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RF Video Shoot Interview with Percy Pringle (Paul Bearer), Disc Two

This was filmed on February 17th, 2006

The interview was conducted by Rob Feinstein and Doug Gentry

Disc Two runs at one hour and twenty-nine minutes long

For those that missed it yesterday, you can read the recap for Disc One by clicking on the link below


http://www.rspwfaq.net/2015/03/rf-video-shoot-interview-with-percy.html





The disc begins with Bearer talking about his initial meeting with Vince McMahon. Pat Patterson picked him up and brought Pringle to Titan Towers. He sat at the table with Vince, Patterson, and JJ Dillon among others. Pringle said he even brought a resume and a demo tape as he always came prepared. Vince grabbed the resume and after looking it over, glanced to JJ and Pat and told them that Pringle was a real mortician. Pringle said he thought nothing of it then they all started to laugh as he had no idea why they were laughing. So, Vince sticks in the demo tape as Patterson came back with a contract for Pringle. Vince told him to have his lawyer look it over as he went home. JJ called him a few weeks later wanting him to die his hair and mustache black as he would be called "Paul Bearer" as he would be managing the Undertaker.



At first, Pringle said he hated the Paul Bearer gimmick but that changed when he got his first paycheck. He then said that it was the easiest gig as all he did was come down to the ring and go "oh yeah." 



Pringle talks about how the Undertaker was a party animal at that time so he was almost like his babysitter as Pringle said he was always organized and made sure rental cars, hotel rooms, and other things were taken care of for both of them. 



He tells a story of once on the Funeral Parlor, he was with Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan. Pringle said that he was thinking in his head "fuck, how can it get bigger than this" as he talks about how a picture from that segment is hanging on the wall in his office. 



Doug references a comment Pringle made in Disc One about how Vince hits home runs but he also hits a lot of foul balls too and asks him to comment on some of his blunders. Pringle said that Katie Vick was one of the worst and probably still is the single worst thing he has ever seen in wrestling. He also said that Giant Gonzalez was horrible as both the Undertaker and himself were relieved when that feud ended.



When asked why the angle with the Fake Undertaker (Brian Lee) bombed, Pringle said the angle was the "shits." He then talks about how Lee and the Undertaker are best friends and that Lee was even the best man at his wedding.



Pringle tells a funny story about how Kamala was petrified of being in the casket, which Kamala called a "cascadus" so Vince decided to play a rib on Kamala by having them nail the casket shut then when he was wheeled backstage, they just left him there in the casket.



On the Kliq, Pringle said he never had to worry about them because he was with the Undertaker. Pringle said that he was spoiled from being with the Undertaker. Pringle then said he heard a rumor of Shawn and the Undertaker getting into a confrontation at the 1997 Survivor Series but never saw it himself. About the "Montreal Incident," Pirngle thought it was a work at the time and still thinks that it is but is less sure.



When asked about the Undertaker's feud with Mick Foley, Pringle talks about how he knew him from World Class. He then says that before the show Mick was telling Vince that he wanted to get tossed off of the cage and through the table. Vince couldn't believe that he would want to do that and originally did not want that to happen at all.



About Kane, Pringle said that the Undertaker and himself came up with the idea. Pringle talks about how they had fun with the angles. He then calls Kane a fantastic human being and how he will do anything asked of him.



He then talks about the struggle with his weight as he hid his pain from eating non stop and when he was away from the WWE he weighed 520lbs and told his wife that if he didnt think he would go to hell he would kill himself. Pringle said he is a practicing Catholic. He then got called by Jim Ross, who told him they had an idea for him to return for an angle at WrestleMania XX but he knew he was too big to go out and was too depressed so he just emailed him back. He then told Ross that he was exploring gastric bypass surgery as the company gave him a new contract with a bonus to help pay for some of the surgery. He got the surgery weighing 545lbs and is now down to 280lbs.



About Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara, Pringle said he never had a problem with Russo and worked a show for his Ring of Glory production and had a great time. He said that Russo would hang out at the doors of the arenas trying to get interviews with the wrestlers before he was in the WWF. He also said that Russo gave them creative control and never really gave his input.



They finally ask him about Tammy Sytch as he makes a lot of jokes then says that when she came in with Chris Candido they were young and had attitude. Pringle said that Sytch butted heads with him constantly and they hated each other but looking back he does not hate her and talks about being there when the boys shit in her food and she ate it and understands why she acted that way.



On the party scene, Pringle said there was always a party to find somewhere but today there is really none of that as the business has changed. He then says that today some guys go back to their hotel rooms to play video games so they do not have the stories to tell like he has about parties.



When asked if any of the other diva's would ask him for advice on how to manage, Pringle said that Trish Stratus always did as Pringle said she was always respectful and just a great person, hoping that she has never changed.



Pringle talks about the feud with the Dudley Boys. He said that the reason he got buried in concrete was to right him off because he was going to get gallbladder surgery. He said that after that he was not on TV but still got a paycheck every week for 1.5 years. He then said it was real concrete with some oatmeal mixed in for texture purposes for television as he was sitting in a glass case. He had a button to press and that if he could not press it they were going to have guys with sledgehammers come in to break the glass because it was that dangerous. They pre-taped it and put the mixture up to his nose but the machine sucking up the concrete broke so they had to bust him out as Pringle went spilling out with the mix. On the live show, it was an extra from Hollywood playing him as he was already back to Alabama when it aired.



He talks about today's wrestling and how the WWE and TNA has a lot of guys who all look the same or work the same way too. Pringle then tells all of those aspiring to be a wrestler today to never give up their dreams, no matter how hard it gets.



On his strangest fan interaction, Pringle said that a fan once slid a piece of paper underneath the stall in a bathroom at the Atlanta airport while he was taking a shit asking for his autograph. He then joked that the autograph was in "brown ink."



Pringle talks about how he loved when they went to Amsterdam as they had stores like 7-11 that sold marijuana and how they had bars with girls on circular beds going at it while the wrestlers were salivating then one girl turned around and it turned out she had a dick.



He tells another story of how they had legal prostitution and he was walking with Harvey Whippleman and someone else. Whippleman never went their before and saw the whores in the window. He went over to one of them and the girl looked down at Harvey before turning off the light and dropping the shade.



When asked about his favorite rib, Pringle says he has a few "secrets" to tell about the Undertaker. He says that the Undertaker hates cucumbers and gets sick when he sees them. Pringle then tells a story of how after a night out of drinking they went to the Waffle House. While there, Brian Adams dropped a cucumber in the Undertaker's tea and he took a sip and immediately vomited. Pringle then said that he would take cucumber slices from catering and stick them in the Undertaker's gloves and hat. Pringle then said that the Undertaker's nickname in the locker room was "Wendy," referencing the red-headed girl from the fast food restaurant. Pringle also says that "ribs" are as dead as kayfabe as the wrestlers today flip out and are unable to handle them when someone gets one over on them.



Pringle tells a story of a rib when during the Hog Pen match, Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith ended up putting all of the pigs into Vince McMahon's office.



He closes by thanking his fans and plugging his website and promotion, Gulf South Wrestling.



Final Thoughts: I thought this interview was great. The recap might not read all that exciting but listening to Pringle talk about wrestling was tremendous fun. He is a huge fan and seems like the type of guy that you could approach easily and talk about wrestling with him.

Pringle seemed to have a blast doing this interview and would make jokes all of the time. He also seems like a good person and didnt try to bury anyone.

I recommend this interview as it was an easy listen and a blast throughout.




