WWE has spent fifteen years building up Kane as The Big Red Monster. He abducted women, tormented his brother, tortured people, and oh yeah, thanks to Triple H's investigative journalism, we found out he fucked corpses too. In the last two weeks though, he has become one of the most sympathetic people on the roster, all because he's been paired with Lil' Napoleon himself, Daniel Bryan. Bryan's fanatical one-track mind has made Kane of all people seem rational, level-headed, almost the voice of reason. This from a guy who ruined what would have been the most dominating kayfabe tag team ever just because the release date for See No Evil spooked him something fierce.
But no matter who the canvas was for Bryan's hurtful barbs, anyone being derogatively compared as normal, as being "just" themselves, after spending the last nine months going through the figurative fire and brimstone of anger management training, would be prime candidates for the audience's sympathy. Yes, Bret Hart casts a long shadow, even if his run as a haymaker in WWE was short compared to the man whom he defeated at SummerSlam 1995 in a different life. But "You're just Kane?" Ouch, Daniel. Ouch. Bryan and Kane had become as thick as thieves in the last nine months. Their friendship has been one of my favorite sentimental Macguffins in WWE history. Kane's eyes told the entire story. He was sad, and I, for the first time as a watcher of a WWE with Kane in it, felt genuine sadness for him, and not just "hey, Triple H is faux-humping the corpse of your dead girlfriend and I am dork-raging for you" sad.
It served as a great backdrop for what turned out to be one of the finest free TV matches WWE has put on this year (and for me to say that in the year WWE has had with free TV matches is something). It was Bryan's dogged determination to prove that he wasn't the weak link that brought out a wrestler we hadn't seen since Sheamus put him to bed for good after Extreme Rules last year. He went out like the goddamn Warner Bros. Tazmanian Devil, not caring how many of Seth Rollins' bones he dislocated. It wasn't about winning back the Tag Team Championships. It was about proving a point to Kane that didn't need to be proven. Kane knew that they were true friends, but Bryan's insecurity cost them not only the gold (bronze?), but perhaps even their bond, as sad as that sounds.
Of course, the bonds of friendship, or at least mentorship or even cultish devotion, were still present in other relationships on RAW. Against better judgment of people who may or may not know better, Curtis Axel was advised not to continue on with Paul Heyman as his agent. John Cena advising him to ditch Heyman felt disingenuous, mainly because Cena hasn't had a true friend in WWE since, well, has he ever? I mean, from jump, he hopped in the pool and started talking shit to Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle with no backup so to speak. Listening to Cena about friendship and advisory roles would be like asking Triple H for tips on how to share the spotlight.
Hart, conversely, might know a thing or two about comradery. He was part of two iterations of the Hart Foundation and headed up the last-gasp version of the nWo in WCW. Maybe he's onto something about Heyman being a snake in the grass, especially since you're only as worthy to Heyman as long as you're providing him a benefit. Note how he wasn't as quick to laud CM Punk with the same confidence he was for either Axel or Brock Lesnar. Note how he was so quick to shove Punk into a match with Chris Jericho just to prove a point, as if Punk owed it to him to shut people like Jericho up who'd disparage him.
So maybe Daniel Bryan was onto something when he took the same advice to heart from Hart that he shoved aside from Kane. But regardless of what the Hitman's status is in Canada (and believe you me, if the Prime Minister had any crises of faith on how to run the country, he goes straight to Bret Freakin' Hart), you still don't wound your friends. As much as I dread it, Team Hell No is coming to a fiery end sooner rather than later. That part's not surprising. The shocking thing, though? It's how hard my heart is going to ache for Kane when this is all over, barring some monumental swerve.
But no matter who the canvas was for Bryan's hurtful barbs, anyone being derogatively compared as normal, as being "just" themselves, after spending the last nine months going through the figurative fire and brimstone of anger management training, would be prime candidates for the audience's sympathy. Yes, Bret Hart casts a long shadow, even if his run as a haymaker in WWE was short compared to the man whom he defeated at SummerSlam 1995 in a different life. But "You're just Kane?" Ouch, Daniel. Ouch. Bryan and Kane had become as thick as thieves in the last nine months. Their friendship has been one of my favorite sentimental Macguffins in WWE history. Kane's eyes told the entire story. He was sad, and I, for the first time as a watcher of a WWE with Kane in it, felt genuine sadness for him, and not just "hey, Triple H is faux-humping the corpse of your dead girlfriend and I am dork-raging for you" sad.
It served as a great backdrop for what turned out to be one of the finest free TV matches WWE has put on this year (and for me to say that in the year WWE has had with free TV matches is something). It was Bryan's dogged determination to prove that he wasn't the weak link that brought out a wrestler we hadn't seen since Sheamus put him to bed for good after Extreme Rules last year. He went out like the goddamn Warner Bros. Tazmanian Devil, not caring how many of Seth Rollins' bones he dislocated. It wasn't about winning back the Tag Team Championships. It was about proving a point to Kane that didn't need to be proven. Kane knew that they were true friends, but Bryan's insecurity cost them not only the gold (bronze?), but perhaps even their bond, as sad as that sounds.
Of course, the bonds of friendship, or at least mentorship or even cultish devotion, were still present in other relationships on RAW. Against better judgment of people who may or may not know better, Curtis Axel was advised not to continue on with Paul Heyman as his agent. John Cena advising him to ditch Heyman felt disingenuous, mainly because Cena hasn't had a true friend in WWE since, well, has he ever? I mean, from jump, he hopped in the pool and started talking shit to Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle with no backup so to speak. Listening to Cena about friendship and advisory roles would be like asking Triple H for tips on how to share the spotlight.
Hart, conversely, might know a thing or two about comradery. He was part of two iterations of the Hart Foundation and headed up the last-gasp version of the nWo in WCW. Maybe he's onto something about Heyman being a snake in the grass, especially since you're only as worthy to Heyman as long as you're providing him a benefit. Note how he wasn't as quick to laud CM Punk with the same confidence he was for either Axel or Brock Lesnar. Note how he was so quick to shove Punk into a match with Chris Jericho just to prove a point, as if Punk owed it to him to shut people like Jericho up who'd disparage him.
So maybe Daniel Bryan was onto something when he took the same advice to heart from Hart that he shoved aside from Kane. But regardless of what the Hitman's status is in Canada (and believe you me, if the Prime Minister had any crises of faith on how to run the country, he goes straight to Bret Freakin' Hart), you still don't wound your friends. As much as I dread it, Team Hell No is coming to a fiery end sooner rather than later. That part's not surprising. The shocking thing, though? It's how hard my heart is going to ache for Kane when this is all over, barring some monumental swerve.