10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Dec 21)

4. Kane Blames Himself For Isaac Yankem's Failure

Isaac Yankem DDS
WWE.com

Years before he was playing the role of The Undertaker's brother, Kane had to suffer through the indignity of playing an evil wrestling dentist and a cheap Kevin Nash knock-off. The first gimmick, introduced in 1995, came during a time when the WWF were obsessed with 'real job' characters, and it sucked.

Kane, surprisingly, blames himself.

On Sean Waltman's X-Pac 1, 2, 360 show, the current Mayor or Knox County, Tennessee said he failed to make the best of a bad situation. To him, Isaac Yankem D.D.S could have worked had he not viewed it with skepticism or believed it was a limited idea with a short shelf life; we'd suggest Kane is being a bit hard on himself here.

In '95, the future legend also didn't believe he belonged on a roster with workers like Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and 'Taker. That self-doubt contributed to the gimmick's collapse (again, this seems a tad generous from Kane. The gimmick failed because it was rubbish, not because he was insecure).

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.