Is Kane Overrated?

[PhD]

The question here is pretty straightforward: is Kane overrated?

Kane was tabbed as the most overrated wrestler in the business by Wrestling Observer this year, in addition to garnering worst feud honors for his program with Edge. I found this to be a bit puzzling. Sure, the program with Edge was pretty bad, but that seemed to be more an issue of booking than how the story was executed. And the blow-off match, the last man standing match from Smackdown, was widely praised as one of the better televised wrestling matches of the last year. So, what gives?

Even though he's still carrying a gimmick that is probably a decade past its expiration date, Kane still cuts a great promo. And while his moveset in the ring is fairly limited, that is pretty par for the course in the WWE, especially for a big man. Also, the guy sells like there is no tomorrow, and he is a great ring psychologist.

I would suggest then that Kane gets tabbed as overrated simply because he's a big man, and big men are always knocked for there inferior ringwork, as if you could expect a man 7 foot tall and 300 pounds to do the same things in the ring as John Morrison or Rey Mysterio. I think if you look at his mastery of the finer points of wrestling, Kane has probably been routinely one of the most underrated talents in the company, even when he was stuck as the Big Red Jobber for most of the past few years.

So, do others think Kane is overrated? Or does he simply get a bad rap from carrying a weak gimmick and working a style imposed upon him by the company?

 

[The Brain]

Overrated is an often misunderstood word. In order to be overrated Kane would have to receive high praise when he doesn’t deserve it. I don’t see that very often. Sure there are some Kane marks out there who value him more than others, but overall I’d say Kane is judged pretty fairly. At his best he is a destructive monster capable of terrorizing WWE and a major threat to the champion. At his worst he is comedy enhancement talent used to get others over, or even worse irrelevant. Most of the time he falls somewhere in the middle leaning more toward the top than the bottom. I think most people recognize this and take Kane for what he is. He doesn’t receive high praise very often so he his not overrated. He’s had a long career that’s had peaks and valleys. When he’s hot he’s praised, when he’s not he’s criticized. Overall I’d say he is rated properly.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

If Kane is someone that'd been given 9 or 10 World Championship runs, I'd probably have to say yes he was. However, Kane is someone that I think is probably rated pretty fairly by most people. Kane is someone that's known to be a hard worker and his presence within the upper mid-card/main event scene over the course of the past decade or so has been a good one. Kane has always been depicted as this big, intimidating monster that can hold his own with anyone and be a viable threat to the champ, whomever that might be, at any given time. Whether he's been a face or a heel, he's been over with fans and that's never a bad thing no matter which way you slice it.

Kane is someone that did step up a lot in my eyes over the course of this past summer during the whole scene in which he was looking for The Undertaker's "attacker". Kane stepped up and gave some very impressive promos and had himself a respectable reign as World Heavyweight Champion during a time in which most people thought his best days were probably behind him. I'd say he's probably rated fairly when you take everything into consideration.

 

[Chess]

I have to say I agree with most of what "The Brain" said. You never hear massive praise for Kane and therefore he is probably not overrated. Having said that he was given WWE titles and had many main event fueds that in my opinion he did not deserve. I cannot remember a Kane match that I have ever thought "wow, that was good". Kane is an average performer who would not have gone as far if he wasn't the brother of the Undertaker, without the Undertaker Kane would be mid card if not future endevoured by now.

He should never have cut his hair or got burnt to remove his mask as now he just does not look like the monster he potrays

 

[JohnOldSnake4]

Kane I think is slightly underrated actually. When given the ball he can be really captivating. Last Summer I think was a great example of this, though when Edge got involved the shit did hit the fan and WWE creative dropped the ball big time. They do that from time to time. Kane has all-too-often been a victim of bad booking. This has led to him not receiving the legacy that I feel personally he deserves.

 

[Kaneanite]

How the fuck is Kane overrated?

He made a huge impact when he first came on the scene. His mask/outfit is legendary. His rivalry with one of the company's biggest superstars ever, the Undertaker, will always be remembered. He's been a significant force in almost every Rumble he's ever been in since coming on the scene. He's a multi-time Tag-Team, Intercontinental, and World Title champion (including ECW heavyweight run). Sure, his run and feuds as champion this year were kind of lame, but give the guy a fucking break look at how old he is and the damage his knees have taken. When Kane was at his best, for a guy that's what? 7 feet? He was extremely entertaining in the ring and just an awesome character.

Overrated, psh please. Funny how people can have the cajones to call Kane overrated but treat Miz like the greatest thing ever. Such a joke.

