How Linda McMahon reacted after being told about the Kane tombstone segment

Kane underwent a transformation in 2003
Kane underwent a transformation in 2003

WWE executive Bruce Prichard has recalled that Linda McMahon immediately agreed to receive a tombstone piledriver from Kane in 2003.

The famous moment happened on the July 21, 2003 episode of WWE RAW. In storyline, Kane’s demonic character was under house arrest but he was still allowed to compete in WWE matches. At the end of the show, he hit Linda McMahon with a tombstone piledriver on the stage area.

Speaking on his Something to Wrestle With podcast, Prichard discussed Shane McMahon’s WWE career. When the Kane vs. Shane McMahon rivalry was mentioned, Prichard remembered how Linda McMahon reacted after being told about the tombstone segment.

“When Kane gave Linda the tombstone, that was one of those days of Linda, bless her heart, man, was just like, ‘Okay… okay.’ Again, she was the last one of the group [the McMahon family] that wanted to be in front of a camera, never wanted to take a bump or do any of that stuff. She was like, ‘Okay.’ Did it like a champ. Crazy.”

The storyline resulted in Kane defeating Shane McMahon at the Unforgiven and Survivor Series pay-per-views in 2003.

Why did Kane tombstone Linda McMahon?

Steve Austin and Linda McMahon
Steve Austin and Linda McMahon

The episode of WWE RAW began with a promo segment involving Linda McMahon and Co-General Managers Eric Bischoff and Steve Austin. Linda McMahon denied Kane the opportunity to challenge for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, which Triple H held at the time.

At the end of the night, Kane approached Linda McMahon on the stage area after he attacked his opponent, Rob Van Dam, and several WWE officials. Jerry Lawler initially prevented Kane from chokeslamming Linda McMahon. However, The Big Red Machine fought Lawler off before hitting Vince McMahon’s wife with a tombstone.

Please credit Something to Wrestle With and give a H/T to SK Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

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