You can buy the DVD of the shoot for $20 by clicking on the link below:

http://www.rfvideo.com/shootwithpercypringle.aspx

You can also download a digital copy of the show for $14.99 by clicking on the link below

http://store.rfvideonow.com/downloads/percy-pringle-shoot-interview/


Comments

  1. So Brock ended up smelling like a cucumber during his match with Taker last year? No wonder he beat him!

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  2. (
    Pringle tells a story of a rib when during the Hog Pen match, Owen Hart
    and Davey Boy Smith ended up putting all of the pigs into Vince
    McMahon's office.)

    Oh man, that's brilliant.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "He went over to one of them and the girl looked down at Harvey before turning off the light and dropping the shade."

    That sounds like the most Whipplemen thing ever.

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  4. Poor guy gets turned down by whores while everyone bangs his wife

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  5. That Kamala story was horrible to hear. I have a similar fear of being trapped inside very close quarters (casket, sheet of ice etc.) and I would probably have a heart attack if I was in Kamala's shoes.

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  6. I knew he got really heavy, but I legitimately never realized Pringle got up to 545.

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  7. Yeah, that was cruel, especially since Kamala seemed like a sweet guy.

    But the Taker/cucumbers and the pigs in Vince's office thing were hilarious.

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  8. Must... resist... making joke about... Kamala's shoes....!

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  9. "At first, Pringle said he hated the Paul Bearer gimmick but that changed when he got his first paycheck. "

    One thing about those old school guys that went through the territories...they knew it was all about the money. If the gimmick paid well it was great.

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  10. Wow. I did NOT see Taker as a party animal.

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  11. Harmless and funny. Nice to hear one that doesn't make them all sound like a bunch of sociopaths.

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  12. He's like William H. Macy in Boogie Nights.

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  13. I thought I'd heard stuff about him at least being a big drinker. I think he ran with Jake the Snake on the road for a while.

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  14. Owen Hart's ribs always came off as funny and harmless not malicious like the ribs performed by other wrestlers.

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  15. I also laughed at the Wendy nickname. I had never heard that. I bet Taker thought he was safe and that secret died with Bearer.

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  16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXIP9RSWlaU



    This was awesome

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  17. The Ghost Of Meekin's MoobsMarch 20, 2015 at 12:49 PM

    What about the time he smashed up a fans bathroom, after the fan had allowed him to stop the night for free?

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  18. Good work as always Mr B. How about we finally get the Bruno timeline next week?

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  19. "Pringle then said that he would take cucumber slices from catering and stick them in the Undertaker's gloves and hat."



    I found this incredibly funny for some reason.

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  20. Dammit, no explanation for "I'm Paul Bearer, and you're not!"

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  21. That was pillman.

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  22. The Ghost Of Meekin's MoobsMarch 20, 2015 at 3:24 PM

    No. Pillman shit on someone's bathroom floor. Owen was staying at a fans house, managed to pull their basin off the wall then left without telling them. They're two separate stories of dickishness.

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  23. When he was showing up on TNA PPV's in 2002, he was massive, especially after we last saw him in 2000 as skinny as he'd been since the early 90s.

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  24. At least they're in mint condition.

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  25. I've also heard about him being a big drinker, but I always thought it was like Austin. Sit at the bar, hang out and drink a lot, go to bed.

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  26. Working in IT we used to pull our share of ribs, but we didn't damage property or exploit someone's phobia. These guys here...wow.
    Funniest rib I heard? Ahmed said Owen told him he was going to be a guest on Leno before WM12. Ahmed goes out and buys all this jewelry, suit and all that jazz. Bret just gave him a wtf look. That's funny without committing a felony to get a laugh.

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  27. "Vince decided to play a rib on Kamala by having them nail the casket shut then when he was wheeled backstage, they just left him there in the casket."


    Vince McMahon is a real piece of shit.

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  28. I hope Bray comes out dressed as a cucumber at WM to defeat Taker by forfeit.

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  29. It's the little touch of the lights coming back on and the fans realising that the coffin is red that I enjoy most.

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  30. I'll take being locked in a casket all day long over someone crapping in my food.

    ReplyDelete

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