10 Reasons The Kane That Debuted In 1997 Is Way Cooler Than Today's

3. Paul Bearer

The 2014 Hall of Famer Bearer was key to the early success of Kane. Like Dr. Frankenstein, he created a monster. Unlike the good doctor, he willingly and knowingly unleashed it on an entire roster of unsuspecting Superstars. Bearer promised the arrival of the destroyer and delivered on it. Bearer was extraordinary at that point of his career, delivering some tremendous microphone work and doing it while being backed up by a Superstar he knew few Superstars would be willing to cross. When it became clear later in Kane's first year with the company that Bearer had the tendency to exploit him, to use him for his own benefit, it lend a feeling of sympathy to Kane. Simply put, every layer of the character in that first year of existence was the result of his relationship with Paul Bearer. When the two were split up and Kane was left to go it alone, one could not help but sense that something was missing with the overall presentation of Kane. They tried to fix it, partnering him with X-Pac and pairing him with Tori but it just never quite clicked the way that it did with Bearer. This past April, Kane rightfully inducted Bearer into the Hall of Fame and did so with a great deal of class and dignity.