5 times WWE gave its Superstars a bonus 

#2 Vince McMahon gave the late Paul Bearer a bonus to help with medical bills

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

When The Undertaker agreed to bring back his "Deadman" persona to WWE at WrestleMania 20 in 2004, one thing was clear: He wanted his legendary manager Paul Bearer as part of the package.

The Undertaker performed under his "American Badass" biker gimmick in the years that led up to WrestleMania 20. However, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon decided that he wanted to return The Undertaker back to his roots for the big anniversary show at Madison Square Garden.

An initially hesitant Undertaker eventually got on board with the plan, but insisted that his longtime friend should accompany him to the ring.

NOBODY makes a return like The @undertaker...#Undertaker30 pic.twitter.com/oLYYiNRBlD

— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) November 16, 2020

Convincing Bearer to reprise his act was no easy task, though. Bearer was going through a tough time personally following the tragic passing of his wife and had gained a significant amount of weight.

During a WWE Network documentary which aired last year entitled The Mortician: The Story of Paul Bearer, the true reasons behind Bearer's reluctance to return were revealed.

In an email to then-WWE executive Jim Ross, Bearer explained that he would love to make a comeback, but did not feel physically able to perform because of his weight issues.

Upon hearing this, Vince McMahon swiftly decided to sign Bearer to a new WWE contract, regardless of whether he was going to be able to return to WWE programming. Included in the contract was a signing bonus which allowed Bearer to immediately afford gastric bypass surgery to drastically help his physical condition.

Paul Bearer ultimately returned at the side of The Undertaker for his match with Kane at WrestleMania as had originally been planned.

However, at the time he made the contract offer, McMahon was acting solely out of concern for the wellbeing of Bearer. The bonus included by McMahon was a fantastic gesture for a much-loved character.

Sadly, Paul Bearer (the real-life William Moody) passed away in 2013. Bearer received his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame when he was posthumously inducted in 2014.