Corporate Kane: Underrated angle?

[MartialHorror]

If you told me that Kane would dress in a suit for an angle ten years ago, I would've laughed and urinated all over you. But then it happened...and I thought Kane nailed it. He came across as intelligent, well spoken and mild mannered- albeit with the occasionally angry moment to remind us that this is still technically Kane. He was also delightfully smug, with one of my favorite moments with him being when he informed Daniel Bryan that he would take on the Wyatt family. I loved to hate him, while usually hoping that he would trash Brad Maddox...whom he sort of had a rivalry with even though it went anywhere...unless you count Brad's dismissal.

But they kind of botched it by having Kane continue to wrestle. Don't get me wrong, Kane is still shockingly...I feel 'good' is a bit generous, but I'll say it anyway...good in the ring for a guy his size and age. His matches are very rarely exceptional, but they're fine I guess. The problem is that he became a joke, constantly being trashed by CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and the Shield. I can't recall him ever dominating any confrontation. I feel Kane would work better in this role if it was just as one of the guys in charge. I'd be fine with him wrestling if it was only sparingly, like Triple H. So eventually it became hard to take him seriously.

When he went back to being a demon, at least they presented him as a credible threat once again. But even last lost a lot of its desired impact since Kane kept getting put in this absurd situations that resembled a bad slasher movie. Plus, Daniel Bryan kept kicking his ass, making me wonder why he would even be scared of him. Yet Kane was handed a shot at being a deadly force again when Daniel Bryan went out on injury. They attributed this to Kane's brutal attacks and he even got ONE chilling moment where he hauled an unconscious Daniel Bryan out at the entrance for Stephanie before wordlessly walking away.

Then he promptly jobbed for everyone who encountered him. He came out and attacked Cena, lost that interaction. Fought Cena in an official match, lost. Every time they tried to make Kane seem like a force of nature, like when he destroyed all the Money in the Bank participants when he was announced as part of that match...he would promptly get speared by Reigns...who always seems to be kicking his ass just like Cena. Kane is being treated like the guy who is strong enough to provide a decent fight, but not strong enough to win...

So overcoming demon Kane means nothing, because everyone seems to be able to overcome demon Kane these days... He's like the old Kane, except weaker. But Corporate Kane was different and Glenn Jacobs played that part well. If he was weaker, it would make sense within that story and if he would ever do a face turn, it would provide a nice character arc. So I think they pulled the plug on that too soon. Unfortunately, I doubt it will happen as I suspect Kane might have a face turn sooner than later (although with Orton feuding with Reigns, I don't know).

Anyway, what do ya'll think? Did you like Corporate Kane? Or do you prefer demon Kane?

 

[Jack-Hammer]

For me, I guess it had quite a bit to do with the notion of so many different on air authority figures running around that Corporate Kane felt beyond redundant. At the time, Triple H & Stephanie were around, plus you had Brad Maddox and Vickie Guerrero who were essentially the spineless jellyfish gophers of Trips & Stephanie. So you've got Triple H as the Chief Operations Officer, Stephanie billed as "one of the principle owners of WWE" and Brad & Vickie as GM of Raw and SmackDown!. Then, here comes Kane as the "Director of Operations" and it just seemed completely unnecessary.

All in all, in my eyes at least, Kane is someone that's been sort of underrated throughout much of his career in WWE. In some ways, he hasn't gotten enough credit as someone that's been a strong mainstay in WWE's upper mid-card picture since the late 1990s. When you also consider that he's 47 years old and is every bit as fit and strong as he was when he first came to WWE, it's pretty amazing. After all, the vast majority of us, and by us I mean males 'cept for me 'cuz I'm still gonna be studly , have either gone physically downhill or are rocketing towards going downhill. Also, Kane putting over guys quite a bit isn't anything new for him as he's willingly put over just about everybody he's gone up against at one time or another. About this time 4 years ago, during his WHC run, he finally came out on top in a program against The Undertaker. He'll still always be in Taker's shadow and while their matches this time around weren't exactly classics, it was still cool to see Taker put him over in a series of main event matches.

 

[Pedigree1]

Kane to me has always been someone who always has been under the radar.. The corporate Kane Angle felt a little bit overkill IMO.. You have Trips,the head leader and COO. Steph being billed as one of the principals owners of the WWE. Brad and Vickie as stooges.

Kane was someone who did a good job in his angle but really wasn't needed as Director of Operations.. But the man is 47 years old,strong if not stronger than when he made his debut. Has stayed away from injuries,while never put on that classic match,is someone in his career who was well above average... A Multiple time world champion,tag champion,hardcore champion..

Like JH im a sexy beast,guys my age have gone downhill and are in terrible shape.

 

[MartialHorror]

Yeah true, there were too many corporate guys. Maybe in the future, the authority will dismantle and Corporate Kane will make a return as one of the only authority figures...although I dont know why they'd do that as long as Triple H is still around.

Ugh, the Authority needs to end. It's just been the 'final boss' for too long.

 

[MCMG]

It was fine. Kane got a break from the mask and was able to put over The Shield. There was also some potential with Punk but that, well, fell through.

