|
The masked history of Kane
; V) b3 v# c" d2 W- u1 V( b
1 Y/ h4 t/ v* h3 Y0 G+ V* S( b4 A. q, d/ Z" N8 D" [* i; ?
8 S( o/ S9 B! r s9 h# T5 ~
Behold, the frightening face of Kane, which haunted WWE for nearly a decade.
H" ~2 u% m6 f% W) V. F# A. E
4 R0 p3 S" z. e) w: d3 q" L& D6 h7 y) Y1 p( B* K$ X
$ \& n1 b% V6 m% A) u dPaul Bearer introduced the WWE Universe to Kane at In Your House: Badd Blood, in October 1997.
. B$ P9 E; ?& g1 p' O F# z; w6 t0 I6 y. s2 u# W1 c
+ ]7 ^1 h$ p# a. o) u8 g m
# [7 p! @4 l3 F
The Big Red Machine confronted his brother, The Undertaker, during the first-ever Hell in a Cell Match.
. R8 N( ~ e: N. D9 y0 I* Y$ |4 r. o( j% B+ n x) U
1 o0 u5 {! m- }1 w( g5 d( G
( g- W5 N# u8 s& a/ Q" N5 v" PThe masked monster ripped the cage door off its hinges before attacking The Deadman.; C* T0 l# G; B4 s
- w. @+ t( X7 I
( L/ {( j* [ Q1 a
8 L4 J$ K6 F) L+ H+ b" b6 A* e# C4 e* D) I
' ^+ W% F# L- ? `* Y
Kane blazed a trail of destruction during his early years in WWE.
! Y0 O( D" A" B, P3 b
; k8 z: j& V& _# y1 ~& T2 r, ], f1 W" t0 j( Q3 I# w6 C" \
$ H: d f/ U# m! P+ u+ @The monster walked through hellfire on a nightly basis.
9 {# M; l: L5 s1 e* b" q7 Y* H) d; l I) I( S# C
3 N3 S8 Z3 `( w, G1 b
2 y$ G: |% t6 N Y* X7 J5 Z( \
4 h4 }$ t( T: J# E
% O2 m+ F3 m" m7 H. j4 RThe Brothers of Destruction were destined to do battle, despite The Undertaker's initial refusal.# W8 y# N3 t6 J4 v: i! l
2 c4 [% ]. u6 k5 M! W( p8 H) ^% z4 W0 ~) R
5 _- S8 p w1 @: D: I: D
Kane's consistent attacks eventually forced The Phenom to retaliate.! @' q1 q* x/ o) O
2 Z, j3 L3 J( o5 P
, n+ U! Y F B8 ?; e$ U, }; v0 i2 @% z/ Y/ T& j1 ^1 F9 }) c
The two faced off many times, most famously at WrestleManias XIV and XX.
9 g) p: y q# |0 N3 I0 U$ u( }. l l1 g0 i; a- z# H
( H; D" \3 s4 W! b; K$ V$ \& v
( s1 D1 N5 L7 R
4 \& D6 |8 B8 y- |, G: K
7 b8 z6 n: P, m* T$ H0 oThe Big Red Machine defeated "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in June 1998 to capture the WWE Championship.
; f# C9 B5 u6 G: ^7 H5 w) ^. r0 R8 V& t R/ U X. S4 E
1 i' t3 e1 _/ Y* K& ]$ d3 }
j3 d8 ?7 s4 M. G1 l. [1 o' |; }) d
( I: T" R0 J3 }* xKane won the WWE Title within 9 months of his debut.
' k, U9 |% W& h7 H
. Y/ o. L" k" L$ ^+ Q
0 n9 h6 @' c3 y$ t: U c
% \# S; B! U9 I ^8 a$ e9 {With Paul Bearer at his side, The Big Red Monster seemed unstoppable.- z" p" |9 a; B6 Z% l
4 P" i. V7 x3 p& X# w. T: G6 F. j' ^+ q: i [' L2 j' r/ {! f; T
# |8 r: c/ ^/ y+ l, g6 K7 Y4 K8 m3 o, _0 h
N7 y' v, w1 Z; JIncredibly, Kane's first World Championship reign was short-lived, lasting only one day.
