25 years of Hellfire and Brimstone.
There's an argument that can be made that story of Kane, from beginning to end, is one of the greatest stories in the history of WWE. First appearing in 1997, Kane, the brother of The Undertaker, would go on to wrestle the very best of multiple generations of WWE Superstars. From John Cena and CM Punk to Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock, Kane has wrestled nearly every great star of the last 30 years.
He has also teamed with many of the greats including Mankind, X-Pac, Daniel Bryan, and his very own brother, The Undertaker.
Now, WWE is set to celebrate Kane all month long with #Kane25.
“That’s gotta be Kane!”
Those immortal words were spoken 25 years ago today when Paul Bearer led a masked giant — correctly presumed by all to be The Undertaker’s rumored long, lost brother — through hellfire and brimstone and onto WWE airwaves for the first time.
The monstrous 7-footer made an immediate impact, tearing his way into that evening’s Hell in a Cell main event to confront The Phenom and set off a remarkable years-long rivalry with his fellow Brother of Destruction. Little did anyone know that he was only getting started.
A quarter of a century later, Kane stands as one of the most iconic, transformative and feared Superstars in WWE history.
From going to war with the likes of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Roman Reigns and Triple H, to setting the record for most all-time Royal Rumble Match eliminations, to being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, Kane has created a legacy for the ages. He’s scorched opponents and been set aflame, unmasked himself only to reemerge later more frightening than before, and Tombstoned everyone from baseball great Pete Rose to an ordained priest.
To commemorate the silver anniversary of Kane’s debut, WWE will be celebrating The Big Red Monster in the coming weeks with #Kane25. Be on the lookout for special Kane-themed editions of WWE Top 10 and WWE Playlist, throwback videos of your favorite and most nightmare-inducing Kane moments, and much more! Don’t forget to join in the conversation on social media using the hashtag #Kane25.
Kane was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021 and Glenn Jacobs, the man under the mask, is currently the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. Learn more here.