Paul Bearer imposter taking it to far?

[One to Remember]

I just seen CM Punk orchestrate an assembly of druids headed by a Paul Bearer rip off and a sound bite that might had been him recorded from who knows when. Even though the Undertaker and Paul Bearer both have to do with the afterlife is this becoming to disrespectful to him? Who is even supposed to be in the urn anyways?

 

[The Butcher]

Not disrespectful in the least. Remember what they did with Eddie Guerrero? That was poured on way heavier than this, and the angle they used it to push wasn't nearly this good. If I knew that after my death, my name would still not only be relevant, but arguably more high profile than ever (for good reasons) then I'd be all for it. It doesn't matter whose ashes they were supposed to be. Everyone can interpret that for his or herself.

The bottom line is that what CM Punk, Paul Heyman, Undertaker, and WWE creative are doing is not only in no way disrespectful, it's the essence of the wrestling business. And I have no doubt Mr. Moody knew that and would be more than happy with it happening to him.

 

[smizzy]

No.
It's not taking it too far. What about that was disrespectful? Whenever you see someone dressed up as John Lennon on Halloween, do you think they are disrespecting him? Ok, Bearer is dead, but Heyman didn't come out dressed like Bearer cutting a promo say, "Haha, I look like that dead idiot Bearer. I hope he's in a worse place. Fuck his family."

They utilized his character to further a feud involving the Undertaker. Nothing wrong with that at all and if you think so, you need to sit down because you can't handle pro wrestling with any hint of an edge at all.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

They asked the family for permission, and though it was kind of something their dad would have felt would be an honor, being used to draw heat to a Wrestlemania feud. Def not too disrespectful.

 

[One to Remember]

I doubt it, some of the last few things on his mind probably had to do with why he wasn't being incorporated into this storyline over a month ago.. Which I kinda found weird anyway..

Yes I remember the Eddie stuff and it was lame too and that was compounded already by him being a Mexican menstrual show act..

If Kane had bopped him from behind at some point or Vader swooped in with some insane clothesline that would had been strait. The person defending the deceased can't lose that much ground..

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

It is kinda uncomfortable if I speaking for myself. I know that they have the family's permission and everything, but you know all this kinda make you miss him. All this is supposed to offend you and piss you off and hate Punk, while that isn't the case for me; I still look forward to their match.

As someone said, Bearer dying was the greatest angle they could give this match otherwise we'd have that respect schtick that is boring as hell.

RIP, what a team player.

 

[One to Remember]

No.
It's not taking it too far. What about that was disrespectful? Whenever you see someone dressed up as John Lennon on Halloween, do you think they are disrespecting him? Ok, Bearer is dead, but Heyman didn't come out dressed like Bearer cutting a promo say, "Haha, I look like that dead idiot Bearer. I hope he's in a worse place. Fuck his family."

They utilized his character to further a feud involving the Undertaker. Nothing wrong with that at all and if you think so, you need to sit down because you can't handle pro wrestling with any hint of an edge at all.

dressing up like John Lennon on Halloween is a horrible comparison. I am not talking about the storyline or even the concept of jacking characters and personalities postmortem I am talking about the fact that he wasn't utilized before when he should had been and now WWE is utilizing him for free. I think the urn had already been incorporated before his death and the urn is his cue to swoop in anyway.

 

[JUSTINMFNBEEMER]

God am i on the fence on this one. Im all for pushing boundaries, dont get me wrong, half my posts on here im other swearing or just being a total dick just to get a reaction.

However, im not sure i like just the whole dressing up a fake paul and using his voice.

I just wonder if im so used to such a pg program that when it gets a little edgy i just forgot what it used to be like....guess im just getting old....

 

[Prince Punk]

Neither the man nor the character he portrayed were disrespected in a way that was not artistic and acceptable in the realm of wrestling. Even by common standards it was the bad guy being the bad guy, and his death ended up being the basis of this entire feud. If you want to see going to far go reference anything and everything done after Eddie Gurrerro's death you will find several gems there.... Yes the man just died and his final Legacy in wrestling is putting over one of today's top heels. Be it willing or not.

 

[mesl]

If you go watch the Percy Pringle shoot interviews on youtube, it becomes quite clear why the WWE/Untertaker is doing this.. Paul Bearer would absolutely love the WWE using his memory this way for the Undertaker, and especialy because it's a part of Wrestlemania.

Paul Bearer was a true character, and his character is continuing.. We know he was respected by all, this is perfect.

