Going one-on-one with Kane is no easy task for any WWE star, let alone a newcomer. However, Heath Slater was tasked with facing the Hall of Famer within two months of making his television debut.
During the first-ever season of the reality show version of NXT, Slater picked up five wins against credible opponents. Hence, he was selected to face off against Kane in an impromptu match.
During a recent interview with Wrestling Shoot Interviews, Slater recapped his surprise match against The Big Red Machine.
"You can’t tell because you know you try to hide those emotions and you gotta look ready. Man I was scared s**tless out there, I didn’t know what the hell was happening. I was literally just hoping for the best you know. You gotta remember man, I was on TV maybe five itimes and they’re just like ‘lets see if this guy can get burned or not.’" (From 3:02 to 3:40)
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Check out the full interview below:
Including his time spent in WWE's developmental system, Heath Slater worked for the company for 14 years. The star's most impressive win arguably came in 2016 when he and Rhyno won the SmackDown Tag Team Championship.
Kane recaps a hilarious moment from his WWE career
Despite appearing as a menacing monster for most of his career, The Big Red Machine occasionally deviated from his character. He even tried his hand at a more comedic style of performing.
One out-of-character moment of his came in August 2002, when Kane took a page out of Booker T's playbook and decided to try and attempt the Spinaroonie. The 55-year-old recently recapped the moment on his social media account.
"Of all the terrifying things I've ever done, this ranks at the very top," Kane tweeted.
Since stepping away from the ring in recent years, the Hall of Famer has focused more on his political career. He is currently the Mayor of Knox County in Tennessee.
Where does The Big Red Machine rank amongst the greats in WWE? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Wrestling Shoot Interviews and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling when using quotes from this article.