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In 1997, the Pro Wrestling world witnessed the debut of one of the greatest characters ever. The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels were ripping each other in the middle of the ring, and all of a sudden, there was a blast, and the entire arena turned red.
And, there came the man, 7 feet tall, weighing over 300 pounds, with a mask that concealed his face. He just ripped open the door of the cell as if a child was taking apart a toy, entered the ring, and delivered a thunderous Tombstone to his storyline brother- The Undertaker. Kane had announced his arrival in thunderous fashion.
22 years have passed since, and Kane has grown into the unsung hero of the business. While the likes of The Undertaker, The Rock, Stone Cold, and Shawn Michaels became mainstream as the decades rolled by, Kane’s aura diminished slowly. And that is why, you talk of the greatest wrestlers of all time, Kane will not immediately figure right at the top.
He could not ‘Electrify’ the crowd like The Rock, he could not deliver ‘Show Stopping’ performances like Shawn Michaels, and he did not possess the ethereal aura that The Undertaker exuded every time he entered the ring. Yet, Kane was the man who gave his everything to the business. He has feuded with some of the biggest names of the industry including the likes of The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Stone cold, Bret Hart, Triple H, The Big Show and Brock Lesnar.
He even underwent a dramatic change, becoming ‘Corporate Kane’, wearing a suit and a tie, a complete contrast to the demonic character that he had been portraying in his career. But, he still did it, for the betterment of the business. He has adapted to the changing requirement, both of his own body and the business, and is a sure-shot future ‘Hall of Famer’ of the WWE.
He has been involved in some of the best storylines, especially with the legendary Undertaker. Inferno matches, Buried Alive matches and Hell in a Cell matches were a common feature when these two behemoths were in action, and they gave the WWE Universe many spooky moments that will stay with them forever.
While he has now become a Mayor and has been reduced to sporadic appearances, the legacy that Kane has left behind will live on.
The WWE should certainly give him a farewell match at WrestleMania XXXVI, for he has been the tireless warrior who played an important role in catapulting the business to great heights, yet never got the recognition he deserved.
