Kane and The Undertaker: Epic WWE Sibling Rivalry Or Complete Overkill?

After years of standing in the shadow of his brother, Kane achieved perhaps the greatest victory of his career in WWE on Sunday at the Night of Champions pay-per-view event.

It has been nearly 13 years since Kane first made his mark on WWE. After months of hype courtesy of Paul Bearer, the “Big Red Monster” appeared during the first ever Hell in a Cell contest at “In Your House: Badd Blood” and cost the Undertaker what looked to be a sure victory over Shawn Michaels.

The Undertaker’s brother was here and he was perhaps even more impressive than his older sibling.

During the course of 1997 and 1998, the two brothers from the dark side engaged in a feud for the ages. The build up surrounding their match at Wrestlemania XIV saw Kane attack his brother at the Royal Rumble, placing the Undertaker into a casket and lighting it on fire.

Kane, under the influence of Paul Bearer, was determined to put an end to his older brother once and for all. He failed to defeat him at Wrestlemania, though it took three tombstone piledrivers to keep Kane down for the count.

The rematch was a first in WWE, an Inferno match. The object of the contest was to compete in a ring surrounded by flames.

The winner would be the first man to set their opponent on fire. It was one of the most dangerous matches in the history of WWE and once again, the Undertaker would come out on top.

Over the course of the next few years, Kane and the Undertaker had a tumultuous relationship. They would find themselves at odds once again at Summerslam 2000 before eventually joining forces in 2001 at one of the most physically imposing teams in WWE history, the Brothers of Destruction.

At Wrestlemania XX, the two once again went at it in a match that saw the Undertaker return to form as the “Dead Man,” putting his “American Bad Ass” persona to rest. Kane was again defeated by his older brother in what would be their last major battle until Night of Champions last Sunday.

Earlier this summer, it was revealed that The Undertaker was in a “vegetative state” due to an attack over Memorial Day weekend by an unknown assailant.

Kane went on a rampage looking for the guilty party. He targeted the likes of CM Punk, Jack Swagger and Rey Mysterio, placing the blame on each of them for the downfall of his brother.

At Summerslam, the Undertaker returned and the truth was revealed, Kane was behind the attack that had laid out the “Dead Man” after all. The sibling rivalry was reignited.

Thirteen years after his debut, Kane was finally able to defeat the Undertaker by reversing a Tombstone piledriver attempt and nailing one of his own for the pin.

Kane is entering his third month as the World Heavyweight Champion; he has picked up a monumental victory over the Undertaker and appears to finally be in the dominant position over his brother.

WWE has introduced the Undertaker and Kane’s sibling rivalry to a new generation of fans. Their battles during the “Attitude” era were epic and now the two men must try to recreate that intensity as their careers both spiral towards their end.

Is this feud exactly what WWE needs right now? Kane is 43 and the Undertaker is 45. Both men are clearly reaching the climax of their pro wrestling careers.

Would they be better served working with younger talent and attempting to put over new stars or is this huge blowout feud exactly what they need to cap off their careers?

It is hard to say. To the longtime WWE fan, this feud can easily seem like rehash. Perhaps it seems like Kane and the Undertaker have simply gone to the well one too many times with each other.

Then again, this feud has turned Kane’s career around. Prior to this summer, Kane was essentially stuck in the mid-card on Smackdown. Some of his feuds from the past year include names like the Great Khali, Matt Hardy and CM Punk.

Now that he is the World Heavyweight Champion and seems to have the distinct power advantage over his weakened brother, Kane looks stronger than he has since the earliest days of his WWE career as the “Big Red Machine.”

Kane is also putting in arguably the best mic work of his entire career. His unique and eccentric promos, which have showcased much of the history of the Brothers of Destruction to new WWE fans, have helped carry this feud for the most part.

There is no denying that the Undertaker is one of the most important superstars in this history of WWE.

For years he has captivated audiences with his macabre gimmick and outstanding athletic ability. He has been able to adapt and change throughout his career, recently taking on a strong MMA influence, which includes vicious strikes and his deadly “Hell’s Gate” submission hold.

There is also no way to deny that the Undertaker is reaching the end of his pro wrestling career. Simply watching him try to get up after a long match can be painful.

His body has taken a serious beating over the years and despite being the “Dead Man,” it is finally beginning to show.

At points during the match on Sunday, one had to wonder if the Undertaker was playing off his “weakened” gimmick or if his body really was feeling the pain of a hard fought battle against Kane.

The more and more those lines begin to blur, the more difficult it will become to buy into the gimmick of “The Phenom.”

There is little doubt that we will see The Undertaker and Kane once again do battle at the upcoming Hell in a Cell PPV in a few weeks. Their on screen rivalry began during the very first HIAC match so it only seems fitting that they finally face off inside the demonic structure.

Where the feud goes from there is anyone’s guess at this point. Hopefully it does not get dragged on for too long, but knowing WWE, that is entirely possible.

It is very likely that the culmination of this sibling rivalry will lead to the end of a career for one of the Brothers of Destruction.

Could we see The Undertaker gain a matter of revenge against Kane by putting his WWE career to rest? Will Kane finally prove to the doubters that he is truly the “Devil’s Favorite Demon” by dominating the Undertaker again?

Chances are that the former will likely happen before the latter.

Though it may be a bit of overkill to know that Kane and the Undertaker still have a few more battles left between them, at least they have made this latest chapter in their 13-year feud an entertaining ride thus far.