The Undertaker feared underappreciated WWE legend would leave after two "horrible" gimmicks

The Undertaker was one of WWE's top attractions in the 1990s. In a recent podcast episode, the wrestling legend revealed what he thought about the company's booking of Glenn Jacobs during that time.

Jacobs performed as the Dr. Isaac Yankem and Fake Diesel characters before being repackaged as Kane in 1997. At the time, The Undertaker warned his storyline half-brother he would probably not receive any more chances if the Kane character failed.

On Six Feet Under w/Mark Calaway, The Undertaker said Jacobs was underappreciated and would not have blamed him if he pursued opportunities outside WWE:

"You're not doing anything as Isaac Yankem or Fake Diesel. It was just horrible. Honestly, that's just another testament to Glenn and his desire to be something special in this business. After two gimmicks like that being put on you, to me I'm like, jeez, I don't think they got much planned for me. I might need to call Japan or somewhere and go somewhere where they're going to appreciate me." [18:47 – 19:24]

Jacobs' Kane persona debuted at Badd Blood 1997. After weeks of anticipation, he tore the door off the Hell in a Cell structure before attacking The Undertaker. Shawn Michaels then defeated The Deadman to win the first Hell in a Cell match in WWE history.

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How The Undertaker reacted to Kane's debut

WWE fans reacted positively to Kane's dramatic debut. Glenn Jacobs' previous gimmicks only lasted a few months, while The Big Red Machine persona earned him a WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2021.

Based on the Badd Blood 1997 crowd reaction, The Undertaker knew Jacobs' WWE career was finally heading in the right direction:

"Once we had that reaction, it was like throwing gas on the fire. No pun intended. I knew we had something special. There was no doubt in my mind that this was gonna be far bigger than what anybody thought it was gonna be. It was one of those rare, rare moments." [19:32 – 19:57]

The Deadman also disclosed details about the only argument he ever had with his Brothers of Destruction tag team partner.

What is your favorite Kane moment in WWE? Hit the discuss button and let us know.

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Please credit Six Feet Under w/Mark Calaway and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.