WWE In 1997 | Wrestling Timelines

14. June 30 | Kane Is Alive

Paul Bearer reveals the lore of the Undertaker’s past on Raw Is War. 

The Undertaker’s father was a mortician; his mother a receptionist at the funeral home. Bearer reveals that the Undertaker had a younger brother, Kane, who Bearer claims in his experience as an apprentice was “sweet” and idolised his older brother. ‘Taker, a terrible influence, “burnt the funeral home to the ground”. This summons ‘Taker, who threatens to kill Paul Bearer there and then, before Bearer reveals that he knows this information because Kane told him. Thought long dead in the same fire, Kane is in fact alive. 

This storyline is very heightened, obviously 100% fictional, and is tonally removed from the realistic, blurred-lines fare of Bret Vs. Shawn - but it captures the imagination of the audience and is impressive in its ambition. This is a new device, not entirely dissimilar to the way in which Dusty Rhodes would tease the arrival of a new mysterious threat, but the scope is massive. The idea is to build over a span of months a terrifying, supernatural mega-heel. The old Monster of the Week formula has lost its lustre, and ‘Taker can’t just beat everybody and lose forever. This new dimension is compelling.

The new strange bedfellows creative tag team of Vince Russo and Jim Cornette combine their respective loves of supernatural trash and long-term build to craft something that will become unforgettable. It’s a shame they literally can’t stand the sight of one another; when they co-exist, it works. The patience required to do this, when there’s a ratings war to win, is commendable. 

With no irony, Vince McMahon treats the war as a marathon, not a sprint.