Mask On – Mask Off: Discussing Kane’s New Gimmick

Kane made quite the return this time. And I’m not talking about the fact that he prevented Sheamus from cashing in his MITB breifcase. That was easily predictable. Although Kane caused a stir at Night of Champions, his new character really kicked in the week that followed. Some call it Psycho Kane, some – Schizo Kane but I, as a psychology major, I prefer to label it Split Personality Kane. And since I’ve brought semantics to the table, I’d dare correct Mr. Seth Freaking Rollins himself. He defined Kane’s behaviour as a “Bruce Banner situation” but it’s more of a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde situation only that in Kane’s case, Dr. Jekyll is fully approving of his evil second persona and its destructive urges.

Having finished setting up the terminology right, we should look at what makes Kane’s new gimmick so successful. It’s not the Demon Kane persona because it’s been done too many times. The mask has been on and off more often than it should have which devaluated it. Also, the idea that a gate to hell exists under the WWE ring and that a superstar can exit our dimension through it sounds ridiculous out of the context of the Attitude Era. The Demon Kane gimmick in its original form lost its power. Nowadays, the fans refuse to turn reality off when watching wrestling and these blurred lines make it close to impossible for supernatural to look as a credible threat. The only exception to that is Bray Wyatt but he’s mostly a cult leader. The occult is only an added flavor.

Oddly enough, what makes Kane’s new character viable is his Director of Operations gimmick. This is strange because that was the exact role that buried Kane. The fans were outraged that someone who once was one of the most horrifying personages on the roster, had turned into a lap dog in a cheap suit. However, since his return at Night of Champions, the Authority Kane has been quite entertaining. He’s grotesquely subservient and in a strange way that creates a feeling of power. You don’t know exactly when Kane will snap. You don’t know if he’s in control of it himself or not. Even when Corporate Kane talks, it feels as if the Demon has possessed him.

I want to give my admirations to Kane for having the insane ability to entirely switch his vocabulary, according to the role he’s playing. This is more difficult that it may seem. Jumping from the corporate jargon to sadistic demon talk in a split second requires a complete change of mindset in a matter of nanoseconds. The manner of talking and the type of words used bring as much to a character as his looks, mannerisms and actions. Kane is delightful to listen to. The crowd finds his new corporate talk funny, although that might be due to Seth Rollins’ reactions. Seeing Rollins boil over with frustration and still attempt to clear things out is hilarious and strangely satisfying.

However, as much fun as this new Kane gimmick is, it won’t stay relevant for too long. In fact, I don’t see it going past Hell in a Cell. A PPV with the word “hell” in it is naturally begging for Demon Kane. But afterwards, the character will become unneeded once again. Toying with Rollins will get old soon, as well. Also, it wouldn’t make any logical sense if Kane was allowed to continue dealing with things as he is now. Triple H and Stephanie seemed surprised to hear that Kane had returned, let alone that he was claiming to be the Director of Operations. Yet, they allowed him to act in the role that he seemingly gave himself. Seth Rollins still goes to the Authority for help and advice. Recently he’s been getting zero support. Nevertheless, Seth still seems to believe that they are real friends.  If the Authority keeps allowing Rollins to get screwed over and over again, he’ll eventually start asking questions and it will cause a rift between the bosses and their champ. They don’t want to do that if Seth is to remain under their control.

In conclusion, Kane’s new gimmick is a lot of fun but it probably won’t stay relevant after the next PPV. So, let’s enjoy it while it lasts! It might be one of Kane’s last top tier feuds.

What do you think? Comment below with your thoughts, opinions, feedback and anything else that was raised.