WWE Hall of Fame 2021 Inductee: Kane
It’s not Unabomb. It’s not Isaac Yankem. It’s not Fake Diesel. That’s gotta be Kane going into the WWE Hall of Fame. Glenn Jacobs has had a wild ride in his professional that started back in 1992, where he was trained by the legendary Dean Malenko. Jacobs began wrestling in places like USWA, World Wrestling Council and Smoky Mountain Wrestling. He also wrestled briefly in WCW, but his big break came in 1995, when signed with WWE. Jacobs did not achieve instant success. He had the roles of Dr. Isaac Yankem and Fake Diesel, which didn’t give him a lot of time in television, but his big break was coming and no one knew how it change his life and the landscape of WWE forever.
In 1997, The Undertaker was feuding with his former manager Paul Bearer who kept throwing everyone at him. Vader, Mankind, and The Executioner all tried to take down The Deadman, but none of them could get the job the done. Paul Bearer would reveal that The Undertaker had a brother who survived a fire from when they were younger and his name was Kane. At Bad Blood 1997, Kane made his debut and attacked his brother during the first ever Hell in a Cell match that featured The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. For months, Kane taunted his brother in so many evil ways, which eventually lead to Taker facing him at WrestleMania 14. It took three Tombstone Piledrivers to put Kane way in the match. They would meet in the first ever Inferno Match where Kane was once again sat and fire. Kane and Undertaker weren’t always at odds. They teamed up many times as The Brothers of Destruction and won the WCW Tag Team Championships and the WWE Tag Team Championships
Kane also had a very impressive run when he wasn’t attached to The Undertaker. He won the Tag Team Championships with The Big Show, Daniel Bryan, Mankind, X-Pac, Rob Van Dam, and The Hurricane. He won the Intercontinental Championship in a lengthy feud with Triple H. He also won the ECW Championship, Hardcore Championship, and the 24/7 Championship. Kane won the WWE Championship in 1998 against Stone Cold Steve Austin and the World Heavyweight Championship from Rey Mysterio. Outside of The Undertaker, he also had notable feuds with Edge and D-Generation X. Kane was always thought of as this serious and dark character until he teamed up with Daniel Bryan to form team Hell No. Kane showed his range as a character and performer during that time period. He and Bryan were must see TV every week and it was very entertaining.
Kane has had a lot of memorable moments at events such as Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. He even gave Pete Rose the Tombstone Piledriver three years in a row at WrestleMania. Once Kane started slowing down his WWE career, he became involved with politics and his community. In 2018, he was voted in as Mayor of Knoxville. He will always be a WWE lifer. Once he signed in 1995, he never looked back and never went elsewhere. Some might say that The Undertaker saved his career, but he also added another dimension to The Undertaker’s career. His accomplishments and accolades speak for themselves. As a character and performer, he will go down as one of the all time great. As a person, he has a heart of gold and a love for people that’s unmatched by many other. Congratulations to Kane on his induction in the 2021 WWE Hall of Fame
