72. KANE
Real Name – Glen Jacobs
Aliases – The Big Red Machine; The Big Red Monster; The Demon Red; The Christmas Creature; Unabomb; Isaac Yankem DDS; Diesel II
Hometown – parts unknown (kayfabe); currently resides in Knoxville, TN
Debuted – 18th June 1992
Titles Held – SMW Tag Team Championship (as Unibomb); USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (1); WCW World Tag Team Championship (1); WWF Championship (1); WWF Hardcore Championship (1); WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (2); WWF/E World Tag Team Championship (9)
Other Accomplishments – 8th Triple Crown Champion; starred in WWE Films’ major motion picture “See No Evil”; character biography, “Journey Into Darkness”, published in 2005
It’s a testament to the man who can make a variation of the same gimmick work for 10 years in today’s wrestling landscape. Glen Jacobs is that man.
After paying his dues on the indys playing a Christmas Creature and whatever a Unabomb is, Jacobs finally made the big time-the World Wrestling Federation. Unfortunately he became a dentist with bad teeth and then morphed into a guy impersonating Kevin Nash who was impersonating a truck driver.
Not surprisingly neither of those gimmicks earned Jacobs the type of job security I’m sure he was hoping for. Once it was decided that Undertaker had a long lost brother Jacobs took the role and hasn’t looked back since. Whether the character of Kane was meant to be a long-term or not it sure has evolved into something so much more than “Undertaker’s little brother.â€Â
From maybe or maybe not being set on fire as a child, maybe or maybe not burning his parents, being in an asylum, driving stick shift and killing a hot nurse, not being able and then being able to talk and then essentially raping and impregnating a fellow co-worker only to lose the baby in a freak work-related accident, Kane has done it all. And despite only holding the WWF Championship for one day back in 1998, Kane has always been considered an upper-mid card to main event guy, able to job to virtually anyone and still maintain his credibility and over-ness enough to be called upon as a top challenger at the drop of a hat.
He’s been back and forth between heel and face so many times that even a guy like Vince Russo would think that it’s overkill. And he’s got his own chapter in the book on “wacky, mismatched tag team partners.†From degenerates to superheroes to laid-back stoners to hardcore legends to giants to his own half-dead brother, Kane has seen them and teamed with them all, winning a total of nine tag championships along the way. Each partner brought a different part of Kane’s character and personality to the forefront, showing the diversity and range of the character.
He’s also seen his look evolve. From full mask and body suit (to cover all his scars they say), to half mask and sleeveless, to shirtless, hairless, and mask-less, he has still maintained his aura of a big, scary-looking ass kicker.
Overall Kane was been what one can consider a utility player for the past decade in World Wrestling Entertainment. If they need a monster, he’s there. If they need hired muscle, he’s there. If they need a mystery partner or mystery opponent, he’s there. If they need a main eventer in a pinch, he’s there. If they need a jobber for the next big thing, he’s there. He is a guy that has been able to successfully fill whatever role he is needed in at a given instance. That versatility and willingness to play whatever role he is handed is why he has enjoyed a ten-year run as a premier star in the biggest wrestling company in the game.
For all of these reasons and more is why Kane was selected as number 72 on IP’s list of top wrestlers in the modern era. I mean he managed to get through Katie Vick with some shred of credibility left for crying out loud.
As of this writing is working on the Smackdown brand as a face, just doing what he’s been doing and making it look easy.
The entire Top 100 Wrestlers feature can be found here.
