Kane's current role

[WarroBODFan]

I was lucky enough to attend my first live shows this week, attending both Raw and Smackdown in Liverpool. During the shows, it got me thinking about Kane and his current role in the WWE as a whole.

Obviously, he's not the guy he was in the ring, but is still in amazing shape at 47 years old, and his days of getting a major push towards a major title are long gone now. It's clear his role is to put talent over, and that's fine. But considering how many matches he loses, does anyone else find his effectiveness as a legit and believable threat to someone pretty low? He's won a grand total of four matches in 2014, two of which were as part of a handicap match, and his only singles wins have come against Adam Rose and against Ziggler. All the rest he's either lost clean, or lost via DQ. Yet we're being told the Authority are building the biggest, baddest team in WWE history, and Kane is a part of it.

He's borderline irrelevant for me now, and I wish he wasn't. There is no pop, no booing when he comes out, just a flat response every time. Again, I totally understand his role right now and why they have him doing what he does. But would slightly stronger booking for him right now make him a more believable threat? It's to a point now for me personally that I couldn't give a damn about any Kane match due to predictability, and even if he did "win" it would likely be down to an Authority interference.

Disclaimer: Prime Kane was my favourite wrestler growing up, bar none. So this is far from a hate thread, or criticising him in any way. Just a simple question.

 

[TheICChampion]

I'm not hating on the guy either, but it just seems like the damage has been irreparably done. There's no amount of strong booking they can give Kane that will make him seem like a threat to anyone. I won't go so far to say I don't care about the guy, but I do not see him tipping the scales in any way for the Authority.

 

[BuriedByCena]

He really does need to retire. Not even his mask can save him because he has put it on/taken it off like a dozen times already. He is not scary anymore. He is okay enough in the ring, but his character is done. He has already overstayed his welcome and I would hate to see him stick around for another 5 years because it will just be sad like the last 20 years of flairs career.

 

[MERPER]

The most relevant he's been was when he was terrorizing Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella. At least when he was the "evil/demonic" Kane he was somewhat scary and they can do cool things like that.

At least bring him back and let him have a run where he has the mask and goes crazy.

But the "corporate stooge" Kane is beyond boring. No gimmick, no substance. Bad in the ring. Just awful.

 

[ckoneagain]

I think you've missed the point of Kane a little bit. He is now and never has been about wins and losses, in all of his incarnations he's been about inflicting pain and absorbing it. When the authority put him against someone it's to hurt them, to soften them up for whatever is next. He's not supposed to take them out of action, or pin them 123, it's about inflicting pain and softening them up week after week. He may get 'beat' almost weekly, but he's back completely unscathed every single week and just as ready to go.

 

[Navi]

There is no pop, no booing when he comes out, just a flat response every time.

I've been to 3 live shows this year and he was at every one of them and he got the same response. It's a shame really because he was one of the biggest monsters in the company.

I think people are just tired of seeing him and we all know what's coming. I know I am. Kane used to be special. Now he shows up during matches, interferes, does a chockslam or two and that's about the extent of it. He used to be unpredictable, and now that the unpredictably factor is gone, so is most of his mystique. Bottom line he's overused and we see way too much of him.

 

[Its Clobberin' Time]

Time for the Big Red Machine to step aside i think! His Corporate character is stale and boring and he is nowhere near the beast he used to be! Shame really, would have liked to have seen him with a few more title runs.

 

[MartialHorror]

Yup. Kane is no longer a serious contender, but the Authority keeps making him out to be super dangerous. The annoying thing is that WWE DID have the opportunity to repair his image in the wake of the Daniel Bryan injury. They credited him as being the one to take Bryan out. Then the next show they have him get in a brawl with Cena...make him out to be this dominating force, only for Cena to rebound and kick his ass. But wait, that was just building to their match that ni- oh wait, he loses.

Then they build him up during his Money in the Bank match, choke-slamming everyone in the ring. Oh, he's obviously a major thr- oh wait, Roman Reigns just speared him. Yup, he's lost his credibility.

HOWEVER

There is one aspect about Kane I really like. He's probably the ONLY heel who doesn't flee whenever confronted. When John Cena or Ambrose runs in, Rollins+co might flee like little girls but Kane will stand his ground and get his ass kicked like a man. That really does in many ways keep him vaguely interesting. He's the only brave heel out there.

