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Home of Percival Pringle III, a.k.a. Paul Bearer of WWE


the brothers of destruction





The legacy started with the rotund, over-the-top Paul Bearer, his mysterious urn, and the somber, foreboding giant known as The Undertaker in 1991. A “gimmick,” for sure, but one that captured the imagination and hearts of fans in ways that no one could have anticipated. The seed that was planted with Undertaker’s original appearance at the Survivor Series bore fruit for 30 years, turning all the principles involved into professional wrestling legends.


Kane, the son of Paul Bearer, was brought into the fold in 1997. The Undertaker battled his brother, then teamed with his brother, on countless occasions as the storylines developed. Similarly, Paul Bearer partnered with or squared off against The Brothers of Destruction (as they would later become) in a myriad of situations, sometimes enlisting the services of Mankind (Mick Foley), Vader (Leon White), amongst others.


Unlike others in the industry, the trio delved into the realms of horror and the supernatural, and the fans were willing to suspend their disbelief for them. It afforded them incredible creative leeway. As their careers diverged, there was no getting away from their history. No matter what, eventually they would be brought back together.


In professional wrestling, you look upon your contemporaries as your “brothers,” ones who will sacrifice everything to entertain the fans. You give your bodies and your trust to your brothers in an act of sacred trust. What William Moody, Mark Calaway and Glen Jacobs shared was brotherhood on a completely different level. Their relationship defined and broadened who they were in countless ways, in and out of the ring. The fans could sense this bond – it went far beyond any scripted situations and plot lines – and that’s one of the key reasons why their characters will never cease to resonate with people throughout the world.



the undertaker



MARK CALAWAY





No matter how hard I try, there is no way that I can ever express in words how I feel about Mark Calaway. To say that we have more than a business relationship is certainly an understatement. We have been down so many roads together – some were fine, beautifully paved interstates, and yet many were dirt back streets, full of pot holes. Mark and I have personal treasure chests full of memories that we will never share with the world. As The Undertaker once put it so eloquently, “The good ones (stories) can't ever be told."


Calaway started his professional wrestling career in Texas in the mid-1980s. Even beyond his obvious physical gifts, it was his attitude and dedication that really made those within the industry pay attention to him. He had his big break with World Class Championship Wrestling as Texas Red, escorted to the ring by veteran manager Percy Pringle.


Many already know that I managed Mark in his first professional match at Dallas' world famous Sportatorium against the late Bruiser Brody. I've heard him tell the story many times. He insists that the only reason they sent me to the ring with him that night was to show him the way back to the dressing room.


Years later, when the WWF was looking for a mouthpiece for The Undertaker, the two were partnered again. This time it wasn’t for a single match. Instead, it became a partnership that would become their hallmark and ascend them into professional wrestling immortality.


Through the years I have been honored to walk with "The Phenom" down the aisles of hundreds of cities all around the world. Mark Calaway, without a doubt, portrays the ultimate "gimmick" in our business. Just the fact that I have been allowed to share the spotlight with him speaks volumes. I have stood in the shadow of a true legend in our industry.


From body bag and casket matches to being buried alive or trapped in the infamous Hell in a Cell cage, there wasn’t anything Mark Calaway wouldn’t do to get The Undertaker over and entertain the fans. Through injuries, through personal struggles, through adversity of all sorts, Calaway never brought anything less than the best to the table every time. He would risk everything, time and time again, to give people their money’s worth. His integrity and loyalty to the sport is beyond reproach.


I could go on and on here, but I won't. I just want to publicly say that Mark is more than a business associate to me. He will always be a dear friend and a "brother." Our run through the wrestling world has been nothing short of the icing on the cake of my 30 year ring career.


As George Jones sings... "There's nothing better once you've had the best."


Mark, I thank you for the memories.



KANE



GLEN JACOBS





My "son" has a special place in my heart.


