Kane Should Have Been the WWE's Next Big Babyface in 2003.

[#hamler]

Not really like the Goldust thread. Just more of an opinion that I strongly believe in.

On June 23, 2003, Triple H put his World Heavyweight Championship on the line in a match with Kane. The stipulation was added in and Kane lost, he would have to unmask. While this is one of my favorite moments in WWE history, I can't help but wonder why the WWE didn't pull the trigger on Kane here. He was arguably the most over babyface on the roster excluding a select few; this was the perfect opportunity to put the World Heavyweight Championship on Kane; why didn't they?

After taking off his mask, Kane was Raw's shinning star. He was the sole reason to tune in to the WWE those days. He was on a path of destruction and everyone wanted to see whatever the hell he did next. It wasn't long after Kane was involved in storylines with Lita, Matt Hardy and Edge. Then he quietly drifted off into irrelevancy. If the WWE would've put the strap on Kane in 2003, he would've stayed relevant longer than he did. Kane could have been Raw's next top babyface provided if he was actually pushed to the top. A feud with Evolution would've been ideal and inevitable had he won the title and that would have honestly pushed him to even more outrageous heights in being over.

I'm not saying removing the mask shouldn't have happened, I’m just saying it could have and should have waited. Kane needed a win here way more than Triple H. Maybe I'm missing something here. But if Kane was so hugely over, why didn't the WWE take a chance on him? He could have very well been the WWE's next big time star had he beaten Triple H.

Any reason the WWE didn’t pull the trigger on Kane here?

Could you have seen Kane as Raw’s top babyface in 2003?

Also, please don't turn this into a Kane should've kept his mask thread. Any thoughts on the subject are welcome. Discuss this.

 

[Nate DaMac]

Absolutely.

I've always hated the way that angle played out. Seriously, Triple H causes him to lose his mask and he never seeks any sort of retribution? What the hell is that? The removal of Kane's mask was a big deal and it should have been handled better than that.

I thought they started it off well. Kane loses his mask and proceeds to go ape-shit. Totally understandable. However, they fucked it all up the night that Steve Austin called him out. He showed him that the fans didn't care what he looked like and they were popping like crazy for him. Then he proceeds to beat up Austin and have a shitty feud with Shane McMahon.

I think there was a much better angle to be had at the time. Instead of just beating down Steve Austin, he should have went face. Not right there at the moment, he should have left the ring and walked away, stayed away from the show altogether for about a month. Austin, RVD, and the announcers play up the fact that nobody's seen or heard from Kane at all. Then at the next PPV, Triple H will be defending the title. Doesn't really matter who the challenger is but for the sake of continuity, we'll go with RVD. Hunter wins after shenanigans from Evolution and then they beat on him after the match. Then boom, pyro goes off, Kane comes down to what would most likely be the loudest pop ever, and cleans house. Then you just through the 3 or 4 weeks of Kane saying that since Triple H took his mask, he's taking his title.

Nothing even remotely complicated about that. Kane had been crazy over for a long time up to that point and he really at his peak right then. Giving him the World Title would have certainly made him into the top face.

 

[scragg23]

Triple H was the man in wwe and on raw at the time. Evolution was just taking shape and without the world heavyweight championship the group would have not been as strong. The fact that everybody was chasing Triple H and the world title made Evolution stronger.

And everyone knows that the only person HHH would lose the world title to was going to be Goldberg... Boring boring Goldberg.

I think the whole monster turn was absolutely amazing, as I was only 13 at the time I was loving it all. The chokeslam off the stage to Bischoff, him destroying RVD at Summerslam, last man standing/ambulance matches against Shane and burying The Undertaker alive.

Kane had been a babyface after he returned in late 2002 and become stale in my view. He was a tag champion with RVD and had done nothing else up to the point of his mask coming off. He needed the mask off and to start being a monster again, it was fresh at that time!

 

[Kiefer-Zeus]

Triple H was the man in wwe and on raw at the time. Evolution was just taking shape and without the world heavyweight championship the group would have not been as strong. The fact that everybody was chasing Triple H and the world title made Evolution stronger.

And everyone knows that the only person HHH would lose the world title to was going to be Goldberg... Boring boring Goldberg.

I think the whole monster turn was absolutely amazing, as I was only 13 at the time I was loving it all. The chokeslam off the stage to Bischoff, him destroying RVD at Summerslam, last man standing/ambulance matches against Shane and burying The Undertaker alive.

