Kane: Fired Up For WrestleMania
WE are now less than one week away from the biggest event in the WWE calendar – WrestleMania.
Known as the granddaddy of them all this is the one show that no fan, or superstar, dare miss.
And who better to give us a preview of Mania than Kane - the wrestler who has performed in 11 of them.
Here is what the veteran, real name Glenn Jacobs, had to say.
Watching Raw and Smackdown this week has really given us a taste for WrestleMania especially Shawn Michaels against your storyline brother Undertaker. Is that what the boys in the back consider as the real main event of the show?
Yeah, I think so, especially for me.
They’ve had very few previous matches and to put them in a bout at WrestleMania just means so much more.
And both are going to genuinely be out to prove something, as both could legitimately claim that title of Mr WrestleMania.
And remember that Undertaker has never defeated Shawn Michaels in a one-on-one match.
But none of those – including the one where I made my debut back in 1997 – were at WrestleMania, where Undertaker is always at his best.
So you are going to see be a tremendous match between two future Hall Of Famers that will be a once in a lifetime event for our fans.
So what’s your relationship with Mark Calaway like? Is he like a big brother to you in real life?
Undertaker’s helped a lot of people, myself included.
I wouldn’t be in the position that I’m at if it wasn’t for him.
He’s a stabilizing force backstage and he’s always helping the young guys out and passing on his knowledge and his expertise.
So I’d say so but, I’d also say that I’m not the only one he’s a mentor to.
What do the fans ask you about him? You must get pestered all the time with people asking if he’s your real brother or if you’re spending Easter with him?
Oh yeah, people ask stuff like that all the time.
Everyone wants to know if Undertaker is my brother.
It’s funny.
Back to WrestleMania, how about this Money In The Bank match you’re in? There should be some big spots in that one!
It has the potential to steal the show.
Last year’s was an incredible match and the athletes that are in it this year are amazing. Especially Shelton Benjamin and Kofi Kingston.
I think this is an opportunity for Kofi to break out as this deal is tailor made for him.
He is one of the best athletes by far on our roster and in the Money In The Bank match you get to showcase that and cause a big buzz.
What’s the job of the big man in that match?
Knock everyone else down off the ladder! That’s it.
Then again it’s WrestleMania – so I’ll probably pull something out.
You debuted in 1997 at the height of the Attitude Era. Now in 2009 WWE is “PG” once again. What do you see as the difference between the two periods?
The Attitude Era was definitely when we were cutting edge, but now we are trying to appeal to a wider audience.
Both have their advantages.
The Attitude Era brought us Stone Cold Steve Austin and I was there for all of that and be the witness, and sometime the participant, in history. That was really neat.
I hate to use the word ‘mainstream’, but now we are trying to appeal to a much bigger audience.
I think that a good thing strategically for the WWE and what you have to do.
Not only in the US and Europe, but all over the world.
We are trying to appeal to as many different people as possible, while not alienating our fan base which is extremely important, because we really do have the best and the most loyal fans in the world.
Some of those Attitude storylines did get a bit silly, especially for your character – what with Katie Vick and Lita’s pregnancy. Is that a side of Kane you now want to get rid of?
Yeah, I guess.
The Katie Vick deal – I didn’t really have anything to do with that!
If people actually watch it, that was not me.
But whatever.
As far as the rest of it goes, the characters that we have go through different changes and different phases just like everyone else.
And people have always liked Kane!
When you get presented with storylines like that – can you say “no” or is it just your job to go out and do it?
Well it’s a little bit of both.
You were close to Andrew ‘Test’ Martin in the WWE, who tragically passed away earlier this month. What are your memories of him?
I don’t know how old Andrew was when we met, he was just a kid.
I worked with him quite a bit and I tried to help him learn how to be a big guy in WWE.
So when I heard the news I was very upset.
What’s the atmosphere in the locker room like, because the last few years have been terrible for the wrestling community? Is the morale quite low at the moment?
No, not really.
We get to do what we love to do and go out and perform in front of our fans.
It’s just like everything else. Looking at things from the outside you probably have a different perspective then when you are actually there.
Our company has done a tremendous job of trying to get the sort of people that you would want to work for you, that you’d want to represent your company, into our company.
And because of that the locker room is actually pretty harmonious.
I would say actually that morale is very high, is as high as I’ve ever seen it.
Finally we’ve talked a bit about two matches at WrestleMania, what are your thoughts and predictions on the rest of the card?
Randy Orton is a snake and Triple H is at the top of his game, so I think you’re going to see Triple H retain his title.
In the Big Show v Edge v John Cena match I’m going to go with Show on that one, because he’s physically so strong.
Matt and Jeff Hardy is a toss up. It’s two brothers so who knows what is going to happen there.
Miz and Morrison will unify the titles and there are too many Divas in the battle royal for me to have any idea who will be the victor.
As for Money In the Bank – I’ll win that one of course!
WrestleMania 25 is on Sky Box Office at midnight on Sunday April 5.
Source: TheSun
