No one expected The Undertaker's World title reign to be so dominant. His longest run in the old WWF days was five months. That was okay since the Dead Man was never about championships. These days, SmackDown fans and promoters alike wished that the Phenom himself could remember that fact.
Batista got his post-WrestleMania rematch at Backlash in April, when Vince McMahon decided to end brand-exclusive pay-per-views. Batista was the favorite going in, but was beaten soundly.
Booker T used his royal scepter to injure the Undertaker the next week on SmackDown, softening him up for their title match at May's Judgment Day. Despite the injury the Undertaker returned quickly and won the encounter with Booker.
June came around. So did the next challenger to the World title: Finlay. A match was set up for the Great American Bash. Finlay was built up for the match as an illegal Irish immigrant looking to achieve the American dream. He came up short as well, much to the delight of the "U-S-A" chanting fans in attendance. Similarly that same month, ECW's unstoppable champion Bobby Lashley was stopped by a chokeslam through a table at One Night Stand.
By July, fans were growing tired of the Undertaker's constant decisive victories. He was fast becoming the John Cena of Friday nights. General Manager Theodore Long was encouraging Ken Kennedy to use his Money In The Bank contract, but Kennedy refused until "the time was right." With Mister Kennedy biding his time, that made Chris Benoit the next in line. Wanting to fairly get the title off the Undertaker, matchmakers booked the champ in non-title matches leading up to the Benoit match. MVP, Chavo Guerrero, William Regal, and Gregory Helms all failed to defeat the champion. So did Benoit.
Desperate to rekindle interest from no longer paying fans and no longer watching viewers, Umaga was moved over from Raw to SmackDown on August first. He was given a World title shot at SummerSlam. He too fell victim to a tombstone.
Sick of watching the man he defeated in numerous title matches plow through the SmackDown roster, Bradshaw came out of retirement in September and clotheslined the Dead Man straight to hell. Unfortunately, he lost when it came time for the actual matchup.
Heading into October, matchmakers began to work overtime. there appeared to be no other choices left. It looked like there was only one man left on SmackDown that might still bring in money facing off against the Undertaker.
His brother Kane!
No Mercy was the next pay-per-view. It was promoted as the ten-year anniversary of Kane's debut. Clips were shown on all three WWE brands of Kane showing up for the first time and tombstoning the Undertaker inside the Hell In A Cell cage. The promotion was perfect for October because of Halloween happening in the same month. The match was made, and spiced up by a stipulation that it would be a Hell In A Cell match. Following the official contract signing, the history between the brothers was shown ad nauseam in promotional video packages leading up to the event. The Undertaker's old "Decade Of Destruction" shirts were even re-released with Kane's name in place of 'Taker's. It was the ten millionth encounter between the brothers, but it was the only option left available.
The match itself defied expectations. It was more fast-paced and bloody than any previous match between the seven-foot monsters. Eventually the cage door was busted open thanks to, and along with, Kane's face. The "Big Red Machine" fought on, but the blood loss soon proved too great. Kane's legs became weak as he hoisted his brother up for a tombstone piledriver. The loss of balance allowed the Undertaker to reverse the move. When he connected with it, Kane felt himself pass out. The crowd groaned in disappointment as an exhausted Undertaker pinned his demonic sibling. He truly was unbeatable.
Suddenly, Ken Kennedy slid through the broken cage door and waffled the Undertaker with the Money In The Bank briefcase. He made the cover and instructed the referee from the Cell match to count. Three seconds later, Ken Kennedy was the World Heavyweight champion! Both the live crowd and the SmackDown locker room couldn't have been happier.
Due to the circumstances of the title loss the Undertaker was rightfully entitled to a rematch. However, SmackDown officials made sure it didn't have to be under one on one circumstances. Kane had a case for a title shot as well. He had managed to weaken his brother during the brutal cage match, allowing Kennedy to score the easy victory. A Triple Threat match was setup for Survivor Series.
Kennedy picked up yet another easy win that night. The brothers gave the new champion a double-chokeslam, but couldn't follow the manoeuver up with a pinfall attempt due to fighting with each other. An Undertaker flying clothesline with a bit too much momentum behind it sent Kane and 'Taker out of the ring. They brawled up the aisle, and a flat-on-his-back Kennedy was awarded the countout victory. He took it without complaint.