Even Rusev, Brock and Bray- who are all booked as his superior- tend to run away when confronted with potential danger. But not Kane though. Sometimes those little, consistent touches mean a lot.

 

[TDFG]

With the likes of the Wyatt Family coming in and being like a spooky heel group and Rusev, Reigns etc. getting pushed and rarely losing, Kane's days as 'the big red monster' are over.

He's probably the longest serving wrestler on the roster, so he does deserve respect for that and the matches/feuds he's been in during his career, I do think it's time to wind down his character though.

 

[Darkshadow1234]

I'm gonna be perfectly honest right here. You may hate me for this. But I don't really care, this has to be said.

I've have watched Kane career as a whole for a long time. For his time as christmas creature, uniabomb, his brief shit in wcw, issac yankem, and fake diesel. And the most famous character KANE.

Kane has always been underrated. In his prime, his in ring work was great and his strength.

Kane was relevant in 1997-1998. Kane momentum was halted when he lost to the undertaker at Wrestlemania 14. Taker should of won by dq. or it should of been a draw.
Taker beating kane kind of hurt Kane IMO. After wrestlemania 14, kane started jobbing to taker in every match and to everyone else. Because Taker didn't wanna put kane over because he felt threaten by him.
When Kane became corporate kane in 1999, that pretty much killed his character right there. Kane was already in the corporation in 1999. This corporate kane now is just a rehash.
And Kane jobbing to xpac in almost every match, destroyed whatever credibility he has as a monster.

Kane has been treated as a joke for the longest time. Ever since 1998.

Kane right now is a complete joke and a waste of time. Every time he is in the ring, I turn off the tv or don't watch.
Its painfully to see Kane wrestle now. Its fucking embarrassing. Him jobbing to everyone.
He can't even chokeslam anyone anymore.
The damage has already been done to kane. Its can't be changed.

Fans need to know the difference of putting people over and jobbing.
You can put people over and not job in every single match.
You don't have to lose to put someone over.

I used to be a kane fan.
Now I just wish he would go away.

Kane constantly in the Main event is boring and predictability.

That's how I feel about Kane now.
He needs to retired.

Undertaker evolved has character for the better.
But kane evolved has character for the worse.

He is stale and just a big red joke.
It shows me that WWE doesn't know how to handle monster characters.

 

[bioshock]

Kane is just an example of part of the problem with WWE. What point does it serve to have Kane on tv at all? Fans don't want to see him, hes not longer entertaining, or a threat, hes as boring as they come in the ring. Everyone once hated on TNA for having so many old ex WWE guys headlining the events. Well look at WWE they have someone who is older than they were at that point and hes in the main event of every Raw show. Kane just needs to go away. Give all of Kanes camera time to someone better, and younger.

 

[Mustang Sally]

What surprises me most in this incarnation of Kane, the suit-wearing executive, is how many times he's involved in scheduled matches. The first time he wore a tie, he stuck more to laying down edicts and occasionally enforcing them with a choke-slam, which was good and effective. At that time, when he did engage in a match, it was the exception more than the rule.

I think they should go back to that. If he's there to make personnel decisions and enforce discipline, he should do it in non-violent fashion, except when someone gets out of line......in which case he can knock the shit out of 'em. But if he's going to keep taking off his shirt and getting involved in formal matches, he might as well outright abandon the suit and wear wrestling gear.....he might as well be comfortable while doling out punishment.

I believe the Kane character is still viable. Glenn Jacobs has proven to be a capable, adaptable performer whose presence always makes an impact.

 

[Mudlup50]

Am I the only person who notices the crickets when Kane comes out or gets announced for a match?

 

[DCLXVI]

Sick to death of Kane and him being shoved down our throats and put into just about every main event match in some capacity. I was tired of his involvement 6 months ago, and he is still on every show. I sigh and tune out every time I see him saunter down the aisle in some dress slacks (boring as crap) to no pop or boos. People are just indifferent.

I've read that he has contemplated retiring from the ring but "has a hard time walking away from the money". By this point he's had the mask, not had the mask, been a comedy character, been a "monster" so many damn times - his character has no credibility anymore.

