Paul Bearer tickled to death to be back with Undertaker
by Brian Solomon
Los Angeles, CAThere are few images that can send chills down the
spine of any fan like that of the Undertaker and Paul Bearer
marching solemnly down to ringside. Yet, for years that was
something those fans had to do without. Now, with the Man from the
Dark Side returned to his undead roots, everything old is new
again. Part of that has to do with the triumphant return of the one
and only Paul Bearer to the Dead Mans side.
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I dont know if I have the words to explain how it feels, says
Bearer. Because unless youve walked a mile in my shoes, you cant
understand. Me and Undertaker go back so far together. We started
in 1991, a long time ago. Weve been through a lot during those
years. We buried a lot of folks in those years, and we dug up a lot
of folks in those years. To coin a phrase, Im just tickled to
death. Its good to see all the fans again, and the old cities we
used to tour. I plan on being around a long time.
Bearer was last seen five years ago as part of the Corporate
Ministry. In that time, WWE has undergone a lot of changes. But the
man with urn has been keeping up with the action from the
sidelines, and is more than up to the task of adapting to the WWE
of the 21st century.
The major difference I noticed is the split of the company, he
says. The SmackDown! brand and the RAW brand. And all the young
talent that we have. What fantastic talent! We couldnt have a
better roster than what we have. Another major difference is
theres not a lot of old-timers around like me and Taker, if you
want to call us that!
Not only has WWE changed, but it goes without saying that the
Undertaker himself has gone through some dramatic changes in the
past five years.
Hes evolved through the years, says Bearer. He became the
American Bad Ass for the while that he did. Hes changed. But deep
in his heart and deep in my heart, were the same Undertaker and
Paul Bearer, just wait and see. Bearers confidence is rooted in
Undertakers recent return to the old-school Deadman image that
brought him such success during the 1990s. It was this incarnation
of the Undertaker that made him one of WWEs most enduring figures.
And Bearer couldnt be happier to see it resurface.
In my mind, its long overdue, he says. The fans have been
wanting it for a long, long time. Ive wanted it for a long time,
and were here now. Were just beginning. This means everything to
Undertaker.
Hes been training hard, and you could just look and see what kind
of shape hes in. Hes in the best shape of his career, without a
doubt.
Source: WWE