A Falls Count Anywhere number one contenders match between the brothers main-evented Armageddon. Kane and the Undertaker brawled inside the ring for all of twenty seconds that night, before the battle spilled to the outside. They fought around the arena, destroying anything and anyone who got in their path. Fans in the crowd. Wrestlers in the locker room. Even the guy selling popcorn at the concession stand. They finally headed outside of the building, where Christmas snow was falling. Eventually, the two ended up in a nearby cemetery.
The warriors of darkness stood at the edge of an open grave trading punches. Both men were on the verge of falling into the hole. A hearse driving past the incident suddenly stopped in its tracks and then turned in toward the cemetery.
"THAT'S PAUL BEARER!" exclaimed Michael Cole as the familiar manager stepped out from the driver's side of the hearse with a shovel in his hands.
"WHAT'S HE DOING HERE?!" Bradshaw wondered.
The question was soon answered.
Bearer cracked Kane on the spine with the metal end of the shovel, sending a cold chill down the monster's back. Kane fell forward into the grasp of his brother's hands. Kane was chokeslammed into the open grave, screaming the entire way down until he hit the dirt. It was then that Bearer forced the shovel into the cold ground, scooping up mound after mound of earth, and began tossing it on Kane's tired body down below. The Undertaker looked on momentarily before a sadistic smile crept onto his face. He walked toward the hearse and retrieved another shove, joining Bearer in the attempt to bury Kane alive. The referee warned the former champion to stop. He didn't listen, leaving the official no choice but to award Kane the match by disqualification.
The ref was punched out for his call.
Victory no longer mattered to the Undertaker. Kane won the match and was now the number one contender, but he certainly couldn't claim his title shot if he was buried under piles of dirt. Doctors and police made it to the scene as quickly as they could, but by then it was almost too late. Kane was taken to a nearby hospital. He had lost a lot of oxygen. He was rushed to the intensive care unit and treated for various injuries.
On the next edition of SmackDown, Kane was shown laying unconscious in a hospital bed with a bandage around his head and tubes going into his arms. Back in the arena, the Undertaker and Paul Bearer came to the ring together for the first time in years. Bearer took the microphone.
"Ten years! Ten, looong years. Ten years, two months, and thirteen days ago, I brought Kane into this company to do one very simple thing: To DESTROY the Undertaker!! Ten years Kane! You had ten years to get the job done, and you FAILED every single time you fought him! I was a fool to ever go against the Dead Man. I was a damn FOOL to ever believe in you Kane! You aren't a monster! You aren't a man! You aren't a champion! The only thing you are is PATHETIC! So now I'm back. Back to stand in the Undertaker's corner and help him take back what's his: The WWE championship. But more importantly, I'm back here on SmackDown to help rid the WWE of the monster I brought into it. You're of no use to me anymore Kane. You're of no use to anyone! And I promise you Kane, if you ever get out of that hospital and make it back to SmackDown, the Undertaker will make you rest...in...peace. Ohhh yes!"
Three weeks passed. Kane still hadn't made it out of the hospital. His title shot was in jeopardy. As the number two contender to the belt, the Undertaker began making noise about another title shot. Rey Mysterio had lost to Kennedy at Armageddon. There seemed to be no point in a rematch. Not wanting to succumb to the demands of the Undertaker, especially if it involved another money-losing title run, promoters scrambled. They managed to come up with a solution.
A solution named John Cena.
It was decided that at New Years Revolution the Undertaker would somewhat get his wish by challenging Cena for the WWE championship in an inter-promotional match. The fix was temporary, but it would do for now. The hope was that Kane would return in time for the Royal Rumble to claim his title shot.
As it turned out, Kane came back even sooner.
On the last SmackDown before New Years Revolution, Kane was once again shown in the hospital. The "Big Red Machine" sat up out of his hospital bed and ripped the tubes from his arms personally. It served as ominous foreshadowing.
At the pay-per-view, Kane popped out from under the ring without warning during the main event. With vengeance in his eyes he grabbed for Paul Bearer. The manager screamed for help in a higher pitch than normal, distracting the Undertaker. The brothers got in a tug of war, until John Cena took advantage of the situation and spun the Undertaker around into an FU, scoring the win. Bearer, meanwhile, was dragged kicking and screaming underneath the ring. The Undertaker rolled outside the squared circle and pulled up the ring skirt only to discover that both Kane and Bearer were gone.
It was announced on the next SmackDown that Kane would finally get his title shot at the Royal Rumble. Paul Bearer also returned to ringside with his face badly beaten in. He watched proudly as the Undertaker dismantled Brian Kendrick and Paul London in a handicap match. Following the win, the Undertaker promised to make Kane "rest in peace."
