A slam-dunk, this. Glenn 'Kane' Jacobs has been very forthright throughout his long and varied career with the WWF/E about who he owes the most for this, his most successful gimmick by some considerable margin. Whether teaming with Mark 'the Undertaker' Calaway or facing off against him, Jacobs says that Calaway has defined his career just as the Undertaker has defined Kane's backstory and continuity in the company. They share more than just size and a few moves - Calaway taught him how to move like a supernatural big man, that his aura as Kane was something to be protected as strongly as his finisher. Most importantly, both Kane and the Undertaker's characters make their opponents work hard on offence, as their characters shouldn't sell easily. That's a vital part of their gimmicks which is often overlooked, and which runs counter-intuitive to everything you're traditionally taught in wrestling, that you should work with your opponent and sell their offence. In practice, what that means for people in the ring against them is that they need to be fit as a bloody fiddle, because by the time either man begins to significantly sell their moves, they'll be exhausted unless their conditioning is on point. The final thing that Jacobs says he learned from Calaway is that their job is to leave it all in the ring: no matter if they're hurt, tired or wrestling an angle or an opponent that they think is beneath them or a waste of time, always give everything you have. It's a matter of respect: for the fans, for the business, and for yourself. It's common knowledge that the Undertaker has been the most respected man in the WWE locker room for decades. What's not so well known is the respect that the locker room has for Kane, one of the most well-liked men in the industry, and someone anyone can work with, no matter their size or their style. That's something else Kane learned from his role model - as he puts it, the Undertaker always brings the best out of everyone.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
