It's often been said that The Undertaker is the greatest gimmick in the history of pro wrestling. If that's true, then Kane can't be far behind -- a spinoff of The Undertaker (and for the majority of his career, a very similar character), Kane has allowed Glenn Jacobs 17 years of high-level success. Though never a tippy-top guy, Kane's status as a remnant of the Attitude Era has afforded him a certain reverence from fans, one which has translated into good crowd reactions and merchandise sales. Kane's biggest issue is that he's simply not as good as The Undertaker. Sure, few are, but Kane has spent nearly two decades in the Deadman's shadow and while "The Devil's Favorite Demon" is talented, the differences are readily evident. His programs don't capture the imagination the way The Undertaker's do. His matches aren't as good. He doesn't have the same aura. Furthermore, his speaking style is droning and unpleasant. Fans are grateful to Kane for his contributions to WWE history, but it doesn't mean they want to hear him talk about them for what seems like hours. Hope he's got plenty of Undertaker stories.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