 

[longlivetheBrood]

I oftentimes wonder why Kane is still around. Ever since he lost his mask it seems he's just lackluster, boring, whatever term you want to use. He was the Big Red Machine when he had his mask, now he's just another monster heel, with a moveset that is the rival of, say, his when he was Fake Diesel, or either of the DOA...Clothesline off the top rope, Chokeslam, Sideslam, big boot...wash, rinse, repeat match after match after match. Yet John Cena gets BLASTED by the IWC for the same thing. At least Cena's promos are entertaining, while Kane's consist of him staring off into the distance and talking, then looking into the camera with the same deadpan expression and talking in monotone some more, then staring into the distance again and bellowing the most ridiculously over-the-top fake sounding laugh ever heard this side of a b-rated monster movie.
Is Kane overrated? I think yes, but he needs a little bit of stirring up of his character, get some of the monotony gone and introduce some variety...just my opinion.

 

[MizterColemine]

I agree with the first two posts, esecially the OP, but I woud like to elaborate by suggesting that not only was Kane neither overrated nor, for the most part, underrated, but he was at least a bit overlooked for a well deserved push in some of his younger and fresher years. That doesn't necessarily suggest being underrated however, because of some of the competition, but I think somewhere in between the eras of Rock/Stone Cold/Kurt Angle and the era of Cena/Batista/Orton/Edge, Kane should have had a decent Championship run. You've got to admit, this run he had last year has been a long time coming, and for Kane marks and others who've been following since 97, this run hasn't quite been satisfactory for how long Kane has been putting in hard work... I'm not looking the gift horse in the mouth... but they book him from looking super strong against the Undertaker to super weak and vulnerable against Edge in a very ridiculous storyline that shat all over any justice they did for a Kane legacy.
So in effect, Kane wasn't necessarily overrated or even underrated, but I think that when it came time to reward Kane's hard work and congratulate him on veteran status by giving him a real run at the title, they took him back down a few notches in the process and it doesn't really look good for a future and final renewal of the epic saga chronicling the love/hate relationship between the Brothers of Destruction. I really haven't taken Kane, or Edge for that matter, seriously since that Paul Bearer kidnapping debacle. Such a shame.

 

[Justin Satiable]

Overrated? That's brash, unfair and ignorant. The guy gets one title reign and he's called overrated. Cena gets 9 and he's soaring in the Top 500. Not hating completely on Cena, but come on.

I have so much respect for Kane as a worker. He's always busted his ass, even with those horrific gimmicks at the start of his career, and while it was a shame that he decided to give up his mask, he still stuck in at a high/mid-card level for well over a decade. He deserves far more respect than the likes of Rey Mysterio, in that Rey-Rey can drop a hissy-fit and get what he wants, whereas Kane has accepted what has been given to him, and in some cases refused his own main event push to try and put over another talent.

Why would you call him overrated, just because he's been given one run with the title and it hasn't paid off? Has anybody seen what Randy Orton does with the WWE Title? Wrestling Observer rewards are a joke.

 

[Lucha-Libre is wrestling]

Kane is very underrated in and out of the ring. In the ring he is one of the best big men of all time, he has always had good speed and agility for his height and weight even at his age now. We have to remember that in this industry not everyone can be label a winner even if they are a great athlete. And sadly enough people don't know how a wonderful person MR. Jacob is outside his character in the wwe. He has done more charity work in his career than John Cena & The rock, but people don't acknowledge it. In my career I have met many athletes and MR. Jacob is one of the few true good guys in the sports and entertainment business.

 

[Ruthless-RKO]

NO!!

Why is he overrated?? I think when they named him as overrated of the eyar 2010, It puts questions in my head. Maybe because he hasn't been doing much, not been involved in the main event much in recent years and then all of a sudden, 2010 comes and this guy is winning the MitB match and then the world title, holding it for months, even going over Taker 3 ppv's in a row...

But the thing is, his whole career IMO is underrated, this guy has done soo much for the business, worked his ass off everytime, sure he has been involved in some BULLSHIT storylines e.g. Katie Vick, impregnating Lita, vs. Big Daddy V, carrying rey's mask around, hell I could go on forever.. But Kane made those stories, crap they may have been, but he amde them into something, I was still watching him everytime he came to the ring.. The bullshit storylines, I think it's fair to say it's because of his character..

