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


RICK RUDE



“There is absolutely no doubt that Rick Rude was responsible for my break into the World Wrestling Federation. I will never be able to thank him enough for that.”
– William Moody





William Moody returned to professional wrestling and the Percival Pringle III character in late 1984, after an absence of several years. Michael Hayes and Dutch Mantel were booking for promoter Eddie Graham, the legendary owner of Championship Wresting from Florida, and decided to pair the Pringle character with an eclectic group of talent: Norvell Austin & Koko Ware (The Pretty Young Things), veteran Dewey Robertson (The Missing Link), and a young man just starting to gain serious traction in the business, Richard Rood, better known as “Ravishing” Rick Rude.


I first met Richard Rood in 1985. The chemistry between us, both in and out of the ring, was instantaneous. He was a fantastic performer and a dear friend as well.


Rude had just come to Florida from his first big run in Memphis, Tennessee. He was the proverbial puppy with big paws. His time with Pringle allowed him to become more comfortable as a performer, as he fine-tuned the act that would skyrocket him to the top of the business. Bill Moody not only aided him with his timing and presentation, he taught him elements that one needs to be a success in any business. There were many members of the Pringle Dynasty, but it was the team of Pringle and Rude that really meshed. They decided to stick together as they furthered their careers.


We left Florida for Dallas and World Class Championship Wrestling together, and shared an apartment for several months until I moved my family there to be with me.


WCCW was definitely a different breed of territory. This was a blood and guts region, raised on men like Johnny Valentine, Bruiser Brody, The Spoiler and Fritz Von Erich. The Von Erich family were more like gods than wrestlers, and the people truly believed in them, in every aspect. And then there was the very traditional family and God element of the promotion, which was a strong aspect of how they represented themselves.


The flamboyant Pringle was a loud and obnoxious sissy that insisted Mobile, Alabama was the greatest place on Earth. Paired with the double-tough and narcissistic adonis Rick Rude, who possessed a physique that rivaled the beloved Kerry Von Erich, there was little wonder why the Texas fans hated them so much. Wrestling on television at the Sportatorium in Dallas or appearing anywhere throughout the territory, Pringle and Rude had to keep their guard up at all times.


It seems like I got jumped on every week. But our security there was top notch all the time. Any fan that thought they were a part of the show quickly realized that wasn’t the case. Sportatorium guards used to enjoy their Friday night brawls with the fans. It was something that I never got accustomed to. Rick Rude would pray for somebody to step on his turf – he would gladly become their welcome wagon. Bless their hearts.



Though some questioned the legitimacy of the sport, it wasn’t wise to do so within the presence of Rick Rude. Young Richard Rood was a bouncer at the infamous Gramma B’s in Minneapolis with other aspiring wrestlers Barry Darsow (Demolition Smash), Mike Hegstrand and John Laurinaitis (The Road Warriors), and he was considered the toughest of the bunch. Rude not only relished a fight, but boldly encouraged it. It didn’t matter if it was in a bar or in an arena, the Alpha Male traits of Rick Rude never seemed to go dormant. Thankfully for Percy Pringle, he was on Rude’s good side, and he would defend his manager at any cost.


Rude and Pringle were together more than a year and a half before Rude left for Jim Crockett Promotions. By mid-1987 Rick Rude was a major star nationally in the World Wrestling Federation as a key member of the Bobby Heenan Family.


Percy Pringle stayed with World Class, which merged into United States Wrestling Association (USWA), in a variety of roles. But, by 1990, wrestling in Texas was a sinking ship and William Moody knew it was time to change gears in his life.


It was four days before Christmas in Dallas, Texas. World Class Championship Wrestling had closed down a couple of years before and the USWA was ready to move back to Tennessee to make room for the new Global Wrestling Federation at the Sportatorium.


I found myself without a job and on the verge of bankruptcy. My car had been repossessed and we didn’t have the money for a Christmas tree, much less presents to put under one. It became painfully hard to look into the eyes of my ten-year-old and three-year-old sons. I knew in my heart that my wrestling career was over and it was time to make a drastic change.


Moody called his old friend to tell him about his struggles. Little did he know it, when all seemed bleak, his life was just about to change for the better, in ways that he never could have anticipated.


Rick Rude was working for the WWF at the time. I told Rick exactly what was going on in my life, that I planned on moving back home to Alabama to go back to work in the funeral industry. He was very sympathetic and asked me not to make any quick decisions. In fact, Rick told me that he would call me back before the end of the day.


When we talked again a couple of hours later, he said, “Vince wants you to call him at home.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Now, let me know what he has to say,” Rick concluded.


At that very moment, Paul Bearer was born.


Without a doubt, Rick left an everlasting impression on my heart.





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