After The Undertaker won the WWF Championship at WrestleMania 13, Paul Bearer, who had been engaged in a long period of mutual hostility with the Undertaker ever since Bearer's betrayal at SummerSlam 1996, attempted to reunite with him on "Raw is War". When Undertaker rejected his attempt at a reunion however, Undertaker's arch-enemy, Mankind, along with Bearer, launched a fireball into The Undertaker's face. This continued at April's when The Undertaker returned the favor, launching a fireball of his own into the face of his former manager, who had unsuccessfully attempted to assist Mankind to victory in their WWF Championship match. On the May 12 episode of Raw, Mankind reintroduced Bearer, whose face was heavily bandaged due to the burns the Undertaker had inflicted upon him. Bearer again made efforts to get Undertaker to be his protege; this time around, however, threatening the exposure of The Undertaker's "deepest, darkest secret." During the cryptic interview, Bearer likened the fire that had burned his face at Revenge of the Taker to a fire that had occurred during The Undertaker's childhood (the secret).