16. Kane, WrestleMania XX
At the Survivor Series in November of 2003, Kane reignited an old rivalry with his brother The Undertaker when he buried him alive, costing him a match against Vince McMahon and spelling the end of the American Badass character for good. As WWE embarked on the road to WrestleMania XX, the familiar sound of the gong would interrupt Kane's matches and cost him victories on more than one occasion. Then videos began airing that indicated that the Dead Man would rise again and he would do so at the biggest event of the year. Kane refused to believe that his older the brother, the man he buried months earlier, would be able to return. When he did, guided by Paul Bearer, the Big Red Monster was moved nearly to tears. Kane got in a good bit of offense in the WrestleMania XX match but the fact that the two competitors, who had wrestled so many matches against one another in the past, simply did not have in-ring chemistry with one another once again reared its ugly head. A rusty Undertaker plodded through the match as the fans in Madison Square Garden sat on their hands, cheering only for the competitors' signature maneuvers and the comeback by the Dead Man late in the bout. The Undertaker's victory over Kane at the 2004 event made for a triumphant return for the former WWE champion but it came in a match that created doubt among fans as to whether the Dead Man could still perform up to the level of a top, main event star. He would answer his doubters in the years to come.
Erik Beaston
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Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
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