The Undertaker’s dedication to putting his body on the line for fans’ enjoyment has earned him legendary status, though it comes with its drawbacks. With that said, The Deadman has admitted that he doubts his career would have been as successful and long-lasting as it was without Kane.
After making his debut at the 1990 WWE Survivor Series, The Undertaker was first given the name “Kane.” Fortunately, WWE later dropped that name for Undertaker and used it in 1997 for his storyline brother, Kane, who was thought to be dead but turned out to be alive.
The Undertaker continued to wrestle for over 20 years after Kane’s debut and their careers had been intertwined for several years, as they faced off against each other and even teamed up for good measure.
While speaking during a Patreon exclusive Q&A, The Undertaker reflected on how his career would have been very different without the storyline involving Kane. The Deadman mentioned that having Kane as a character made him more relatable and allowed him to show vulnerability, which was unusual for him.
Their relationship created many opportunities for storylines and helped extend his career. Without the “Brothers of Destruction” storyline, Undertaker believes he might not have had a career that lasted 30 years.
”There’s a huge part of my career, if he’s not there, that just doesn’t happen. There was a lot of things that led out of us working at different times, to work into different programs and different angles. I mean, it’s not just the angles and the times that we were working against each other, but then, too, it allowed me to grow as a character because it gave me something that I could relate to. Someone that I could relate to. I mean, ‘that’s my flesh and blood’ kind of a deal. It was the only way that really worked in making me vulnerable in any way. I learned a lot in working with him, [including] how to make myself more vulnerable moving forward. Without Kane, I’m a killer until I’m used up. I don’t know that I go for 30 years without that story.”
The Undertaker also recently claimed that people accuse him of ruining their childhoods. Regardless, The Phenom will forever be glad for Kane’s influence on his career and that’s all that matters to him.
What do you make of what The Undertaker had to say? Do you feel his career wouldn’t have been as iconic without Kane? Sound off in the comments section below!