:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57189907/187_RAW_10162017rf_3480__7eefd68266e7130694fe6020f3a4440c.0.jpg)
WWE used the final episode of Monday Night Raw before TLC to establish that The Miz’s team, already stacked with Braun Strowman, Cesaro, and Sheamus, could add a fifth member in their fight against The Shield at the pay-per-view. There was some early online speculation that Samoa Joe could be the guy, considering he’s likely returning from injury soon, or is at least expected to. Curtis Axel did his best to join up, but was embarrassed. That left Kane.
Huh?
Kane, a member of the SmackDown Live roster when he was last on television, showed up in the main event to assist Strowman in his steel cage match against Strowman, ensuring a victory that would lead to his being allowed to become the fifth member of the team. His reason for doing so went unexplained.
The immediate reaction in the comments here, and a glance at social media shows alignment with it, was to assume he was back to avenge Undertaker’s defeat at WrestleMania. That possibility was used to justify the decision to do it, as though Kane “makes sense” for this spot because of that.
The problem, of course, is that doesn’t appear to be the story WWE is telling.
Miz, after Axel was taken out, remarked that “it’s okay, he was never the fifth member” before proudly proclaiming it was Kane after The Big Red Monster made his presence felt. After, he gave this interview:
Initially, the title to that video was “The Miz loves it when a plan comes together,” which is the first thing he says in the interview. He goes on to say The Shield’s only weakness is ego, so he, a master manipulator, found a way to add a fifth member to give his team an added advantage.
That sounds a lot less like “Kane is back to avenge Undertaker’s loss to Reigns” — already a thin premise — and a lot more like “Miz added some extra muscle.” They could always add a layer to this later -- and perhaps explain how he ended up on the red brand when he was a blue brand wrestler last time he was around — but right now it appears the story is just that simple.