As first announced on @WWETheBump by his Tag Team Partner and WWE Legend The Undertaker, Mayor of Knox County and Legend in his own right, Kane is the latest inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021
This comes on the back of the most recent announced inductee, The Great Khali, as announced by WWE India
He began his professional wrestling career on the independent circuit in 1992, wrestling in promotions such as Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) and the United States Wrestling Association (USWA) before joining the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1995. Jacobs played various characters until 1997, when he was repackaged as Kane, the younger half-brother of The Undertaker, with whom Jacobs would alternatively feud or team as The Brothers of Destruction
In a previous article, we reviewed The Big Red Machines memorable moments, here is my favourite excerpt from this piece, detailing his appearance at In Your House!:
”Coming during the first-ever Hell In A Cell match between Undertaker and Shawn Michaels at In Your House: Bad Blood, alongside Paul Bearer, Kane proceeded to rip the door off the sell and tombstone his half-brother The Undertaker to cost him the WWF Championship.
Wearing his not trademark red and black full-body gear and his iconic mask, this was unlike anything the audience had seen in a long time and sent shockwaves through the company.
This interaction and ready-made plot led to a year-long program involving the Brothers of Destruction, from costing each other matches to even teaming up at one point. Would Kane be in the position he is today if it weren’t for that impactful debut?
Jacobs surely had the talent, but that moment, the sight of Kane walking to the Cell alongside Bearer would forever cement the vision of a monster ready to take the WWF by fire.
Just over a year after his debut, Kane would end up winning his first-ever WWE Championship. Taking place the 1997 King Of The Ring, this moment is more often than not overshadowed by the preceding Hell In The Cell match between Undertaker and Mankind. Facing off against Stone Cold Steve Austin in a First Blood match, Kane would be victorious when interference from both Mankind and Undertaker led to Mankind swinging a chair at Kane, but he missed and caught Austin in the face.”