5 things you might not remember about The Undertaker and Kane's final feud from 2010

The Undertaker and Kane are two of the most feared WWE Superstars of all time, and facing them inside the squared circle is like being served with a death warrant. The two even formed an alliance, giving birth to a formidable tag team known as The Brothers of Destruction.

However, due to the twisted storyline behind the tag team, the two would inevitably clash, and this too became one of the most epic rivalries in pro wrestling history. Their in-ring brawls were comparable to that of two behemoths trying to best each other.

Here are just five facts about this rivalry from 2010 that fans might have already forgotten.

#5. Kane vowed to track down the culprits who put The Undertaker in a “vegetative state”

The final feud between The Undertaker and Kane kicked off when then-SmackDown General Manager Teddy Long revealed that the former was attacked and was in a “vegetative state.” Kane, upon discovering ‘Taker in such a condition, vowed revenge.

Big Red went into detective mode for weeks as he went after other WWE Superstars he believed had something to do with The Deadman’s condition. However, come SummerSlam 2010, The Undertaker would confront Kane, who was at the time defending his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Rey Mysterio.

As it turned out, The Big Red Machine was the one responsible all along, and he drove this fact home with a Tombstone Piledriver to The Deadman.

#4. Paul Bearer was added to the mix

The Undertaker’s manager, Paul Bearer, would be tapped into this rivalry between the two WWE Superstars, giving ‘Taker a much-needed morale boost. However, just when The Phenom thought he would gain the upper hand, history repeated itself.

The two faced off for the World Heavyweight Championship at 2010’s Hell in a Cell. Paul Bearer’s plans were carried out during the namesake match as he betrayed ‘Taker by blinding him using the iconic urn.

This may well seem like payback for Bearer as he was betrayed by The Deadman back in 2004 when he drowned in cement.

#3. Nexus also entered the fray

Even the heel faction known as The Nexus got involved in The Undertaker-Kane rivalry.

Their involvement took place at the tail end of the feud during the Bragging Rights pay-per-view. The two superstars would finally settle the score at the aforementioned event in a Buried Alive match, which The Deadman was very familiar with.

Everyone thought that ‘Taker would capture the World Heavyweight Championship from his brother. However, members of the villainous Nexus came out of nowhere and began attacking ‘Taker, resulting in Big Red retaining the title.

#2. Kane being set on fire as a teen was part of the storyline

Prior to the culmination of their rivalry at Bragging Rights, Kane and The Deadman would cross paths at Night of Champions that same year.

The two WWE Superstars collided in a No Holds Barred match for the World Heavyweight Championship, which was held by Big Red at the time. During the final minutes of the match, ‘Taker gained the upper hand by delivering a Chokeslam to his kayfabe brother and almost pinning him for the three count. The Deadman also performed a Tombstone Piledriver but it got countered by Kane’s version of the move for the win.

This part of their feud was said to have partly resolved an issue during their youth where teen Kane was deemed weak by the young ‘Taker. The storyline suggested that during those years, The Deadman set Big Red on fire.

#1. It was The Undertaker’s idea to elevate Kane in this final feud

(Skip to 45:24 in the video.)

In an interview with Notsam Wrestling, the two superstars spoke about their 2010 feud, with Kane revealing that it was Undertaker’s idea to elevate his character. He explained that it was a chance thing that WWE took advantage of. He added that they had to execute it differently so that it didn't end up looking like a sequel.

'Taker had the same sentiment as his kayfabe brother. He stated that he was confident they could pull it off and make it relevant again, adding that it was just a matter of being creative and changing the narrative from what the fans had seen before.