10 Things We Learned From Kane On Talk Is Jericho
Big Red Machine spills the beans.
Everyone's favourite tortured sociopath-turned-mayoral candidate Kane made an appearance on Talk is Jericho this week, sitting down with Y2J to discuss everything wrestling (and politics).
As is often the case when a beloved WWE star appears out of character, the one-and-a-half-hour podcast is essentially required listening for anyone who calls themselves a wrestling fan and is eager to find out what makes the men and women of the squared circle tick.
Mostly, this is because of what an all-round swell guy The Big Red Machine appears to be. He seems genuinely pleasant and down-to-earth - not just compared to his blood-thirsty on-screen alter-ego, but probably compared to just about anyone you could care to name.
And, in his capacity as a nice guy, Kane was kind enough to share with Jericho - and, by extension, all of us - some of his opinions on the world of professional wrestling, what he most enjoyed about his two decades in WWE and, pertinently, what the future may hold after he wraps up his campaign to become mayor of Knox County.
Here's the best of what we learned.
10. He Was On Board With Unmasking
Wrestling fans have a tendency to convince themselves that their favourite stars are bound to agree with them about what they perceive as stupid or damaging booking decisions.
Sage ring veteran The Undertaker probably hated doing that, we tell ourselves after watching him fire a lightning bolt out the end of his fingers, only to find out a few months later that the whole thing was actually his own idea.
In a similar vein, removing the mask - so says the Big Red Machine - was actually something of a mutual agreement between him and Vince McMahon. Both parties ultimately felt that the character in its current state had plateaued, and needed a radical new direction in order to evolve.
There was method to the madness too. The final 12 months of masked Kane - noted primarily for the Katie Vick revelation - weren't exactly vintage, and the period that initially followed his unveiling saw one of the biggest pushes of his career. It wasn't so much the change in get-up that proved damaging in the long-term, but the poor booking (which likely would have been the same either way).