Royal Rumble 2008 was another ten-year anniversary for the brothers from hell. It was the anniversary of Kane setting a casket containing the Undertaker on fire. This fact was never forgotten by the Dead Man, but before he could get to Kane, he had to try and go through twenty-nine other men in the Royal Rumble match. Kane also had his hands full with Kennedy.
The Rumble match was first on the card. The entire SmackDown locker room was gunning for the Undertaker whether they were instructed to or not. No one wanted to see another reign of terror by the Phenom. Unfortunately for them, as well as Raw and ECW, the Undertaker dominated the match for the second year in a row. The elimination of Funaki made it official: The Undertaker was going to WrestleMania. The only question left was if he would face Kane or Kennedy.
Ten minutes into the World title match, Kane hit a tombstone and scored the victory. He was now no longer another challenger standing in his brother's path to another title reign. He was the CHAMPION standing in his way!
The celebration was short-lived. The Undertaker attacked Kane as he set off his celebratory pyrotechnics. The Undertaker and Kane brawled once again, while Paul Bearer ushered some druids down to ringside who were pushing a rather large casket. once again the Undertaker was dominant in the struggle with Kane thanks to Bearer handing the Dead Man his trademark urn. Kane's skull dented the item before he fell to the canvas. 'Taker and his druids rolled Kane into the pine box. Bearer quickly went underneath the ring and pulled out a canister of gasoline, wanting his own revenge for New Years Revolution. Kane's entire body was soaked in the fluid. The Undertaker produced a pack of matches from his pocket. He lit one, and dropped it inside the coffin before slamming the lid shut. Kane was heard screaming as the pay-per-view very quickly went off the air.
The Undertaker's path of destruction continued over the next month. He began squashing competition from all three brands throughout the next month. At No Way out, he wasn't even booked to wrestle against anyone. It had gotten to the point where no one else within World Wrestling Entertainment wanted to face him. He was granted interview time on the show to hype WrestleMania.
Before the Dead Man could get out a single word, the lights in the arena went black. Kane's pyro ignited the corners of the ring. Paul Bearer looked around nervously, while the Undertaker looked toward the entrance ramp. The arena lights came back on, now displaying Kane's signature red filter. The fans cheered wildly as the music was cued. All signs pointed to Kane's triumphant return.
Little did anyone suspect he would return wearing his original mask and full body suit. A microphone was pinned to Kane's old red and black outfit, making him audible to the crowd and his brother.
"Congratulations" a muffled and surprisingly calm Kane said from the top of the ramp. "You finally succeeded at burning my body. But unlike our parents, you made the mistake of leaving me alive. You forced me back behind this mask. You made me a hideous freak, and forced me to hide from the world!! You caused me pain. And at WrestleMania, I promise, the pain I cause the both of you will be much, much worse."
Kane laughed maniacally as his music played over the PA system. Paul Bearer looked shocked, while the Undertaker showed no fear.
The Undertaker wasn't worried. Not only was he undefeated against his brother, but he was undefeated at WrestleMania. "Kane never got the job done. He isn't about to start now," the Undertaker said at the official WrestleMania press conference.
SmackDown fans, and promoters, thought differently. The Undertaker had only lost four matches in the last year. In all of those contests, Kane was somehow involved in the outcome. He was the only man who knew his brother well enough to weaken him. The only one who rattled him enough. Who knew how to get to him and cost him a match. Kane was the only hope left for SmackDown.
The Undertaker was so confident that he would defeat Kane at WrestleMania for the third time that he went so far as to put his career on the line in the match. Kane agreed to the terms, but only if his own career was also at stake in addition to the World title. It was a demonstration of his own confidence, and truly an all or nothing outcome. Each man felt it was finally time to rid the WWE of the other. Ten years after their first wrestling match against one another, one man would be gone forever. Kane had everything to lose and a track record working against him, while the Undertaker had the pressure of a reputation, a last title shot, and two winning streaks to maintain.
Leading into 'Mania the Undertaker wrestled, and beat, his past WrestleMania opponents again. Jimmy Snuka, Jake Roberts, Sid, and Ric Flair all lost to the Dead Man. It was a psychological ploy to prove to Kane that the outcome would be the same at WrestleMania 24 as it had been at 14 and 20 when they'd fought. Kane, meanwhile, wrestled a full schedule on all three WWE brands to prove that he was still an unbeatable champion. Amazingly, he didn't lose a single match leading up to 'Mania.