Glen Jacobs began his journey into professional wrestling training with the Malenko family in Florida. He gained experience wrestling in southern independents, Puerto Rico and Japan. In 1995, Jacobs caught the eye of wrestling impresario and well-known veteran manager Jim Cornette, who decided to bring him into his Smoky Mountain Wrestling territory.


Mark Calaway and I first met (Glen) while working a couple of dates in Smoky Mountain territory. We were so impressed with him that we immediately took his name back to WWF with us.


Jacobs had the size, strength and “it” quality that it took to be a WWF Superstar. More importantly, he had the potential to be a future opponent for The Undertaker, who had few that approached him in stature.


A few months later he debuted for the company as Jerry Lawler's personal dentist, Dr. Isaac Yankem, DDS. In 1996 he became the “new” Diesel. His early gimmicks were hardly memorable, but he still managed to impress the powers-that-be. This was a necessary part of his growth and development, and he was just about to break out as a major component of the WWF.


Then he was transformed into Paul Bearer's "son," Kane. The rest is certainly history.


As William Moody explained in a shoot video with RF Video…

Undertaker and myself, we would be riding down the road, you know, back in the early years and we always talked about different variations we could do with our gimmick and stuff. We came up with the idea of the brother. Looking back now, some of the shit was pretty far out.



As the storyline went, Kane was the bastard brother of The Undertaker. Undertaker’s parents owned and operated a funeral home. A young mortician’s apprentice, Paul Bearer, had his innocence taken by Undertaker’s mother in the embalming room. Years later, upon learning all about his mother’s act of soulless immorality, Undertaker, in a rage, burned the funeral home down with his parents and brother inside. But Kane didn’t die, and he was now a masked, disfigured monster hell-bent on revenge. (And, yes, The Undertaker was originally called Kane the Undertaker during his initial appearances in the WWF. You’re not imagining that.)


On October 5, 1997 at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, MO, Kane made his first appearance with me during the very first Hell in a Cell match, between The Undertaker and HBK (Shawn Michaels).


The Kane debut would be enough to overwhelm any young wrestler. But on this particular night there was a sudden, unexpected tragedy that rocked the wrestling world and shattered everybody in the locker room.


Just a couple of hours before we went on the air, we learned that the body of Brian Pillman had been found in his hotel room in Minneapolis, MN.


Despite all the intense emotions of the night, Kane was a success. Glen listened intently to his “father,” as well as the veterans who wanted to help him develop. The Undertaker really looked after his growth and welfare, almost as if he was his brother. Because of his positive attitude, as well as his willingness to improve his game on every front, Glen Jacobs thrived during the Attitude Era and beyond, enjoying one of the longest tenures in WWE history.


When they removed his mask on June 23, 2003 I really thought that it could mark the end of his WWE career. I am so happy to admit how wrong I was!


Jacobs had a professional wrestling career that lasted nearly 30 years, taking him to international fame. After years of impressing the world with his physical prowess, this graduate of Northeast Missouri State University now gets to flex his intellectual muscle as the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.


In my opinion, Glen Jacobs represents what a true professional is all about. If I have anything at all to say negative about Glen, it's that he is too nice for his own good.


Glen is without a doubt one of the finest gentlemen that I ever had the pleasure of working with in our industry, and believe me I've been blessed to walk that aisle with many of them.





WEMBLY STADIUM (1992)



On the left is Charles Wright (Papa Shango, The Godfather) and on the right is Mark Calaway. Notice that both the big men were standing on their tiptoes, trying to "out size" each other.



SMACKDOWN (2001)



In the ring with The Undertaker and Kane at a taping in my hometown, January 23, 2001. After the taping was over UT called me to the ring and they both paid tribute to me for my years as the Paul Bearer character.



WWF TAG TEAM TITLES (1998)



Here are new WWF World Tag Team champions Kane & Mankind posing with Bruce Prichard and William Moody. This was during one of the many times the "brothers" were on the outs.





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