10 Wrestlers Who Gained Nothing From Becoming World Champion
9. Kane
Considering how long he’s been under WWE employ, it’s surprising that Kane doesn’t have more world title reigns to his name. ‘The Big Red Machine’ has won just two major belts since 1995 (three if you include the ECW Championship), with close to twelve years separating his runs as WWE and World Heavyweight Champion.
Kane’s first title reign was particularly pointless. June 1998 saw him face off against Steve Austin in a First Blood match. Kane’s bodysuit and mask meant he had virtually no skin showing, while Austin was almost completely exposed, making the outcome extremely predictable.
The match made sense from a storyline POV (as Vince was desperate to get the belt off ‘Stone Cold,’ so he booked him in an un-winnable match), but the reign made little sense for Kane. Austin took the WWE Championship back the following night on Raw, and that was that.
Kane’s aura remained intact, and he stayed in the spotlight, but the one day run did absolutely nothing to enhance his status in the company, which is exactly what a title win should do.