I liked seeing Kane in the suit and as an authority figure. He is a natural on the mic which is weird given how long he had the "demon" gimmick. He was important in helping keep Daniel Bryan down which obviously made WM30 more sepcial which adds to his stint in the suit. Overall, it was a success and a good move by the WWE.

 

[Darkshadow1234]

To me I didnt like the angle.
It was very stupid and a waste.

Kane has been wasted for over 10 years.
Kane hasnt been relevant since 1997

Kane was good in 1997-1998
after that he went downhill

Corporate kane was embarrassing

Kane could of been huge
But was wasted and buried

 

[WarroBODFan]

To me I didnt like the angle.
It was very stupid and a waste.

Kane has been wasted for over 10 years.
Kane hasnt been relevant since 1997

Kane was good in 1997-1998
after that he went downhill

Corporate kane was embarrassing

Kane could of been huge
But was wasted and buried

Extremely harsh. While I'm with you that I didn't enjoy the Corporate Kane angle, it's ridiculous to say he hasn't been relevant since 1997.

Glenn Jacobs as a performer in the ring, and also out has throughout the years been fantastic, and despite the odd speedbump along the way, has evolved the character of Kane numerous times to keep it relevant. We may not always like the direction they take the gimmick, but at least they're doing different stuff with it. As I said before, I wasn't keen on the last Corporate gimmick, mainly because as a fan of Kane from his early days, I still miss the mystique that surrounded him. I miss the whole walk in, **** everyone up big style and walk out without needing to say a damn thing type Kane, which of course is never going to be quite the same anymore now you're the 47 year old company guy. It takes talent for someone as articulate and "worldly" as Glenn Jacobs to almost dumb yourself down, for want of a better phrase. Especially with the mask, as his emotion had to be shown through his body language and general demeanor. You could tell when Kane was truly pissed by the way he walked to the ring.

I think the work Glenn Jacobs put in during Kane's first 4-5 years in WWF is largely unappreciated/overlooked. In an era with some true greats, he was able to hang at the top end of the card despite not being able to have the same kind of promo time as a Stone Cold or Rock, or given as much attention. Plus, he was always going to be somewhat in the shadow of Taker as his little brother. Kane very much deserved his spot alongside these legends during the Attitude era. Okay, he was WWF champion for one whole day. But it's still way more than many superstars can claim. I also think he still deserves a lot of credit for his current work. While we all know he'll never be Attitude Era Kane, he's still in great shape at 47. While it's clear he does have some off-days (MiTB - his tombstone on Ambrose was the most I've seen him struggle with a move ever), he can still go.

 

[Darkshadow1234]

Extremely harsh. While I'm with you that I didn't enjoy the Corporate Kane angle, it's ridiculous to say he hasn't been relevant since 1997.

Glenn Jacobs as a performer in the ring, and also out has throughout the years been fantastic, and despite the odd speedbump along the way, has evolved the character of Kane numerous times to keep it relevant. We may not always like the direction they take the gimmick, but at least they're doing different stuff with it. As I said before, I wasn't keen on the last Corporate gimmick, mainly because as a fan of Kane from his early days, I still miss the mystique that surrounded him. I miss the whole walk in, **** everyone up big style and walk out without needing to say a damn thing type Kane, which of course is never going to be quite the same anymore now you're the 47 year old company guy. It takes talent for someone as articulate and "worldly" as Glenn Jacobs to almost dumb yourself down, for want of a better phrase. Especially with the mask, as his emotion had to be shown through his body language and general demeanor. You could tell when Kane was truly pissed by the way he walked to the ring.

I think the work Glenn Jacobs put in during Kane's first 4-5 years in WWF is largely unappreciated/overlooked. In an era with some true greats, he was able to hang at the top end of the card despite not being able to have the same kind of promo time as a Stone Cold or Rock, or given as much attention. Plus, he was always going to be somewhat in the shadow of Taker as his little brother. Kane very much deserved his spot alongside these legends during the Attitude era. Okay, he was WWF champion for one whole day. But it's still way more than many superstars can claim. I also think he still deserves a lot of credit for his current work. While we all know he'll never be Attitude Era Kane, he's still in great shape at 47. While it's clear he does have some off-days (MiTB - his tombstone on Ambrose was the most I've seen him struggle with a move ever), he can still go.

Glen is a great worker. No denying that.
In my opinion. And for someone who watches all kinds of wrestling.
ECW, WCW, ECW. Njpw, mexican wrestling and other indy wrestling.
When I first saw kane in 1997, one of the best debuts ever.
They should of kept him like that IMO.
But still evolve his character and make him relevant
But Kane after 1998. After his feud with the undertaker.
Where taker always beats him and didnt put him over barely.
Kane only won once in 1998 against taker but that was thanks to mankind.
After kane feud with taker, kane went downhill started jobbing and losing.
Thats in my opinion
My opinion still stands.
WWE wasted kane over the years.
Made him a joke.
A shadow of the undertaker

 

[MartialHorror]

I understand that Kane has been putting people over for 10 years, but the difference is that even only a few years ago, he won more than he lost...even if like Big Show, he didn't often come out on top for his bigger feuds.

