<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"The WWE Universe is no stranger to tragedy, and this year saw the sad passing of legend Paul Bearer. When Digital Spy had the recent opportunity to talk to Paul&amp;#039;s friend and colleague Jim Ross, we asked him to share his memories. This is what he said.   &amp;quot;He was a dear friend, for many, many years, long before he assumed the name Paul Bearer. When I saw him backstage I rarely - and this is an exception to the rule for me - I rarely called him Paul Bearer or Paul. I generally called him Percy. Because I knew him for decades as Percy Pringle. &amp;quot;I had a very unique kinship with him because we both were lifelong fans of the business. We both got in the business as non-athletes and had long careers as non-in-ring performers. Even though he and I both, during our tenure, have had our opportunities to get in the ring in various incarnations in a physical sense, our primary claim to fame was the fact that we had long careers and were not wrestlers. &amp;quot;We fulfil other roles. We had a lot in common and a bond in that regard. We both enjoyed the historic nature of the business. He was a wonderful guy.  &amp;quot;We were always concerned about his health. I remember when I signed him to come back to WWE, part of that agreement was to help him get his surgery to address his weight issues. We were very concerned and wanted him to be healthy and wanted to help him be healthy. Having an eating disorder is nothing to joke about. It&amp;#039;s not a fat joke. It&amp;#039;s a serious issue that the company took very seriously. &amp;quot;We had a real good relationship. There were a few events like the Cauliflower Alley Club - these little groups and organisations that honour the wrestlers in the different eras that both he and I enjoyed attending because we were still fans. We enjoyed talking to the old-timers. The irony of that is that we both became old timers to the younger generation. &amp;quot;He was a true fan, he just loved the business. He never turned down an opportunity, when his health was good, to be involved at any level. At an event that had 200 to 300 people or an event that was held at a stadium. Every moment that he could be in the business and be involved he jumped at it. &amp;quot;He was just a wonderful, wonderful guy and certainly he was taken from us much too early. It was a shock to get the phonecall that he had passed. He and I had been keeping in contact.  &amp;quot;He was always very cheerful on the phone and always very positive and we always had laughs. He had a great sense of humour and a great recall for history and events. The most obscure details of a road trip he could remember, so he was a great storyteller and a dear friend. &amp;quot;He&amp;#039;s still missed this very day and his legacy will live forever in WWE without question because of his long association with The Undertaker. The Undertaker is on the Mount Rushmore of the WWE in my estimation. &amp;quot;He&amp;#039;s arguably the biggest, longest-tenured star in the history of the company. Because of Paul&amp;#039;s relationship with The Undertaker, Paul Bearer&amp;#039;s always going to be remembered as someone very special in our family.&amp;quot; Tickets for &amp;#039;An Evening with Jim Ross&amp;#039; are on sale now from PSI Events. Standard tickets are priced at \u00A325, VIP \u00A335. SummerSlam will be live and exclusive on Sky Sports Box Office at 1am on Sunday night, August 18 (Monday morning) in the UK and on pay-per-view at 8pm ET/5pm PT in the US. WWE will be returning to the UK and Ireland in November with 13 shows up and down the country. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/wwe/news/a501667/wwes-jim-ross-remembers-paul-bearer-his-legacy-will-live-forever/>