Kane Reveals Original WWE Gimmick Name
That's gotta be... who?
Whilst the WWE Network's excellent Last Ride series has finally given a fans a peek at The Undertaker once the black eyeliner is scrubbed off, the documentary has also, inevitably, allowed a glimpse behind the scenes at his less secretive but equally retiring on-screen sibling and long-time partner in crime Kane. Notably, wrestling Twitter fell over themselves at a backstage shot from 1998 of an unmasked Big Red Machine, looking all the world like a huge, scary Raven.
Ahead of the fourth and presumably final episode of the show (unless 'Taker has another elusive 'Last Ride' between now and next April), the man behind the mask, Glenn Jacobs, spoke candidly with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, dropping a few more juicy behind-the-scenes details about his own career.
Most interestingly, Kane revealed that he very nearly carried a much more literal name than his famous, Biblical-adjacent moniker:
"The original name of the character was Inferno," Jacobs told Barrasso. "I didn't like that very much. I thought it sounded cartoonish."
Ultimately, it was Bruce Prichard - the current Raw and SmackDown honcho who originally managed Undertaker - who suggested the 'Kane' name. "I liked it [...]. It played off Cain and Abel in the Bible, the good brother and the bad brother, and we pitched that."
The name was approved, and it was just a matter of sorting the demonic sibling's iconic red suit ahead of his big Badd Blood debut.
And about the change in spelling?
"Maybe they couldn't copyright it," laughed Jacobs. Of all people, we reckon Vince McMahon would be happy to take on God in court. After all, he took him on in the ring...
Read the full interview at Sports Illustrated here.