After WWE mainstay Glen Jacobs' most recent turn from "Demon Kane" to "Corporate Kane", there were surely grumbles about how stupid that was and how horrible WWE is. While wrestling's beauty is in its subjectivity, there is one important factor smarks seem to be overlooking when they complain about Kane. Actually, there are two. First, these fans were already groaning every time they saw Kane anyway. They are tired of the character who is supposed to be evil incarnate, but is really just a joke and is basically a jobber to the stars. The irony is, they miss the Kane from the 90's because he was dangerous, and Corporate Kane is actually much more dangerous than the watered down character we have come to expect.
The potency of the Authority naturally seems to wax and wane as time goes on, but since WWE's Money In The Bank Pay-Per-View In June, some key tweaks to the formula have transitioned the Authority from a bumbling, cartoonish brood of ineffectual bad guys, to a stable of hardcore villains who are starting to draw some serious heat.
First of all, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H have turned their game way up, and Steph's feud with Brie Bella is one of the more compelling storylines of the year.
But more importantly, Seth Rollins and Kane have forged a strong partnership through their natural chemistry together. They have been working together since Rollins' heel turn against his brothers in the shield, but since Randy Orton has gone on to feud with Roman Reigns over the last month or so, the Rollins/Kane bond has flourished.
And part of that success has been WWE's Creative epiphany that fans don't buy masked Kane's supernatural aura anymore. He has been used to many times as the butt of WWE's bad jokes. But now, unmasked and possibly in the best shape of his life, the wrestler formerly known as Isaac Yankem is showing a viciousness and a vitality that has been missing for years.
For the fans to truly buy into the Authority as an unstoppable stable of villains, Kane has to match the furniture. And in the suit and tie, he represents a truly realistic, and ultimately more horrifying brand of evil: Corporate America.
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