But these days, all Kane does is put someone over. He rarely even comes out on top during brawls. When he had that stretcher match with Cena last, he came out earlier in the show and attacked Cena. He should've beat up Cena during that confrontation, but lost the match later on. Instead, Cena overcame him and also won the match. When Kane attacked everybody when announced as being part of Money in the Bank, it should've ended with Kane standing over everyone. But no, Roman has got to spear him before the show closes.

Roman Reigns harasses the authority and who does he attack? Triple H? Orton? Nope, it's Kane again. The last time I think I saw Kane come out on top was when he attacked Kofi Kingston, who is far from the main event scene. So my issue is that defeating Kane no longer feels like an accomplishment...

 

[Notorious718]

The Corporate Kane gimmick was a little odd to me but I didn't necessarily hate it. I feel like they could've run with it awhile longer. At first, I didn't get it when Kane turned heel after being beaten by the Wyatts. I guess it would've made more sense for him to come back seeking revenge on them or even joining him. But at the same time, Corporate Kane signified something that he really needed for a long time: a refreshing change in character. The well was getting dry with his monster shtick. As long as he kept that going, he didn't come across as anything more than a veteran that put talent over. I liked the direction that gimmick could've gone in.

But I do get why people didn't like it. I think the gimmick change also came at a pretty bad time considering how many authority figures there already were. It got to the point where the large number of authority figures just became a huge shmoz. Additionally, despite the change in gimmick, Kane didn't really stand out even after the removal of Brad Maddox and Vickie Guerrero. He was just another guy in a suit that would later become the Shield's whipping boy. He wasn't really a unique character.

Thumbs up for the concept of refreshing Kane's character that had a lot of potential but thumbs down for the meh execution.

 

[MartialHorror]

While I try to avoid 'what they should've done' scenarios, I think it would've been interesting if they used a variation on another idea the creative team allegedly had for Kane if Glenn chose to retire: Which was to reveal that Kane wasn't actually the real Kane.

Okay, that sounds kind of stupid. But I would've thought it would be more interesting if Corporate Kane found a replacement to don the mask and worked as his manager. Then, one day he can also don a mask and there will be two Kanes...and it would be confusing...but I would have a good laugh.

 

[Darkshadow1234]

I understand that Kane has been putting people over for 10 years, but the difference is that even only a few years ago, he won more than he lost...even if like Big Show, he didn't often come out on top for his bigger feuds.

But these days, all Kane does is put someone over. He rarely even comes out on top during brawls. When he had that stretcher match with Cena last, he came out earlier in the show and attacked Cena. He should've beat up Cena during that confrontation, but lost the match later on. Instead, Cena overcame him and also won the match. When Kane attacked everybody when announced as being part of Money in the Bank, it should've ended with Kane standing over everyone. But no, Roman has got to spear him before the show closes.

Roman Reigns harasses the authority and who does he attack? Triple H? Orton? Nope, it's Kane again. The last time I think I saw Kane come out on top was when he attacked Kofi Kingston, who is far from the main event scene. So my issue is that defeating Kane no longer feels like an accomplishment...

So true. Kane has always been putting people over since 1999.

 

[HeyYo]

Kane = snore for the past 11 years

 

[Navi]

Kane has been a dedicated professional ever since he joined the WWE and from what I've seen has done whatever has been asked of him. You really can't ask for much more than that from an employee.

I liked him as Corporate Kane, he could dish it out and take it as well. Most of the time he got his ass kicked by the Shield, but it was fun to watch. You can't really compare him to Brad or Vicki because instead of just being a mouthpiece, he was the muscle behind the Authority and they used him in that capacity.

And Goddammit, the one pet peeve I have about pro wrestling fans, are those that call wrestlers by their given names. Unless you're related to the wrestler or a personal friend, to me anyway, it's a sign of disrespect to call them by any other name than the one on the marquee. That of course goes out the window for wrestlers that use their birth names, like Cena or Orton. Then it's acceptable.

 

[MartialHorror]

I generally only use their real names when separating the character from the...actor? Saying 'wrestler' doesn't really fit there since technically both the character and the actor are supposed to be wrestlers...lol.

 

[Navi]

I generally only use their real names when separating the character from the...actor? Saying 'wrestler' doesn't really fit there since technically both the character and the actor are supposed to be wrestlers...lol.

Yes I can understand that. For someone like the Rock, when he is in a WWE environment that's the name he would use, although, I understand when you're talking about his movie career he would be known as Dwayne Johnson.

In the case of the this thread though, we're talking about Kane whether it's the wrestler or the corporate suited and booted Kane. It's just a pet peeve I have and I hate it when wrestling fans do it.

 

[MartialHorror]

I'd respond to that, but I'm currently resisting an Isaac Yankem joke.

Hmmm, speaking of which...where in the hell is "See no Evil 2"? Or "Leprechaun origins"? Those movies have seemingly been in production for years.