During a recent appearance on The Ross Report podcast, former WWF Champion Kane talked about being a part of the Attitude Era, his kayfabe half-brother The Undertaker, the Monday Night Wars & more. Below are the highlights:
On Kane not appreciating the Attitude Era when it was going on:
“That was the golden age. So much of life is timing and the timing just worked out. I mean, you had the right people at the right time and just everything worked. And when things are effortless and just everything is smooth and flows, that’s what it was like for a couple of years. It was just amazing and such a joy. And now, you look back and when you’re in the middle of it, you don’t appreciate it like you should and you get on the other side and you’re like, ‘man, that was awesome!’ and that’s sort of how I am.
I didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have while it was going on because it was truly a special time. And, again, frankly, and not because there aren’t talented people nowadays and not because folks don’t work hard, it’s just because it’s a matter of timing and that was the right time and it was just awesome. It was very unique.”
On how the Monday Night Wars forced the wrestlers to give their best:
“Now we look back at the Monday Night Wars and say, ‘oh, WWF was destined to win’ and, no, it wasn’t! If we didn’t win, we were going out of business, so there was pressure on us, but in a good way, to perform because we had to go out and do the best that we could every night because we knew that if we didn’t, we all could be out of a job. And that’s the same pressure we often see in sports, you have to go out and win the game. There is no tomorrow. There is no second chance.
You have to go out and win the game. And I think all of us felt that as well. And it actually at some point became a matter of pride that each and every one of us was going to go out and do the best we could because we wanted to win. We wanted to be the best. I would pull from my sports background and say that would be accurate. There comes a point where that pride and that desire becomes the driving force behind the performance.”
On his favorite tag team partner:
“People ask me what’s my favorite match and who’s my favorite opponent. I hate those questions because I have had the honor of being in the ring with so many great performers. I’ve had so many matches that it’s hard for me to say this or that is my favorite and it’s all different.
But, I mean, in the end, Undertaker’s going to be my favorite tag team partner because our stories are so intertwined as well as the personal relationship that I have with him.”
On wanting to have one more match with The Undertaker:
“I’ll tell you this: I’d like to have one more match with The Undertaker. I’d like to do maybe the Brothers Of Destruction one last time, but that’s not something that we’re going to do. The guy has had an absolutely phenomenal, legendary career, so I think pretty much everything is icing on the cake and not the cake itself at this point.”