 

[Azane]

They're imbueing Paul Bearer's legacy, I think it's actually quite respectful, even using it as a disrespectful style, it's still in memorium to one of the greatest character's WWF/E has had.

I can't speak for mr. Moody, but I'm very sure that he'd be smiling at his loss being the fuel for one of the main event highlights of Wrestlemania, of which could be one of the Undertaker's last active feuds no less.

This is nowhere near as exploited as the Jerry Lawler's mother, which was the last time I think they crossed a line that made me cringe.

Paul Bearer is a true icon, even in death, why would that icon not be part of the show? It doesn't fit Bearer's character in the slightest to have a show like the Owen Hart or Christ Benoit shows, I'm sure if it had been appropriate, you would have seen a show dedicated like that, but instead, we get to see this feud, to prove that the WWE is larger than life, even with death involved.

 

[TheHorndogSays]

I love how people claim they want the attitude era back, yet the second WWE does anything with even the slightest hint of attitude or "unpredictability" everyone is all "that was too far." I have said it once and I will say it again, sometimes the IWC just likes to complain for the sake of complaining.

I'm not going to sit here and pretend to know William Moody or his family, but as a fan I was on the edge of my seat that entire segment and THAT is what the wrestling business is about. Moody knew that, embraced it, and would be proud of it.

If I had ANY issue with the segment it would be that a few weeks ago I thought the match could go either way, after tonight's Raw how can Taker NOT win on Sunday. Then again maybe that's part of why they are doing this to surprise the fans if Punk DOES win (I may be in the minority but I feel Punk will win Sunday).

Even in death William Moody is a PIVOTAL part of arguably the hottest match on the biggest card of the year. How can he NOT love that?

 

[RManske2]

I don't think what they did using the fake Paul Bearer was bad, but it could have been a whole lot worse if they wanted to push the issue.

I guess where I fall with the whole thing is that if what others have posted is true in that they spoke with his family and they were okay with this being used then I would have no problems/issues with it since the people who were close to him approved then I am okay with it.

 

[RipZz]

I have to say I've been on the fence as well throughout all of this but after reading what you guys are saying here I feel much better about watching it. For me it's been half and half. While I LOVE the edgyness that's being brought back, I also have a hard time not showing the upmost respect for the deceased. Looking at it the way you guys are saying maybe it truly isn't disrespect at all and it's their way to honor someone who gave them over 20 years of his life and became a true Legend and helped captivate the WWE and the Undertaker in the 90s.

I think the one storyline that was complete disrespect was after Eddie passed and I believe they had Orton say that Eddie was in hell. That right there was something that really disgusted me so looking in comparisons and seeing it how you guys see it I'm a bit more into this storyline than I was these past few weeks. I think the WWE is doing a great job in creating the ultimate heel in CM Punk and if they did have him defeat Taker at Mania I think he should do it in heel fashion to make sure he would always be hated for this historic storyline and the ending of it

Also I believe the soundbite that they used was the same one from Wrestlemania 20 when they both returned.

 

[aza1294]

Bring back the attitude era they said. We need more edge in the product they said. Seriously, what about this was even remotely offensive to anyone at all? It's a fucking scripted storyline Punk and Heyman were probably told to do this by the WWE execs who have Moody's family approval. I hate this PC generation we live in, where fake things are done in a fake show to get heat are considered offensive, when they are not in the slightest. Rant, over.

 

[boywithbluehanger]

Paul Bearer is a character on a fictional show. If they were disrespecting William A. Moody, then that would be a different story. If they were disrespecting the actor in any way, I would have an issue with this. I do understand that they broke the fourth wall in showing his real name in their tribute screen. But last night's segment to me is a clear example of attacking the characters on the show rather than attacking the memory of an actual lost one.

Take for instance the X-Men. If the actor that played Professor X died in a movie's storyline and in the next movie, they had one of the antagonistic characters impersonate Professor X, it would be the same thing. There wouldn't be much of an outcry about it being disrespectful. What they did last night with the impersonator of Paul Bearer is pretty much the same to me. It's all very obviously storyline related and not hinging on reality. Hence no actual persona or name is being used.

 

[hatehabsforever]

Not disrespectful in the least. Considering the Paul Bearer persona and the aura around it, I would consider this a fitting tribute and a show of respect if anything. The man's entire WWE persona revolved around the urn, death, funerals, whatever. How better to give the man a proper kayfabe send off than to integrate him into the storyline heading into Wrestlemania.