It was finally time for the last battle between the brothers of destruction. The Undertaker wore his original gray and black attire to the ring as a form of tribute to his long career, and to remind Kane that there were sides of him even his own brother hadn't seen yet. Kane and the Undertaker stared each other down for the final time when the bell sounded. They began to trade punches. The Undertaker won that contest. He grabbed Kane's arm and climbed the turnbuckles. He walked the ropes and leaped off with a chop to Kane's shoulder. A classic Undertaker move. This was followed up by a throat chop, sending Kane crashing to the mat. Paul Bearer spoke his approval from ringside.
After a few minutes of the undertaker dominating the match, Kane made a valiant comeback by gouging his brother's eyes and then slamming him face-first into the turnbuckle. Kane followed this up with his own throat chop. Bearer shouted his protests as Kane continued his assault of the Dead Man.
Kane shot Undertaker into the ropes. When he came bouncing back, Kane attempted a big boot. The Undertaker ducked, and caught Kane around the throat. He was going for a chokeslam and attempting to end the match early. Kane countered by wrapping his own hand around the Undertaker's throat. The brothers choked one another, but neither managed to pull off a successful chokeslam. The referee broke the holds. Kane charged his brother, but was back-dropped out of the ring. The Undertaker ran the ropes again, and launched himself over the top with a massive suicide dive.
The brothers laid motionless on the outside. Due to the importance of the match, the referee was lenient about counting out or disqualifying anyone. The brothers fought around ringside. Security slowly forced them back into the ring, fearing another Armageddon fiasco.
Back inside the ring, the tired competitors both looked to end the match. Kane finally hit a chokeslam and went for a pin attempt, but the Undertaker sat back up classic fashion and grasped Kane by the neck on his way up. He got back up to his feet and returned the chokeslam on "the Big Red Machine." Kane sat up from it as well.
Feeling his man was in trouble, Paul Bearer got up on the ring apron to distract the referee. Over the ref's shoulder, he pointed the Undertaker toward the urn sitting in the corner of the ring. He grabbed it and prepared to strike Kane. Seeing it coming, Kane's big boot kicked the urn into the Undertaker's face instead. The urn dropped from the 'Taker's hands as he crumpled to the mat. Kane kicked the urn back out of the ring, and signaled that the end was near.
But the ref wouldn't see it.
Kane walked over to the other side of the ring. He wanted to extract revenge on Paul Bearer too. Now seemed as good a time as any. Bearer was punched in his fat face before being dragged kicking and screaming into the ring. He was chokeslammed, and then rolled out of the ring by Kane.
When Kane turned around he was scooped up on the shoulders of a recovered Undertaker, who was going for a tombstone. Kane managed to wiggle free and slip behind his brother. He spun him around and reversed the move. The Undertaker decked Kane in the stomach, forcing him to fall backward. The Undertaker landed on his feet and reversed the hold again. On his way back up, Kane kicked his brother in the head, causing him to lose his balance. Kane was dropped and managed to land on his feet, while the Undertaker stumbled backward into the ropes. The Undertaker bounced off the ropes and came walking back toward Kane, who had turned himself around and saw his brother coming. Kane finally picked up his brother and finally completed the tombstone piledriver. He covered the Undertaker. The referee got down to make the count.
"One, two, three!!!"
The crowd erupted along with Kane's pyro. Just like that, it was over. The Undertaker's winning streak, and his career, was over at the hands of his brother. Kane had officially stepped out of the shadow of his older sibling, and was now well on his way to forming his own legacy. He had finally done what he'd came into the WWE to do over a decade ago. He was still the champion, but his place in sports-entertainment history had been cemented once and for all on this night.
After a short celebration, the arena went dark for what seemed like several minutes. When the lights finally came back up, both Paul Bearer and the Undertaker had vanished. In their places was a still-standing Kane, and a large cloud of white smoke.
Kane was inducted into the WWE hall of fame six years later, after retiring the previous year as the World champion. Ironically, Kane had gone on his own winning streak following his win at WrestleMania against his brother. In terms of unbeatability, it was a "worse" reign than Hogan, Cena, and the Undertaker combined. Kane had accomplished many things in the last years of his career, but his road to fame was all traced back to that fateful night when he had beaten the unbeatable lord of darkness.
The Undertaker was inducted into the hall a year later. He didn't show up for the event.
The End