WWEBrothers of Destruction1997–1998 (recurring for decades)
The Undertaker vs Kane
A kayfabe-family tragedy that became one of wrestling's most enduring feuds.
Undertaker vs Kane is wrestling's definitive brother-vs-brother saga. Kane debuted at Badd Blood 1997 by ripping the Hell in a Cell door off to attack his "brother," The Undertaker — revealing a storyline in which Undertaker had started the fire that scarred Kane and killed their family. The kayfabe-family premise gave their monster-vs-monster matches genuine narrative stakes and produced one of the greatest debut moments ever.
Timeline
At Badd Blood, during Undertaker's first-ever Hell in a Cell match with Shawn Michaels, the masked Kane tears the cell door off, Tombstones his brother, and reveals the tragic family backstory.
Undertaker refuses to fight his younger brother, adding emotional weight and building anticipation as Kane stalks him.
The brothers finally collide at WrestleMania XIV in their first singles meeting.
Their war escalates to the Inferno Match at Unforgiven — a bout that can only end in flames.
The brothers reconcile to form the dominant Brothers of Destruction tag team, returning to it on and off for decades.
The Arc
Most monster feuds are just two big men colliding. This one had a soul. By making Undertaker responsible — in storyline — for the fire that disfigured Kane, WWF gave a masked debutant instant tragedy and gave the untouchable Deadman a rare vulnerability: guilt. Undertaker's early refusal to raise a hand against his brother was the story's masterstroke, turning simple brawls into a reluctant reckoning with the past.
When they did fight, the stipulations matched the mythology — the Inferno Match literally weaponizing the fire at the heart of Kane's origin. And rather than burning the concept out, WWE let it evolve: the brothers repeatedly reconciled into the Brothers of Destruction, one of the most imposing tag teams the company ever assembled, before splitting and reuniting again across the years. Few storyline families in wrestling have proven so durable.
Key Matches
The Wrestlers
The feud is built entirely on The Undertaker and Kane — the Deadman and the Big Red Machine. Kane's arrival famously interrupted Undertaker's Hell in a Cell classic against Shawn Michaels, making HBK an unwitting bystander to one of wrestling's great debuts.
FAQ
How did Kane debut and start his feud with The Undertaker?
Kane debuted at Badd Blood in October 1997, ripping the Hell in a Cell door off its hinges to attack his "brother" The Undertaker, revealing a storyline backstory in which Undertaker had started the fire that scarred Kane and killed their family.
Are Undertaker and Kane really brothers?
No. They are storyline (kayfabe) brothers, not real-life brothers. The family backstory was a narrative device that gave their monster-vs-monster matches genuine emotional stakes.
What was the Inferno Match?
At Unforgiven 1998, Undertaker and Kane fought in an Inferno Match, a bout won only by setting your opponent on fire — a fitting stipulation given the fire that defined Kane's origin story.