 

[HurriKane]

I'm just waiting for the day for Kane to turn on the Authority, and chokeslam every thing in the ring. I'm hoping for one more big Kane pop.

(New member by the way, glad to be here)

 

[HurriKane]

But I will say I wish they would have kept Brodus Clay and gave him the role of the Authority's big man instead of Kane

 

[Mudlup50]

(New member by the way, glad to be here)

I'd like to welcome you hopefully you stay and provide lots of interesting thoughts for these conversations

Anyway, I'm waiting for Kane to retire personally. I haven't been a fan of his ever to be honest, and lately he's just looked a lot worse. His chokeslams aren't impressive anymore and he barely wins. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he should just disappear and never come back, just he needs to go. Maybe a huge turn on the Authority would work and then send him off into the sunset, story wise they could say they forced him into retirement? Heel heat for the Authority.

I think a lot of other guys would have worked better in the role than Kane: Brodus, Ryback, Henry...honestly, just about any big man in the company

 

[HurriKane]

Anyway, I'm waiting for Kane to retire personally. I haven't been a fan of his ever to be honest, and lately he's just looked a lot worse. His chokeslams aren't impressive anymore and he barely wins. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he should just disappear and never come back, just he needs to go. Maybe a huge turn on the Authority would work and then send him off into the sunset, story wise they could say they forced him into retirement? Heel heat for the Authority.
company

Kane is one of my all time favorites (As anyone can see by looking at my name lol) But I wouldn't be upset if he had to retire soon.

If it was up to me I would have Kane turn face, and fight the Authority, I would then have The Ascension come to the main roster and start destroying Kane on a weekly basis. If I had my choice I would have Taker come back and try to help Kane against The Ascension in a match. It could be a send off for The Brothers, and give The Ascension some credibility.

 

[Navi]

Am I the only person who notices the crickets when Kane comes out or gets announced for a match?

No and the answer has been given by a lot of people already on the thread. Kane is overused. He used to be like a special event, but now he's on every show, involved in every single match it seems, and the fans are just fed right up with him.

It is a sad end to a Hall of Fame bound career.

 

[HBKistheHOF]

I imagine Kane will eventually turn back into "The Big Red Monster" but I think Corporate Kane is fine in his current gimmick. Putting over young talent is exactly what he should be doing right now. Also with his size & past credibility, getting a win over him will always mean something while losing to him will also always be reasonable & make sense at times.

Kane isn't going to be a world champion again but at the same time he isn't ready to step back behind scenes & he still feels like he can go inside the ring, which he can. So I think Kane is fine where he is for now.

 

[blueskyy]

This is not to answer the OP question, but rather my general feeling on the role of Kane after reading most of the responses.

WWE wanted someone to chaperone Seith Rollins so that it won't feel like a one man show all the time, and Kane was the person they had chosen. For most of the people who keep complaining that they are sick of Kane, who else in your opinion would fit the bill into that role? This person must be a veteran, this person must have some kind of relationship with Triple H, and this person must be willing to play second fiddle to Seith Rollins. Kane is doing that job just fine, he's just becoming more and more blend because of the role he's in. In my opinion, changing him back to the Big Red Monster wouldn't revitalized him either, since he had been coasting (or some would say phoning it in) for some time already prior to his Corporate Kane turn.

A stronger booked Corporate Kane would have been better. But then again, people would be complaining that Corporate Kane is burying the new "talents".

TLDR: Kane is now doing just fine.

 

[kadroan]

I like Kane. I like him as an authority figure. His body looks like he's in better shape than when he was in his prime.

To me they try to portray him as the authority figure that can impose fear into his enemies physically. I just think at this point, he needs to focus on being an authority figure and have somebody like Bad News Barrett or Sheamus as the muscle of The Authority instead of himself.

 

[Mudlup50]

No and the answer has been given by a lot of people already on the thread. Kane is overused. He used to be like a special event, but now he's on every show, involved in every single match it seems, and the fans are just fed right up with him.

It is a sad end to a Hall of Fame bound career.

I remember a quiz on Sporcle about who had wrestled in the most matches on Raw, Kane was the top answer by quite a margin if memory recalls correctly. Makes sense, if you think 16 years, most of the time on Raw, never was king of a faction to hide behind them. Just thought it was interesting