They likely had family permission to do it. They may have even had suggestions from Moody himself that after his passing, they could utilize his persona if they so desired. His family is likely being compensated in some manner for the usage of his character.

WWE frequently does go too far and have done things I didn't like in the past. Jerry Lawler's heart attack being mocked by Punk didn't sit well with me, nor did references to Lawler's dead mother (even though I'm sure both were approved by Lawler as well). But the usage of the fake Paul Bearer last night? Didn't bother me in the least, and I think it will figure prominently into the Punk/Taker program on Sunday.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Yes I remember the Eddie stuff and it was lame too and that was compounded already by him being a Mexican menstrual show act..

GREATEST AUTOCORRECT EVER!!!!

However it inspires me to move to Mexico and see if I can replace The Donkey Show as the biggest draw in Tijuana.

Non-Spam here goes. I don't know Moody or his family but apparently they gave the ok. In the end they are disrepecting a TV character, not necessarily the man himself. It has made for some pretty good TV and doesn't seem too farfetched for Punk's character.

The real question is how many people had a quick thought that Bearer's death was all a work and that he had now aligned himself with Punk in order to end Taker's reign? Because that idiotic thought never crossed my mind. Seriously it didn't. I knew from the moment I heard the voice and saw the figure that it was decent sound work and a fatter Paul Heyman. I totally didn't get a storyline boner for a second.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Not disrespectful in the least. Considering the Paul Bearer persona and the aura around it, I would consider this a fitting tribute and a show of respect if anything.

For sure. In fact, I would think William Moody would love it to know that the character he created is being used to entertain audiences even after he's gone.

But hey, that's political correctness! Things that would have been taken casually years ago today cause outrage. Not upset, not anger.....but outrage. We heard the same complaints two weeks ago when Punk was doing his bit with the urn, as if the damn prop actually contained Paul Bearer's ashes instead of some dirt that was collected outside the arena.

Well, if there are folks who were offended by that, last night's desecration might have driven them to the brink of insanity.

Somewhere, Paul Bearer is laughing.

 

[D-Man]

They asked the family for permission, and though it was kind of something their dad would have felt would be an honor, being used to draw heat to a Wrestlemania feud. Def not too disrespectful.

This basically says it.

Paul Bearer lived this business. I'm sure that his family would agree that utilizing the story of his death to promote one of the biggest matches of the year would be more honoring him and disrespecting him. Almost like using this as his last (and possibly most important) contribution to the business.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

They got permission from the family to involve Paul Bearer in the feud, and I'm sure they asked Moody's son about this specific skit before doing it. It adds to the storyline and to the build up for the match and it's probably what paul bearer would have wanted so I don't think it's disrespectful.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

No, I don't think this is disrespectful at all.

I think WWE will have asked Moody's family for permission and knowing how well respected he is by everyone in the business, including CM Punk I do not believe this is disrespecting his legacy at all. In fact I think Bearer would want his persona to live on temporarily in this feud, such was his love for the business.

This isnt like Lawler's dead mother being insulted, or Orton saying the Eddie is in hell- this is being done the right way

 

[MrMojoRisin]

Like everyone else is saying... this isn't disrespectful in the least. It's the opposite. They are showing the utmost respect to William Moody by centering one of the biggest matches on the biggest card of the year around his most famous character.

Moody's family has approved the angle. Calloway has more than enough pull in the back that if he thought he was disrespecting his old partner, he'd have nothing to do with this. Moody himself... was always happiest when he was a part of the show, and over the years let the WWE take his character many different places. How many times did they kill off Paul Bearer while Moody was still alive?

It's a great angle, that's probably doing more to sell the show than any of the other big matches on the card. Rock and Cena are having a hard time making their rematch seem like it means anything. Brock and Triple H haven't done a great job making their rematch seem like it means much. But Undertaker/Punk? If I buy the show this year, that will literally be the only reason I buy it. Those two are doing such an incredible job, and a lot of it is in thanks to William Moody. He's probably looking down at the two of them right now with a smile that goes ear to ear.

 

[SydTinDad]

OMG! How ridiculous can some people be.

The Moody family gave thier belssing for "E" to do whatever they felt was appropriate to help build WM29, because "Paul Bearer" would have wanted it that way.

 

[King_of_Swing1520]

i loved it actually. at first i really didn't know who that was. it looked just like paul bearer. obviously it was paul heyman but just for a split second i thought it was bearer, and with the undertakers reaction i mean it was sold perfectly. it was like he saw a ghost.

its very rare lately that the wwe does something that makes me jump out of my seat. and last night with this skit they did just that.