RECAP AND REVIEW: The Steve Austin Show with Kane on what he remembers most about working for Jim Cornette, how he felt about the Isaac Yankem gimmick, the original name of the Kane character, his first blood match with Austin

The Steve Austin Show – Glenn Jacobs aka Kane

Release Date: 12/24/18

Running time: 1:16

Recap by: Joe Aguinaldo

DIRECT LINK TO LISTEN/DOWNLOAD

Intro:

Steve is at the Broken Skull Ranch 2.0 and wishes everyone a safe and happy holidays. On today’s show is Glenn Jacobs aka Kane. This is one of the best gimmicks of all time and Kane is one of the best big men ever and one of the smartest guys in the locker room.

Glenn Jacobs aka Kane

• Glenn is opening a training school with Tom Prichard, who is one of the top trainers of the world.
• People would often come up to Kane and ask him how to get into the wrestling business. Tom Prichard was sitting in Knoxville and Kane though why not have a training school there? For Kane, it’s about helping people get into the business the right way. He puts over Booker T and Lance Storm’s training schools.
• His training school will teach similar things as the performance center and is a good first step for anyone wanting to get to the WWE or just get into independent wrestling.
• The school will teach people basics including in-ring performance and promos.

School and Sports

• Kane got his BA in English literature and was originally thinking about getting into teaching.
• In college, he played basketball and started playing football in his senior year. He was getting looks from NFL teams but blew his knee out during his first tryout.
• Kane was always a fan of wrestling and thought he would give it a try.
• When Kane was playing football in college, his strength coach was a powerlifter so in the gym, he had a ‘go heavy or go home’ mentality.

Getting Into The Business

• Kane was working independents around St. Louis. Kane ended up going to the Malenko training school in Tampa, Florida. During training, he learned submissions style wrestling.
• Kane’s first real gig in wrestling was working for Fujiwara in Japan working submissions style wrestling.

• After Japan, Kane worked in Puerto Rico for nine months for Carlos Colon then went to Smokey Mountain wrestling to work for Jim Cornette.
• At the time, Smokey Mountain was working with the WWF. His first gimmick in Smokey Mountain was the Unabomb.
• The thing Kane remembers most about Cornette was his temper. During one TV taping, Cornette lost his temper during a match between Al Snow and George South which Kane witnessed

Joining The WWE

• Kane joined the WWE in 1995 (and got married the same year). His wife is very grounded and is very strong and doesn’t take any BS.
• Kane says his relationship is the most important thing.
• Kane’s first gimmick was Isaac Yankem.

• Kane says he owes a lot to Jim Ross who got him a trial with New York in the WWE. Within a few days of his tryout, the WWE signed him.
• He was called to meet with Vince and felt he had made it. This is when Vince pitched the Isaac Yankem gimmick which he didn’t like.
• During this time, Kane got a chance to work with Bret Hart who he says it legitimately one of the best of all time. Looking back on it, Glenn wishes he was Kane while Bret was still around as they could have had some great matches.
• Steve and Kane go through some stories from a tour in Kuwait and South Africa which includes everyone trying to play ribs on everyone else, an 8 man test of strength, the weakest off the top rope splash from Austin, Kane playing golf with Aldo Montoya and an African safari.
• In 1996, Glenn got the fake Diesel gimmick. Conceptually, the idea was that J.R. was going to turn heel and prove he was the creative mind behind the WWE’s success. The problem is that J.R. wasn’t a heel character so the idea didn’t work very well.

• In 1997, Glenn was given the Kane gimmick. Vader had gotten arrested and detained in Kuwait. Taker needed an opponent so they came up with the idea of Inferno, which was the original name of the gimmick.
• They wanted to use Glenn because physically he matched Taker’s size. They put him under a hood and Vince liked the idea of two brothers who were almost mythical creatures.
• Kane was thrilled because he was getting an opportunity to work with Undertaker.
• While Kane was signed with WWE, he was sent to USWA to work for Lawler. Dutch Mantel said the Kane/Taker feud would be successful because Taker would make it successful. Kane’s first match with Taker was in USWA.

• Taker felt he could draw money with Kane and was into this story. The table was set for the success of the Kane character and Glenn was fortunate enough to be in that position.
• Kane and Taker had had conversations about how to work back when Glenn was Isaac Yankem. Taker had taken Glenn under his wing.
• Kane says he’s learned a lot from Vince, but says you have to be confident when dealing with him. Vince values Kane’s (and the talents’) opinions but it takes time to build that trust. Also, if you are loyal to Vince, he will be loyal to you.
• When Glenn started the Kane gimmick, it did change his energy and his outlook as a performer. He was able to buy into the character.

Kane vs. Austin – The First Blood Match

• One of Austin’s favorite angles was when he was cutting a promo about working a first blood match and during the promo, Austin got drenched in ‘blood’ (red syrup). The story was that if Kane didn’t beat Austin, he would set himself on fire.
• During this time, the WWE was doing edgy storylines. Taker, Mankind and Paul Bearer were intertwined with this storyline which was some of the most fun stuff Kane has ever done.
• The first blood match was on the same card as the infamous Hell In A Call with Taker and Mankind. Kane jokingly says he has heat with Mankind because won his first world championship that night but no one remembers. Kane says he remembers the RAW after that night more because the crowd that night was hot.
• There was another match where Kane and Taker pinned Austin. On the next RAW, Vince was presenting Taker and Kane with the belt when Austin came to the ring in a Zamboni and attacked Vince.

The Wrestling business Today

• The worst injury Kane has suffered is a broken hand from an off the top rope clothesline. This was prior to Wrestlemania 2000.
• Kane says it’s easier to get into the business, but it’s harder to get over with today’s audience
• Nowadays, the wrestlers don’t have as much freedom as they used to have back in the Attitude Era. Plus, many of today’s performers don’t have the experience to be able to improvise.
• If you’re trying to get into the business, people you take on as mentors will make or break your career. Find quality people to work with and learn from.
• You can find Kane’s wrestling school on Twitter @jpwa865, through their website https://jpwa.weebly.com/ and you can find Glenn on twitter @GlennJacobsTN
• Steve thanks Kane for being on the show and they sign off.

Rating – 7.5/1

This was a fun podcast. It was nice to hear Kane stay away from the politics and have him talk wrestling. Even though I’d heard a number of these stories before, Kane is very well spoken and a great storyteller. Highlight of the podcast for me was Austin and Kane talking about the First Blood match at KOTR 98 but overall, this entire podcast we a good listen. Definite recommend.

About Joe:

Joe is a long time wrestling fan from Toronto. He is a co-host on the Pull Apart Podcast with Jeff Rush and Caitlin Lavelle as well as a contributor to www.pwpodcasts.com. One of his life goals is to be a guest host on one of Wade Keller’s post-show podcasts. He doesn’t consider himself any sort of expert, he just likes wrestling. Check him out on Twitter and Instagram @ja113.