( f" c3 I* {3 C$ x; R' t/ J' s/ L, z- _4 { W9 |
4 D& t8 w x' P. E" g
. H# m2 N w' s3 W* \0 W2 F
# H, O7 {* `6 t8 X" _" j- ^
" K% d7 \/ m- j
, D/ N7 S5 f' k; y6 X. K# Z
: y2 N6 O* v4 v+ Z- SChampionship gold wouldn't elude Kane for long. He teamed with Mankind to win the World Tag Team Titles.4 i2 ]5 O9 X, ^, s2 ]" z: d
. r! L, C7 Y! M1 T3 x+ C
6 m- }6 U2 e' [! V4 `
4 v( o0 ?4 z/ A
Throughout his early years in WWE, Kane was a man of few words, due to injuries he suffered from a fire years before.. i( v; {6 ~& O, j) o
3 F5 D E/ W2 W Z/ \
+ l q; _5 v! S: H6 R' {* T
3 j# f; Z: S2 _) j" QThough always a loner, the horrific Superstar surprisingly went on to be one of the most successful tag team competitors in WWE history.' n: `- r; l" b- G) @+ L' r7 }* P
4 g5 Z5 n9 d& v. J g: |9 p
* f5 c) S& e* U8 n/ ?
. d" h( R6 Q7 d+ K- C4 R/ MThe Devil's Favorite Demon formed championship alliances with Big Show, X-Pac and The Undertaker, among others.
6 ~% U& o9 q* l2 j6 w3 j+ I! x" n( R7 L* O! _9 W* B
+ P" [9 _; s1 ]; x
: m8 X w9 D s4 z. U$ g
: F3 Y5 g3 h) i* T
6 K0 s; Z( o% D# ?* s- t+ W% b- O
; ]4 r. C0 R" K! I( o8 s7 QFrom time to time, Kane's gear changed, including the reversal of colors on his outfit here. His terrifying dominance, however, never altered.
' a/ ^ w3 z+ b( p& A+ Z H
* L3 d- ~& K8 D, L% c/ o/ d1 I M
2 h) g( R! r; t ^3 G* e% e9 K# B3 h
Celebrities like Drew Carey made no impression on Kane; he treated them just like any other opponent he tortured.- v0 ~* d) y1 |9 O
V( S5 U" [( a* `* [0 [8 T& }$ q+ e. R( X+ p9 Q3 G
9 O2 V8 c7 J- Q! A6 R
9 k( f, p5 D) l# p5 a
" X/ ?: S* l$ ]. n5 L
( n$ v* @4 Z3 d/ M+ ~& A4 I. I
! j. S8 I6 v( V( g, J) a9 WNot even chains could contain The Big Red Monster.1 h! Y L) [: o: l0 o
. k( v; Z3 t6 i
8 p8 E9 p5 X6 _, y
$ }* @. J+ I* w9 E
, P. H5 `2 p: W: n& b; t& j X* L2 r6 s W$ M, w7 ^1 ^; f* | ?8 P: M# X
When Kane returned from injury in the summer of 2002, he debuted a completely new look and demeanor, altering his iconic mask so he could talk more freely.
$ m) y) D. Y, s' d3 U
, Y" M p7 V+ \. ?- Z) x q2 @
R; y8 I; L* B6 O/ u
/ o j4 A C4 ~, a3 vIn 2002, Kane added the Intercontinental Championship to his trophy case.5 f+ c- k1 m& ?8 z* f
+ q. Y) K7 ^% D* ~4 I
& h! O8 b3 }, _, m# h
# H7 A. L& }( p4 L7 U
1 ~- Q; g; K+ j. `5 E: O
5 z" E, E) {6 ]) p% ]The Big Red Monster took part in the first-ever Elimination Chamber Match at Survivor Series 2002.
# T' ~5 b) O# r& I. c* U, k
7 t7 ~6 v* Z6 C' V& R- O9 d# M) f- r4 F
$ \ p0 y/ L! K8 j, U
S N! g# C# ]( z& c
6 a& T' @6 n- R" n. z) U; X7 g/ B+ g: R
Kane put his mask on the line for an opportunity at Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship.# ~1 s- e' B6 g" Q+ `( T1 _
/ s; q1 w% e- O) W7 X4 {
) D$ P5 e* j) @7 ^4 Y
/ Q1 [ q- \, J8 ^- FAfter coming up short in the match, The Devil's Favorite Demon was forced to unmask, revealing the WWE's new face of terror. |
|