WWE History: When Kane performed as Diesel/Kevin Nash in WWE

​

Kane as fake Diesel

The background

Kevin Nash is among the more popular names in the WWE Universe. He is a one-time WWE Champion and four-time WCW Champion and is a proper wrestling veteran.

Nash, who was also known as Diesel, had his first stint in the WWE – known as WWF back then – from 1993 to 1996, after which he returned to the WCW.

Razor Ramon, too, left WWE to join WCW in 1996 after the Curtain Call incident where Kevin Nash, Ramon, Triple H and Shawn Michaels broke kayfabe and hugged each other – babyfaces and heels came together – as it was the last match of Nash in the company. 

The story

In the meantime, WWE used Kane, whose real name is Glenn Jacobs, to mock the departure of Nash and Rick Bognar as Razor Ramon for the same purpose. So in September 1996, Kane was introduced to the fans as Diesel, while Rick Bognar assumed the role of Ramon.

The duo competed as a Tag Team and actually got a shot at the Tag Team Titles against then-holders - Owen Hart and The British Bulldog but lost the match that took place in the event In Your House 12: It’s Time.

Kane’s run as Diesel on TV came to end at the Royal Rumble in 1997, where he entered as the third-last participant.

The aftermath

Even though he performed in live events after that, Glenn Jacobs’ character was completely changed. WWE started building up his Kane character from April 1997. Then in October of that very year, after months of build-up and hype, Glenn Jacobs finally made his re-appearance in the WWE with a mask on his face as Undertaker’s half-brother Kane at Badd Blood: In Your House and cost the Deadman the Hell in a Cell match against Shawn Michaels.

Undertaker and Kane went on to feud for a year and then formed the famous Tag Team, The Brothers of Destruction. Kane went on to have a great career as he won the World Heavyweight Championship and WWE Championship once each and is revered as one of the greatest WWE characters of all time, even though it got seriously tarnished due to some booking decision by the WWE. 

​