Over the years, many Superstars have come and gone in WWE, but only a select few have ever been able to tough it out and have a career within the company that has lasted beyond a decade. One such wrestler that falls into this category is none other than Kane who has now endured a monstrous 20 years under the guidance of Vince McMahon.
Throughout his career we’ve seen Kane engage in a number of fascinating storylines, however, for every Hell in a Cell debut, there’s a Katie Vick or a Corporate Kane lurking around every corner. Despite this, the former World Champion has always been the ultimate professional, and that’s an incredibly commendable trait in today’s wrestling landscape.
Unfortunately, WWE isn't really affording Kane the respect that he deserves, barely even mentioning his name on WWE television over the last few months. Sure he’s been off doing other things, and we’ll get to that – but if anything those other projects should warrant a sign of recognition from the company that he’s given so much to over the years.
With all of that being said, here are five reasons why WWE owes more than this to Kane.
#1 Longevity
When it comes to making a lasting impact in the wrestling business, there aren’t too many guys who can claim to have had a longer tenure in WWE than Kane. Through hell and high water (pun not intended) he’s managed to stay relevant to the point where twenty years on, fans still pop at hearing his fiery entrance all around the world.
He’s managed to keep himself in great shape for the most part, which is staggering considering how much he must have gone through over the last two decades. At the age of 49 years old, he’s still going strong despite having some time off recently, with the majority of wrestlers at that age usually hitting the retirement button.
Please, for the love of god, take off the suit.
#2 Dedication to the gimmick
The character of Kane has fluctuated back and forth between being an unstoppable monster and a comedy guy so many times that we’ve lost count. Whether it was tearing through the entire roster or winning the tag titles alongside Daniel Bryan, Kane made whatever he did inside the squared circle work, and that’s often a tough thing to do for a bigger wrestler.
Kane has charisma flowing through his veins which has allowed him to extend his career far beyond anyone could’ve expected, with his latest stint as Corporate Kane proving just how badly he wants to remain a part of the company. After all, nobody can take that kind of systematic humiliation and not be considered an extremely dedicated employee right?
Championship gold is an elusive thing...
#3 World Title troubles
From the second that Kane tore the door off that Hell in a Cell, it was evident that he was destined for great things within WWE. A lot of fans were tipping him for a run with the WWF Championship within mere months of debuting; meanwhile, others felt as if he had the potential to hold onto the belt for as long as a year.
Also read: 5 ways that Kane could end his WWE career
Unfortunately, fantasy booking only takes you so far, and Kane’s eventual fortune with World Titles wasn’t as glorious as we were all expecting. The Devil’s Favourite Demon had a one day run as WWF Champion before dropping the belt back to Stone Cold, and then in 2010, he had a run with the World Heavyweight Championship during which he was forced to look like a fool at the hands of Edge. Great.
Lighting the way for a better future.
#4 Running for mayor
The man that we know to be Kane actually goes by the name of Glenn Jacobs in real life, and as we all now know, Jacobs is in the running to become the new mayor of Knox County. It’s not all that surprising of a move if you’ve been reading the dirtsheets over the last few months, with Glenn always having a keen interest in the world of politics.
Plus, Jacobs has also been noted as one of the most intelligent Superstars in the history of WWE by a number of his colleagues – which is quite the accolade. So with all this in mind, why oh why aren’t the company promoting or even mentioning the fact that Kane is doing this? After all, they’ve never had any problem addressing him out of character in the past.
We conclude with perhaps the most important point of all.
#5 In-ring safety
The primary goal for any professional wrestler is safety, as you’re quite literally putting your life in the hands of your opponent every time you step inside the squared circle. Thankfully, Kane seems to have this down to a tee with a number of Superstars past and present noting him down as one of the most reliable workers they’ve ever been in the ring with.
One of his biggest admirers has been CM Punk who, in the midst of a rather angry rant against WWE, took the time to say how much he enjoyed working with Kane as the matches were just so easy. That may not seem like a compliment from an outsider’s perspective, but there’s a reason why so many top level guys work with Kane.
All of these points are a very long winded way of saying the following: WWE, man up and give Kane some love.
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