WWE SmackDown Debut Wrestlers: Where Are They Now?
11. Kane
Sheamus and Cesaro might be making headlines as Raw’s current “odd couple” Tag Team Champions, but they weren’t the first to fill this role. WWE have been telling similar stories for years, and in April 1999, Kane and X-Pac were the champs. They defeated the New Age Outlaws on SmackDown’s debut show, but eventually broke apart when Pac turned on Kane to rejoin D-Generation X in early 2000.
Kane has endured a similar career trajectory to the Big Show since appearing on SmackDown’s first show, but his drop-off hasn’t been quite as steep. The Big Red Machine remained a pushed superstar over the coming years, but like Show, his character was blown apart by horrendous angles. From Katie Vick to the Lita pregnancy story, Kane has been the subject of some of WWE’s absolute worst stories through his run, but he’s still doing the rounds on SmackDown.
He’s not exactly a full-time television wrestler anymore, but Kane still picks-up the odd win here and there. Late 2016 saw him defeat both Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper, and as a loyal company man, WWE will always find new ways to reintegrate Kane. There’s currently no indication of when the 49 year old intents to retire, but he’ll likely have a job for life with WWE even after he chooses to hang his boots up.