of this writing, but Moody had openly told several that he hadn't been feeling well for some time. He had pulled himself off some of his regular bookings next month, citing that he wasn't feeling well. Moody was a lifelong wrestling fan (he and Michael Hayes were friends way before either broke into the business) before breaking in the Gulf Coast area as a photographer. After serving in the military, he returned to pro wrestling as a manager in Championship Wrestling from Florida, Percy Pringle III, not realizing at the time that he was indeed the third person to use the name. Pringle would move onto World Class Championship Wrestling, where his high pitched promos, heavyset body and platinum blonde hair provided the perfect foil for the buff, cut, ripped, chiseled and jacked Rick Rude, who had a run as the World Class champion. He also managed the Dingo Warrior, who would go on to morph into the more famous Ultimate Warrior. Amazingly, the Pringle character would eventually turn babyface, aligning with Eric Embry in his war against Skandar Akbar's Devastation, Inc. during a storyline that saw the USWA name replace the WCCW name during a time period where the Jarretts took over control of the company from the Von Erichs. While the storyline was entertaining as hell (and still holds up today), it was also the last hurrah for the promotion and in some ways, Texas wrestling. In 1990, Pringle signed with WWE (WWE actually signed Konnan the same day, although his run was much shorter) and was immediately paired with The Undertaker after being re-christened as Paul Bearer. With jet black hair and ghoulish make-up, Moody was the perfect mouthpiece and mascot for the Undertaker during the heyday of Taker's undead persona, leading the way to the ring while carrying the mystical urn that held the power of the Undertaker.

The two were immediately inseparable as an act. Moody was in many ways born to play the role, as he was, in real life, an actual mortician, a job he returned to after leaving WWE full-time. We all know the story. The streak. WWF title runs. Feuds with Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Mankind and any and every major name that came through the WWF and WWE doors from 1990 on. The duo were made to be together. But in pro wrestling, nothing is ever forever and WWF actually booked Pringle to turn on Undertaker to side with Mick Foley's Mankind. The heel turn led to the introduction of another of WWE's longest tenured performers, Kane, who was the illegitimate son of Paul Bearer and Undertaker's mother in a story so convoluted that WWE jumped back and forth over the lines of good taste and continuity in order to tell it. In the end, Undertaker went back to the dark side and was reunited with Bearer again. The pair remained together until 2000 when Moody was removed from TV and worked for the company as a talent scout and road agent/producer. He eventually left and made some forgotten appearance in TNA.

WWE wanted him back but Moody initially refused, citing his weight. It had gotten away from him and he was morbidly obses, by his own admission. WWF signed him and paid for Moody to undergo gastric bypass surgery. Moody would tell everyone that WWE saved and lengthened his life with the surgery. The Bearer persona returned with the return of the undead version of the Undertaker at Wrestlemania 20. Fittingly, it was against Kane. He remained with Taker until a silly storyline where he was kidnapped by Paul Heyman and the Dudley Boyz that climaxed with Bearer trapped in a concrete crypt and if Undertaker didn't agree to lose to the Dudleys, a switch would be thrown, filling the chamber. Undertaker won the match, then flipped the switch, effectively killing off the character, although since WWE didn't do murder - the explanation was that Bearer was badly hurt and he was written off. Moody was done with the company at that point, but returned to once again turn on Undertaker during a storyline feud with Kane. This led to a storyline where Edge kidnapped him to torment Kane. Beyond a few cameos for comedic purposes, including a funny bit where Kane left him trapped in a meat freezer, the Bearer character was not used again. Moody was still active, however on the indy scene, working as a manager and appearing at different conventions and signings. He popped up in ROH for a show and filmed a number of excellent DVD interviews about his career. He was a regular on Championship Wrestling from Hollywood TV. He tried his hands at promoting independently in the Gulf Coast and was very proud of his son, Michael, getting into the business. He regularly conversed with fans via Twitter, Facebook and his website. Through it all, he loved pro wrestling as much as he did when he was just a fan. There are going to be a lot of people very saddened by Moody's passing and with good reason. He was loved by just about everyone. I talk to a lot of wrestlers and all of them have gripes and complaints about each other, promoters, etc. I can't remember one negative thing ever said about the man. In pro wrestling, that's pretty damn rare. If there is one silver lining, it's that Moody is no longer left behind by his late wife Diana, who passed away following a long battle with cancer. Moody spoke often and lovingly of her and how much he missed her, both privately and publicly during interviews. There was an obvious sadness and pain that he never recovered from after she passed away. One can only hope they are happily reunited in whatever the next world truly is. There's no doubt that Percy, as everyone called him, left a unique, colorful mark on the world of pro wrestling. More importantly, he left as much of a mark on everyone he encountered. He was a good man. For all of that and so much more that can't ever be properly conveyed with words, we thank him. We will deeply miss him here at PWInsider.com, where he was a very good friend and supporter of the site. We'd like to again express our deepest condolences to Percy's friends,family and fans. He was one of a kind.

