KILLER
KHAN VS. KANE
Sometimes, the best defense is aa good offense. Killer Khan used that
philosophy to cut a wide swath of carnage through WWE during the 1980s. And, as
current WWE fans know well, perhaps no one in the history of the sport has
inflicted so much brutality and
punishment as Kane. Power vs. power. Pain begetting pain. A match between these two remorselless monsters could be one of the most
violent ever, one that fans couldn't help but watch through pried fingers.
KILLER
KHAN
Strengths
Khan wasn't a tactician in the ring, but when you
are able to manhandle most everyone in your
path with ease, applying the perfect wristlock isn't a key to victory.
Khan pounds on opponents from the opening
bell with a dizzying array of karate chops, kicks, eye gouges, and even a
wide arsenal of nerve holds. He rarely gives
opponents an opportunity to breathe. Though a large man at 280 pounds
in his prime, Khan is
surprisingly agile on his feet and could attack from a variety
of angles, including off the top rope. But perhaps Khan's strongest asset
is his focus—all he wants to do is hurt people and will go to any means to do
so.
Weaknesses
Again, Khan's scientific
skills are almost nonexistent, which means he's susceptible to opponents with
technical prowess. A mat-based approach often leaves Khan bewildered and
confused. His brutality serves him well
more often than not, but it makes him one-dimensional strategically. He's so
used to dominating opponents that when he's not able to do so, he can often
become flustered.
Key Wins
Khan's dominance in 1981
remains a piece of wrestling lore to this day. He claimed victories over such
greats as Pedro Morales, Curt Hennig, Tony Garea and Rene Goulet. But his biggest
victory wasn't actually a victory in the record books. On May 2, 1981 in
Rochester, New York, Khan leapt off the top rope onto Andre the Giant, which
broke the ankle of the Eighth Wonder of the World and sidelined him for most of
the summer. His brutality also nearly cost "Quick Draw" Rick McGraw
his career several months later, as the Mongolian monster snapped the young
upstart's neck with a side suplex en route to
victory in a televised match in
Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Key Losses
Khan's feud with Andre was the
hottest story of 1981, but it ended badly for "Classy" Freddie
Blassie's charge, as Andre defeated him in their infamous Mongolian Stretcher
Match on Aug. 24, 1981 at Madison Square Garden. That match haunted Khan, as he
subsequently failed on several occasions to wrest the WWE Championship away from
Bob Backlund. Khan returned to WWE in 1987, but his attempts to win the sport's
top prize were turned away by champion Hulk Hogan.
Finishing Move
After shattering Andre's
ankle, Khan's finisher—a knee drop from the top rope—inspired fear and
dread. He was agile enough to scale the ropes and hit the move with only the
slightest opening, and when he did it, the match was almost always over.
Strategy
Khan's main strength against Kane may be speed.
He needs to use his agility to keep Kane off balance. One of the sport's all-time best
attackers, Khan should bring the fight to Kane, but not be stationary when doing
so. When he gets Kane down, he needs to pound him relentlessly to set up his
finisher. Khan doesn't match up well against the massive Kane physically, but by
keeping the match to a tempo of his liking, he can force Kane into mistakes
that could prove his undoing.
16 August
2004 RAW MAGAZINE
KANE
Strengths
Just about everything. Arguably, no Superstar in
WWE history possesses the offensive arsenal of The Big Red Monster. He's
equally comfortable crushing foes with power moves as he is delivering his
patented flying clothesline. His ability to shun pain is legendary, as is the
glee he takes in delivering it. In terms of offensive ability, he may be the
perfect Superstar.
Weaknesses
Kane's loss to his half-brother, Undertaker, at WrestleMania XX illustrates Kane's difficulty at times to concentrate and focus. If you can
get into Kane's head, you may be able to frustrate him. But the only Superstar to do that successfully is Undertaker, who, in fairness, does that
to most every other WWE Superstar as well.
Key Wins
Kane
is no stranger to big matches, nor is he one to wearing gold. He defeated
Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWE Championship in a First Blood Match
at King of the Ring in
1998. He's also a two-time Intercontinental champ, defeating Triple H (2001) and
Chris Jericho (2002). Kane has also been co-holder of the World Tag Team titles
on several occasions.
Key Losses
Kane's reign as WWE champ lasted just
one day, as Stone Cold regained the title
on RAW 24
hours later. He also lost twice to Undertaker in
mega-events—WrestleManias XIV and XX—battles that,
if anything, just made Kane even more sadistic in their aftermath.
Finishing Move
Kane's
chokeslam is as devastating a maneuver as has ever existed in WWE. If he grabs
you by the throat and drives you into the mat (if you're lucky), start planning
how to spend the loser's share of the purse.
Strategy
When you are as dominant as
Kane, you do what you do best—brutalize people—no matter the opponent.
Kane should go straight at Khan and brawl until Khan can give him a reason to
adjust his game plan. Khan has tasted power like Kane's against Andre and Hogan,
but not the swift, relentless manner in which Kane can administer it.
Final
Analysis
A brawl is probably not in
Killer Khan's best interests, yet that's his primary strength. He has to be quick and decisive, but at the
same time remain unorthodox. Kane is not used to dealing with opponents more
eccentric than himself, which may cloud his
judgment. Kane will not shy away from a fight, so this match may raise tthe bar for brutality. If Khan can cause
Kane to question himself, he could
possibly parlay that into victory, but his margin for error is small. If Kane
focuses in on pure violence, it would likely result in a long, painful
trip back to Mongolia for Khan. n
August 2004 RAW MAGAZINE
17
~*
Articles Index *~
~*
Main Squeeze *~
The characters of KANE and other WWE
wrestling characters are ©WWE
and Titan Sports. All photos, screencaps and multimedia materials
are are used under "fair use" copyright law 107. No
infringement is intended. This is a non-profit fan based site which
is neither acknowledged, endorsed, sponsored nor otherwise
authorized by the WWE, KANE or Mr. Glenn Jacobs.
Digitally enhanced graphics & script for AHUG4KANE/Kanenite-Central are ©Kane's Skald Qayin 2001 and beyond, unless otherwise noted. Please e-mail Qayin at yahoo.com, screen name: Qayin4Kane365 for comments or questions.
Blazin' since 8.03.01
Displayed for reference and archival purposes only.