Kane had been a babyface after he returned in late 2002 and become stale in my view. He was a tag champion with RVD and had done nothing else up to the point of his mask coming off. He needed the mask off and to start being a monster again, it was fresh at that time!

I was 12 at the time Scragg so kinda had same opinion lol but the man who i truely wanted to beat HHH was Shawn Michaels as he was also feuding with Evolution only it was Ric Flair/Randy Orton, and being dumb back then i really thought that if HBK couldn't do it then Kane had the best chance but when he unmasked it was one of the better storylines on Raw and made me wanna watch Raw over SD for the first time since 2001 when i thought SD was better for a while esp in 2002 but thats another topic.

So yes i wish Kane had become Champion but it worked in favour that he didn't become Champion.

 

[MayorMcCheese]

Triple H put the Kabosh on Kane many times, he should have won the title.
the fans WANTED him to win the title, they were sick of HHH's stranglehold on it.
Kane was very over, and it was a dumb heel turn.

At a time when WWE needed stars, HHH kept making sure everyone got buried.

 

[Wald]

Absolutely.

I've always hated the way that angle played out. Seriously, Triple H causes him to lose his mask and he never seeks any sort of retribution? What the hell is that? The removal of Kane's mask was a big deal and it should have been handled better than that.

I thought they started it off well. Kane loses his mask and proceeds to go ape-shit. Totally understandable. However, they fucked it all up the night that Steve Austin called him out. He showed him that the fans didn't care what he looked like and they were popping like crazy for him. Then he proceeds to beat up Austin and have a shitty feud with Shane McMahon.

I think there was a much better angle to be had at the time. Instead of just beating down Steve Austin, he should have went face. Not right there at the moment, he should have left the ring and walked away, stayed away from the show altogether for about a month. Austin, RVD, and the announcers play up the fact that nobody's seen or heard from Kane at all. Then at the next PPV, Triple H will be defending the title. Doesn't really matter who the challenger is but for the sake of continuity, we'll go with RVD. Hunter wins after shenanigans from Evolution and then they beat on him after the match. Then boom, pyro goes off, Kane comes down to what would most likely be the loudest pop ever, and cleans house. Then you just through the 3 or 4 weeks of Kane saying that since Triple H took his mask, he's taking his title.

Nothing even remotely complicated about that. Kane had been crazy over for a long time up to that point and he really at his peak right then. Giving him the World Title would have certainly made him into the top face.

This is exactly what should have happened. It's basic wrestling sense to book this scenario. Even looking at a timeline for events for those that think Triple H and Evolution needed the title you could book it like this

June 2003: Kane unmasks
July 2003: Heel Kane destroys everyone on Raw
August 2003: Leading up to a Summerslam match with RVD Austin and others appeal to him to come to his senses
Summerslam: Kane has RVD beat, goes to seriously hurt him but stops and walks away from the match. Meanwhile Goldberg beats Triple H for the title in the Elimination Chamber
September 2003: No sign of Kane
October 2003: No sign of Kane
Survivor Series: Triple H beats Goldberg for the title with help from Evolution, continues to beatdown Goldberg til the pyro goes off and Kane marches out and destroys all of Evolution
December and Armageddon: Triple H running scared of both Goldberg and Kane, H gets DQ'd in a rematch with Goldberg at PPV. Kane takes on Batista and wins
Royal Rumble: Kane and Goldberg enter the Rumble after Triple H is granted a match against Ric Flair. Use the Flair being past it angle they did on Raw, with HBK sowing seeds of discontent with Flair and Evolution. Triple H wins anyway, have Flair low blow HBK the next night on Raw to re-establish his loyalties and keep Evolution together. Kane wins the Rumble, Goldberg moves off into his Lesner feud.
Wrestlemania: Kane gets the big win, the title and his retribution against Triple H

The only real loser in that scenario is Chris Benoit, but who cares about him? It also starts a new story where Evolution can't take down the monster and are trying everything in their power to do so for the next few months. No-one can tell me that Kane wouldn't have served as a better champ in this period, playing that role, than Benoit. At Summerslam they can still do their Orton winning the belt storyline and setting up the Evolution implosion but Kane would have been established as a proper main eventer. He could have moved off to Smackdown in the next draft to dominate over there, plus he would be fresh when he eventually turned heel again

 

[Pedigree1]

Absolutely.

