Wrestlemania 29 News: Is WWE Crossing A Line Using Paul Bearer In CM Punk vs Undertaker Storyline?

Will the WWE go over to the dark side at the expense of good taste?

Wrestlemania isn't just a pay-per-view, it's an animal that is at the heart of the WWE. It's the biggest stage of them all that not only defines careers, but also gets the crossover appeal that sets the standard in wrestling. But on a stage that big, new paying customers are exposed to not only the best, but arguably the worst the WWE has to offer. The Paul Bearer/Undertaker/CM Punk storyline just may redefine the term "too soon".

With the Undertaker's 20-0 streak heading into Wrestlemania 29, it was widely speculated as to who his opponent would be. As Wrestlemania got closer and feuds became more apparent, the obvious choice became C.M. Punk. No sooner had the Undertaker made his pre-Wrestlemania return at a live Smackdown event in Waco, Texas on Feb 23, that it was all but a lock that the "Phenom" would face off against CM Punk. The match was practically made with just enough time to build drama for the biggest wrestling event of the year. 

Then, tragedy struck. 

William Moody aka Paul Bearer unexpectedly died on March 5 at the age of 58. At the following WWE Raw, wrestlers paid tribute to the beloved character. Speaking of character, CM Punk attacked the Undertaker and stole Bearer's trademark golden urn to end the episode of RAW. Although Punk didn't badmouth Bearer enough to spark the outrage it could have, with 3 weeks left before Wrestlemania, we're left to wonder how far with the WWE go to build an angle and most of all, if it should matter. 

WWE fans know that the conventional often doesn't apply to the cartoonish and some would say vaudevillian aspects of pro wrestling. During Bearer's tenure with the WWE, the very nature of his character, that of an evil mortician, tested the boundaries of good taste. His proteges, the Undertaker and Kane, have often had "coffin matches", proclaimed to reside in the underworld, and used a macabre angle to define their characters' behaviors.  Bearer's WWE storylines often featured death-based themes. One of the more controversial storylines was in 2004 and featured Paul Bearer in a glass crypt and implied that he had suffocated. The audience and the internet was in on the stunt, but nevertheless proved to cause questions about the WWE's standards. 

Bearer reveled in the storylines and his heel character. While it remains to be seen the extent that CM Punk's character will antagonize the Undertaker, fans would be hard pressed to think that Bearer wouldn't give his blessing to being part of this final wrestling angle. Paul Bearer was a character he rejoiced in, even when he was between WWE stints. The creepy shrill, pale skin, wide eyes, and talent for capitalizing on our fears while reminding us that it was all good fun. That's what made the character Paul Bearer so much fun. Was it in good taste? Probably not, but it's hard to believe that the former WWE manager wouldn't seeing them push the envelope with this angle and shrieking "Ohhh yes".