 

[Chill]

This is when I try not to let things like the Wrestling Observer irk me, I try to think, 'it's only wrestling don't get too uptight about it' but how in the fuck is Kane overrated? Seriously, I do not get that at all. All the so called 'pure wrestling fans' constanlty bash his performances for not being pure enough and on top of that, Kane rarely receives much praise for anything he does and so he can't be overrated when the majority of 'insiders' don't rate him!! As for the gimmick, Kane is apparently stale and cartoony, yet the Underaker is still the greatest thing to ever grace the WWE? Give me a break. Instead of the Observer coming out and saying, this past year Kane put on some his best work in years delivering some excellent promos as part of a competent World Title run they decide to call him overrated. Pathetic. Kane deserves much more respect than he ever will get, he is a workhorse, a selfless performer who has no problems putting others before him, a talented big man and someone who has largely been overlooked his entire career...if that's not underrated, I don't know what fucking is.

 

[scottyshowman82]

Kane is an awesome performer, after the Edge feud he was getting stale for me. But wow just like Rey when he needs to turn it on he can do it with the best of them. Kane looked at monsterous as ever last night, I really got to take my hat off to him.

 

[Tech N9ne]

Kane is in no way overrated. He has earned his accomplishments. I don't think he was given any type of ratings, awards or titles that would warrant him to be unreasonably favored in any way.

He was only a WWE World Champion twice. The first reign lasted right about 24 hours and he didn't get his second Title until about 12 years later.

Kane performs at a level way above most other guys that are near his size. There may be guys his size that have had more accolades, but I bet Kane is better in ring then that particular wrestler. The only exception to Kane being superior in ring for his size, is The Undertaker.

The "Great" Khali is a former World Heavyweight Champion. So is David Arquette for that matter. Kane is a 2-Time World Champion... OVERRATED?? I think not!

 

[MrDASHINGaRROGaNCE]

Kane of all people overrated??? Really now???
If anything he's underrated and misused he had one hell of a WHC title reign cut some of the best promos i've seen in quite some time. Not only that but Kane is very quick and agile to be such a big man.

His entire career Kane has been treated like an afterthought no one gives him credit for being a 7ft giant that can get the job done in the ring. l hope Kane gets one more WHC title reign before he leaves WWE. I grew up watching Kane and he's always been my favorite devils spawn. His feuds with Taker,HHH,Mick foley, Chyna hell even with Lita have all been classics.

So to answer your question no Kane is FARRR from overrated more like not rated high enough. You want overrated look no further than taker...But we all know that by now.

 

[TheKev]

I dont think he is overrated. I think he is coming to the end of his career and cant wrestle as good as he once did. I think his last big push was given to him more out him being a long serving member of staff, doing everything he was asked to do without complaint (Katie Vick anyone?) rather than on his talent or appeal in this day and age.

 

[DethMetal]

How the fuck is Kane overrated?

He made a huge impact when he first came on the scene. His mask/outfit is legendary. His rivalry with one of the company's biggest superstars ever, the Undertaker, will always be remembered. He's been a significant force in almost every Rumble he's ever been in since coming on the scene. He's a multi-time Tag-Team, Intercontinental, and World Title champion (including ECW heavyweight run). Sure, his run and feuds as champion this year were kind of lame, but give the guy a fucking break look at how old he is and the damage his knees have taken. When Kane was at his best, for a guy that's what? 7 feet? He was extremely entertaining in the ring and just an awesome character.

Overrated, psh please. Funny how people can have the cajones to call Kane overrated but treat Miz like the greatest thing ever. Such a joke.

You sir, are the best Kane fan ever.

Kane overrated? That's just absurd. Underrated if anything. He's a good wrestler and by far the best talker WWE has right now. It's a shame that he'll forevermore be in the Undertaker's shadow. Kane is not overrated and he deserves better. He really stepped up last summer and proved that he deserves good fortune and is a future Hall of Famer. And people treat Miz like he's so great. The fact that he's only held three(counting ECW titles) World championships is a travesty. This is why I don't read Wrestling Observer...

 

[ptsheridan]

Everything that needs to be said has been said already, but NO Kane is not overrated! During his feud with X-Pac, he was one of the most over guys in the business and should have gotten his main event push at that moment after defeating Pac in the cage match.

I'm just glad that he finally got a nice title run this past year, but I'm still pissed that they booked him to look like such a bitch against Paul Bearer. Talk about a guy that is over the hill and past his prime, that's Edge. The only good match this douche has had in the recent past was his match at Royal Rumble with Ziggler, but that was only cuz Ziggler carried his ass.

Don't get me wrong, I like Edge a lot, but he sure as hell didn't deserve to embarrass Edge the way that they booked him to do.

 

[THEpapachamp]

After all these years Kane does what every else can't.. STILL perform. With no knees or not. He should of retired a while ago with his injuries but he still goes. That is why he is my favorite wrestler of ALL time.

Undertaker couldn't do it.. But Kane does..