Bill 'Paul Bearer' Moody dies at 58

A beloved and sometimes controversial figure in the history of pro wrestling died Tuesday at the age of 58 in Mobile, Alabama.

Bill Moody first came into prominence in the World Class Wrestling Association in Texas in the 1980s, playing a character named Percy Pringle. But it was in the role of Paul Bearer (manager of The Undertaker) that he really caught the public’s attention.

The World Wrestling Federation took an edger direction in the late- 90s, and the Undertaker/ Paul Bearer characters went along with that. One infamous incident involved hanging Stone Cold Steve Austin from a “symbol” (totally not a cross).

Bearer was written out of storylines in 2004, though he made a few appeareances with the Undertaker and his storyline son Kane in the years following that.

He also had gastric bypass surgery, which improved his health and he lost a lot of weight afterwards.

Moody apparently suffered a blood clot days before his death.

"WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of William Moody, a.k.a. Paul Bearer," the company said in a released statement.

Moody is survived by his two sons, Michael and Daniel. His wife Dianna died in 2009 from complications from breast cancer and chemotherapy.