WWE Hall of Famer Kane is one of the most recognisable wrestlers of all time. His red mask and red & black suit were iconic and made him one of the most terrifying wrestlers in history.
When he debuted during the first Hell in a Cell match and ripped the door off the cell, fans knew they were seeing something special. His following rivalry with The Undertaker ended up lasting decades and the pair of brothers were intertwined right up until their retirement.
Why Did Kane Wear A Mask In WWE?
Kane wears a mask in the WWE because he was emotionally scarred after his childhood home was burned down by The Undertaker. The Big Red Machine and his brother The Undertaker battled one another throughout their entire lives in some of the most legendary matches in WWE history.
The storyline between the Brothers of Destruction is one of the deepest and most explored in WWE history. The reveal of The Undertaker having burnt down the home of his monstrous half-brother as a child, killing his parents and thinking he killed Kane, added an extra layer to the Deadman’s character that nobody expected.
As it turned out, The Undertaker’s former manager Paul Bearer was the real father of Kane. He raised Kane after the fire, keeping him locked in a basement and training him to become the most indestructible monster the WWE has ever seen.
At first, Kane was said to wear the mask because of the horrific burns he suffered in the fire. WWE claimed his face was disfigured and unrecognisable, and the mask was to spare his shame and the eyes of those who could see his mangled features. He was likened to Darth Vader, who wore a mask after his face was burned by his former mentor Obi Wan Kenobi.
When he did finally unmask, he wasn’t disfigured and burned. At first, Kane shaved half his hair and covered his face in black soot, implying it was burned. However, unless he hadn’t washed in 25 years then he wouldn’t be covered in anything from the fire. Also, short of having a wild amount of plastic surgery, they would not be able to make Kane look like he had horrible burn scars over his face.
Eventually, WWE decided to explain that the scars were mental – he wore the mask because he felt the effects of the fire on his very psyche and Paul Bearer had fed into these delusions. Kane eventually got over his fear and ran for Mayor of Knoxville, where he currently sits after winning the election in 2018.
Over the years, Kane has taken the mask on and off. It has since been explained that the mask almost creates a different personality for Kane. This was made clear when he gifted the mask to Stephanie McMahon before becoming “Corporate Kane”.
When Did Kane Bury The Undertaker Alive?
Kane helped to bury The Undertaker alive twice. The first was in 2003, when The Undertaker wrestled Vince McMahon at Survivor Series 2003. The Undertaker dominated the WWE Chairman, almost burying him and ending his life on multiple occasions.
He even had him in the grave and was ready to win the match. He climbed the steps to get into the digger at ringside, ready to fill the grave with dirt and end McMahon once and for all. However, as he opened the door it exploded with fire, as Kane leapt out and attacked his brother.
Kane was maskless at this point and beat down the Deadman until he lay unconscious in the grave, Vince McMahon then lowered the pile of dirt into the grave and buried The Undertaker alive, with help from his brother Kane. This was to transition Undertaker from his “American Badass” gimmick back to his classic “Deadman” persona.
The second time was in 2010. The Undertaker faced Kane in a Buried Alive Match at Bragging Rights 2010, with Kane’s World Heavyweight Championship on the line. This marked the end of The Deadman’s full time run as he was buried alive by Kane for the second time in less than a decade.
This time, Kane sought help from The Nexus. Wade Barrett and his team attacked The Undertaker to help Kane retain his title and kill the Deadman, once and for all (as they though, obviously Undertaker cannot die). This was meant to lead to an Undertaker vs Wade Barrett match at Wrestlemania 27, although that was later drop and the Nexus involvement was never mentioned again.
Both times Kane has buried The Undertaker alive he wasn’t wearing his classic red and black mask.