Edited March 6, 2013 by J529

[J529]

WWE has issued a statement and confirmed Paul Bearer Passing

WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of William Moody, aka Paul Bearer," reads a WWE website statement. "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 Moody's family, friends and fans."

[J529]

Have to think WWE will do a tribute of some sort to Bearer.

In light of this, The Streak should remain intact.

[Grapefruits]

Well that just killed killed my night.

RIP Percy

[doobie]

A character I loved to emulate when I was a kid, RIP

[Twilight Sparkle]

WWE confiscated Swagger signs at Raw.

Eh, rightfully so. Fans need to stop being stupid while trying to be funny

Well that just killed killed my night.

RIP Percy

I'm truly saddened by this news. I loved watching his shoot interviews with jim cornette. Paul was a real sweet guy, and damn, he was hilarious

RIP: Paul Bearer. Truly a legend in the business

Edited March 6, 2013 by Olias

[Apples]

RIP

[J529]

Wrestling Community Reacts to Paul Bearer Passing

The following are Twitter messages posted by various pro wrestling personalities regarding the death of Paul Bearer (a/k/a William Moody), who died on Tuesday at age 58.

Triple H: "Rest in peace, Paul Bearer. You will never be forgotten. There will never be another."

Hulk Hogan: "Very sad about Paul Bearer, he was a great person and one of the original boys, he was what made wrestling great, much love and respect."

Bret Hart: "Goodbye to a good friend, Paul Bearer. Say hi to Owen for me."

Michelle McCool: "You always made me smile. Great entertainer, even better man! We love you and will forever miss you! God bless."

Sean Waltman: "I'm so at a loss right now for words... I've known him since 1995 and I can't get myself together enough to write anything at the moment... I will miss you, William Moody. George Jones on the radio and Jack Daniels. His crazy sense of humor. I laughed more to him that just about anyone."

Edge: "Very sad to hear about William Moody/Paul Bearer. Such a sweet man, and my friend. My condolences to his family. I'll miss ya Uncle Paul."

Kevin Von Erich: "Percy Pringle was such a funny guy. Everyone loved him."

Matt Morgan: "Damn. One of my favorite characters as a little boy, and one that I befriended as a man, gone. One of the all time best!

Ricardo Rodriguez: "Paul Bearer/William Moody, you taught me so much. It truly sadens me to hear about this! I love you, and I think you enterally. RIP."

Shawn Michaels: "I'm so sorry to hear of the passing of Paul Bearer. Our prayers go out to him and his family. God Bless!!"

Jim Ross: "Just informed via wwe.com Paul Bearer aka Percy Pringle passed away earlier today. I have no other details. RIP old friend."

Shane Helms: "Saddened to hear about the passing of wrestling legend (Paul Bearer). Glad I got to see ya one last time just recently, Paul. Bless your fam... I never heard one bad thing said about Paul. In this biz, that's extremely rare. It says a lot about the man."

