10 Secrets Behind WWE Magic Tricks

4. Kane Gets Set On Fire

Ring Collapse WWE Thumb
WWE.com

In 1998, Vince McMahon was obsessed with something bizarre. Where possible, he wanted to set Kane on fire or convince you that Kane was going to be set on fire. 

At King Of The Ring, Kane vowed to set himself on fire were he not to win the WWF Title from Steve Austin. It was a deranged stipulation, but not implausible, since Kane had been set on fire at Unforgiven. He lost an Inferno match against the Undertaker - a half-decent spectacle, given their tedious anti-chemistry - after he stumbled backwards into the flames surrounding the ring. Kane being an idiot here was actually a believable development. 

In 2019, Kane revealed to the Pardon My Take podcast that the Hollywood stunt specialists hired to oversee the stunt were aghast that it was to be performed live with just one rehearsal scheduled. This is probably something Kane shouldn’t have admitted, since it seems incredibly reckless. 

He avoided serious injury, despite the lack of preparation, for two reasons: the sleeve on his ring gear was flame retardant, and as advised, he moved his right arm away from his face to avoid smoke inhalation before he was extinguished in the back. 

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!