I've always hated the way that angle played out. Seriously, Triple H causes him to lose his mask and he never seeks any sort of retribution? What the hell is that? The removal of Kane's mask was a big deal and it should have been handled better than that.

I thought they started it off well. Kane loses his mask and proceeds to go ape-shit. Totally understandable. However, they fucked it all up the night that Steve Austin called him out. He showed him that the fans didn't care what he looked like and they were popping like crazy for him. Then he proceeds to beat up Austin and have a shitty feud with Shane McMahon.

.

Agreed i have no idea what the E was thinking. Could have been a perfect way of turning Kane and having him seek revenge against trips!! That should have happened HIAC last man standing anything to seek the retribution. Instead Kane feuds with Shane Mcmahon?? Huh made no sense at the time and still doesnt. Kane should have went apeshit destroying everything in his path and IMO Trips and Kane should have had that ambulance match but at that time trips was the champion and mr goldberg was in the picture

 

[Mr. HD]

Someone made a point about the only man who was gonna take the strap of HHH was Goldberg. It was only a matter of time until they went at it for the title.

I'm gonna go outside the box here. When Kane took his mask off, the only person around was RVD and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and proceeded destroying everybody. Why would he go after The Game? Kane was the one who lost the match, but instead of doing that, he took out his anger on anybody and everybody.

Also, there's his character. In his feud with RVD, he said he wasn't going to do what the people wanted, he was going to do what HE wanted. Going after HHH would be what the fans want and he didn't care. Kane would do whatever satisfied HIM and HIM alone.

And also, the feud with Shane McMahon, I mean what do you expect? The man tombstoned Linda on the staging area. That wasn't going to go unpunished. Cue Shane O Mac. Who else at that time was a big enough face to take on Kane that time? I can't remember off the top of my Head. Maybe HBK, but they were starting Orton's push and he needed a big time win. So, they pretty much had to settle for Shane to deal with Kane. Besides, I enjoyed their feud.

I think he was built up bad a little afterwards. He was the third wheel in the HHH/Goldberg feud when he could've been fighting HBK at this time. His Monster thing slowly started to fizzle out and Undertaker put the final nail in that coffin at WrestleMania.

 

[The Brain]

You guys make a good case and have come up with a good storyline for Kane and Triple H but there’s always been one thing that I haven’t agreed on when it comes to Kane around this time. I don’t remember him being so incredibly over like everyone else does. Sure he got some good pops but the way some people (not necessarily in this thread) talk about it you would think Kane-a-mania was running wild in the WWE. He was a face feuding with hated champion heel. Of course he was going to get some pops. A few weeks of strong pops doesn’t make a world champion. There have been plenty of guys over the years that got some good pops but were never considered championship material. I just don’t see Kane as a good champion, certainly not as a face. He was always more of a sideshow attraction and was better used as a threat to the current champion than being a champion himself.

 

[Police Penis Sucking Goat Fucker]

This is a topic that I have been talking about for years. WWE dropped the ball with Kane when it came to being World Heavyweight Champion. Besides his most recent run he only held the title won other time and that was for 24 hours. Kane was super over and I know i was rooting for him. Kane really should have won and I always wished that WWE would have gave Kane a few more title runs. As happy as I was for Kane latter on getting a longer run with the belt I just feel that it was a little too late.

 

[Pay Per Ghost]

As a huge Kane fan his return and new look was just perfect for me. He had shed a bit of the dark side and became more 'fan-friendly' if you will. Calling his fans 'Kanenites' and all. That's a pretty sweet name may I add.

After Hunter was screwing people left and right to keep his belt, I really did think it was time he would drop it to someone. I was pretty sure it was gonna be Goldberg because he was the big fish that they wanted to push in the E.

To be honest I think a good time to give Kane the title was at No Mercy 2002. Kane's pops then were huge as he had just come back and was showing a charismatic side to his character that people were digging.


Coming back to 2003, I don't remember the pops being huge, maybe they were, but I know that Kane would've been a good choice in 2002 but wasn't a big enough deal for HUnter to drop the belt to. I do get Hunter needed a good run with the belt to be the most hated heel on Raw, but then he didn't lose at Mania as well and that was just poop.