WWE: Kane's Role For the Past 5 Years

By RJ Marceau

Last night at Night of Champions, we saw the return of Kane. I wasn’t surprised he returned with the mask either. Over the past 5 years we have seen Kane with the mask and without the mask. But it seems like the WWE wants you to believe that Kane is a threat to the storyline they put him in. The issue or role for Kane when he has returned is being used as a stepping-stone to the next major angle for the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

In 2011, he was used in a feud with WWE Champion John Cena, Eve and Zack Ryder. He attacked Ryder week after week trying to get John Cena to “Rise Above the Hate.” This feud happened before Cena went into his big “Once in a Lifetime” with The Rock. Kane was the devil's favorite demon for a couple more months and then started to give hugs to his Team Hell No partner Daniel Bryan. In 2013, Kane turned his mask back to Stephanie McMahon and became corporate Kane.

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In 2014, two weeks after WrestleMania XXX, Kane returned with the mask again to face new WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan. At the time, heels Batista, Orton and HHH were feuding with The Shield. Bray Wyatt was feuding with John Cena so they had no heels to face Bryan. So why not put the mask back on Kane after he just lost to the Shield at WrestleMania in a 3 minute squash match. People will forget Kane has been “a Loser” for the past few years is WWE logic. He attacked Brie Bella in some weird angles on Raw and eventually lost to Bryan at Extreme Rules. Daniel Bryan was injured so he didn’t have a big feud after Kane but it was easily known by the WWE audience that Kane was just someone to fill the role of a heel since all other top heels were in big angles already.

Last night, Kane returned saving Rollins from getting “cashed in” on by Sheamus but delivered a chokeslam to both Sheamus and Rollins. He also gave Rollins a tombstone piledriver. It is highly rumored that Rollins next big feud will be with HHH presumably Survivor Series so they need someone to face the champion. Rollins has faced every “main event” babyface since becoming champion so a “tweener” Kane is the only person to face Rollins. If WWE uses logic, Rollins would assume Stephanie gave Kane the mask back and had him attack Rollins. If he saves Rollins from being cashed in he gets the next title match against Rollins. Rollins could turn face in the process and face a heel HHH at Survivor Series. But knowing WWE, they will have Rollins and Kane hug it out or discuss it in tonight’s 20-minute opening segment.

I don’t hate Kane at all I just think after he cooled down from being unmasked in 2003, his character would be tainted and not realistic. Kane is miles better then Big Show but having taken the mask off and back on, multiple times in 12 years it gets to the point that people don’t care.