What happened to The Undertaker's manager Paul Bearer?

The Undertaker's manager Paul Bearer was one of the scariest characters we have ever seen in WWE. The eerie pallbearer managed The Undertaker in some of his most iconic feuds. He carried The Undertaker's urn with him wherever he went and it only added to the mystique of The Deadman's gimmick.

Sadly, Paul Bearer passed away on March 5th 2013 at the age of 58. His cause of death was revealed to be a heart attack. Bearer reportedly had a dangerously high heart rate and fast heart rhythm at the time of his passing.

Paul Bearer had a history of medical issues, both physical and mental, and was the focus of the WWE Network special The Mortician. Bearer had trouble with his weight and underwent gastric bypass surgery to aid with his issues. His health issues didn't stop him and he did all he could to be at peace with his condition.

Undertaker and Paul Bearer at Wembley Stadium for SummerSlam, 1992. pic.twitter.com/fJgbUTnl65

— 90s WWE (@90sWWE) June 4, 2021

How did The Undertaker pay tribute to Paul Bearer?

The Undertaker paying tribute to Paul Bearer at his farewell at Survivor Series 2020

WWE paid tribute to Paul Bearer's legacy by inducting him into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014. Bearer's real-life family accepted the induction, before The Undertaker made an appearance doing his signature pose to pay homage to his long-time manager and friend.

The Undertaker once again paid tribute to Bearer during his farewell at the Survivor Series pay-per-view in 2020. The Undertaker did his signature pose in the middle of the ring, and a hologram of Paul Bearer appeared. It became one of the most emotional moments of The Deadman's farewell. A touching tribute.

Paul Bearer was an iconic manager in front of and behind the curtain and was a great friend and great person in my life. I hope this shows just a portion of the man he was and the role he played in helping make The Undertaker so successful. #TheMortician @WWENetwork pic.twitter.com/UdeWpixOVj

— Undertaker (@undertaker) November 8, 2020

Back in 2013, Bearer's passing was used in a major Undertaker storyline leading into WrestleMania. The Undertaker was facing CM Punk and Taker initially had some doubts about using Bearer in the story. He discussed it on the WWE Network special 'The Mortician: The Story of Paul Bearer':

"At this point, I have a little bit more say on whether things happen or not. And I was conflicted. Initially I felt like it was too disrespectful. But then we kind of come to the conclusion like, Paul would love this. We're using the character. We're not talking about Bill Moody, we're talking about Paul Bearer. And he absolutely would have loved it. His character is still relevant at this point, and that we're using it," The Undertaker said. (h/t Comic Book)

Paul Bearer's legacy will be remembered forever for the impact he had on The Undertaker's career. We sincerely hope that he rests in peace whilst we continue to enjoy his work for many years to come.