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Let me take you on a trip, back 15 years to 1998. The wrestling business was booming. The Attitude Era was in full force. Stone Cold was at the peak of his career. Kane was still viewed as an unstoppable monster who didn’t give hugs to anyone, no matter how beautiful their beard was. Just minutes before Undertaker threw Mankind off the top of the fucking Cell. Kane had previously defeated The Undertaker for a shot at the champ. He’d get it at King Of The Ring.
A standard match to start, with Austin taking control for the beginning. For some reason, the cell from the infamous HIAC match earlier comes down about a quarter of the way through the match, and stays hovering about 7 feet off the ground for the rest of the match. Kane gets his opening and takes control from Austin for a bit, only for Austin to gain some momentum again. Cue Mick Motherfucking Mankind Foley, having just taken two of what would become the most viewed bumps in wrestling history, running down to the ring with chair in hand. That my friends, is one crazy motherfucker. He’s, unsurprisingly, quickly disassembled and Stunnered by Austin. Kane tries to capitalize, but Austin hits him with a Stunner too. So of course Undertaker, not wanting to be left out of all the fun, makes his way down too. He’s got a chair as well, goes to swing for Foley at the same time Austin attempts to crush poor Foley’s brains in. Foley ducks, and Austin takes Takers chair to his chair to his head. This is ultimately what would crack Stone Cold’s noodle open.
Taker tries to shove the ref back into the ring, but when he lays despondent, Taker apparently decides to light him on fire. Grabbing a couple gas cans WWE just decided to leave out during a match involving a guy who’s gimmick is lighting shit on fire and surely violating numerous safety violations, he starts to douse the ref in “gas”. Kane, deciding to attack his brother who just essentially won him the match, hits Taker from behind with a chair, and then gets attack by Austin who’s got, you guessed it, another fucking chair. He tries unsuccessfully to bust Kane open before the ref comes to, but can’t quite pull it off. The ref awakens from his stupor, surely scared shitless to be reeking of gasoline within 10 feet of Kane and Undertaker, sees the blood on Austin and calls the match.
Thus is the story, all about how, Kane’s life got flipped turned upside down, and he held the WWF title for 24 hours. How’s that for anticlimactic?