Kevin Nash: RIP my friend. You will never be replaced. Not to late to add to the (Hall of Fame).

The Miz: "Just found out Paul Bearer died tonight. He was always so nice when I talked to him. My thoughts n prayers are w/his family."

Dixie Carter: Our condolences go out to the many family, friends, and fans of William Moody. A great performer in our industry."

Eric Bischoff: Condolences to family, friends, and fans of Paul Bearer. Never had the privilege of working with him. Much respect."

Honky Tonk Man: "Saddened to hear of my pal Paul Bearer passing away. I was informed a few moments after he silently went. A great fellow has gone."

Joey Mercury: "Very saddened to hear of Paul Bearer's passing. An extremely gracious and generous man I had the good fortune of knowing."

Tensai: "RIP Paul. A good man and an asset to this business and locker room. Always brought a smile to people's faces. You'll be missed."

Cliff Compton: "Paul Bearer was great. A genuine nice person and a legendary manager. #RIP"

Mickie James: "Very sad to hear that Paul Bearer has passed away tonight... My thoughts, prayers, and heart go out to his family, friends, and heart go out to his family, friends, and loved ones...RIP."

Ted DiBiase (Jr.): "Losing one of our own @WWE feels like losing a family member. Thank you for the memories, paul. God Bless."

Eddie Edwards: "Saddened to hear about Paul Bearer passing away. #RIP #ThankYou"

Todd Keneley: RIP William Moody AKA Paul Bearer/Percy Pringle. A truly great talent and genuine good person. I am honored to have met/worked w/you."

Edited March 6, 2013 by J529

[Twilight Sparkle]

out of all of those, i would, surprisingly, have to agree 100% of shane helms (hurricane/gregory helms) of what he said. he was one of the respected men in the business. i loved that shoot he did with cornette saying people were hesitant to rib him cause of his affiliation with taker, but one guy who always got away with anything was owen hart

Edited March 6, 2013 by Olias

[J529]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-AZXheMidA

[J529]

Oakland A's Josh Reddick called out by Daniel Bryan

from mercurynews.com:

PHOENIX - He's calling it a "BeardOff," but even A's right fielder Josh Reddick admits it's a beard-on. Reddick, a huge fan of WWE wrestling, has taken the challenge from the WWE's Daniel Bryan to spend the rest of this year growing the fullest and most luxuriant beard possible. The winner will be determined by a vote of online fans, and "the loser has to shave it all off," Reddick said Tuesday. "I'm already hearing trash talk from his fans," Reddick said of the challenge, which he accepted Tuesday morning. "I know a bunch of the WWE guys, but I've never met him." Reddick reported to FanFest in Oakland in January with a full beard that he'd started growing in November. Bryan reportedly has been growing his beard for about 12 months.

[Primus099]

Now that Paul Bearer passed away I think it's even more likely that they have Undertaker win at WM. and then have Taker do a tribute to him at the end

[Twilight Sparkle]

Now that Paul Bearer passed away I think it's even more likely that they have Undertaker win at WM. and then have Taker do a tribute to him at the end

you still can't help but wonder... if punk really is the guy to end taker's streak... Taker's legacy would RIP along with paul bearer. there's another tribute they can do. i always thought cena would be the one to end taker's streak, but he's getting that rub from the rock this year, along with the WWE title. Punk really has nothing going for him now. with a 400+ day title run, people are still questioning his legitimacy to face taker. he's had 2 big PPV loses in a row and giving the main event match to cena on RAW, however all of his loses still made him a legitimate threat to his opponent, i don't get why people can't accept the fact that he's a threat to taker now

also have to understand that taker does what's right for business. he knows it, the E knows it, you can't draw with "the streak" forever. taker's almost 50, his knees are in bad shape, at some point, you have to move on

Edited March 6, 2013 by Olias

[Scott Hartnell's Mane]

There's no way they let the Streak die now. I personally don't think it should EVER end if HBK or HHH didnt end it. It sure as hell shouldn't be Punk.