Kane vs. The Undertaker

[6.0] "Good match, even though the fire covered in epicity some of the weak points of the match, it was great to see this stipulation that matches the gimmicks of Kane and Taker, their previous matches were good, and this one too. 6/10 [***1/2]"

[8.0] "When I was young I thought these two had great matches together. My opinion on both has cooled over the years as I took a more critical eye, yet there is still a soft spot for some of their bouts and I think this one holds up if only for the sheer spectacle of the WWF trying something as outlandish as this. It's not a classic but there's something compelling there."

[4.0] "**.25 Ya'll overrating the fuck out of this match here in this shit, it wasn't horrible but nowhere nerar as told as most people rated, like I said definitely not a bad match but nowhere near as good as everyone rated it"

[4.0] "Eh, just some middling in-ring action mainly amplified by the flames rising on every big hit or slam. You're pretty much waiting for one of them to go into the fire, and then again, if all they did was try and get their opponent burnt and not spent most if their time doing a kinda normal match or brawling on the outside, this would be over in under a minute. The visual of Kane with the flaming arm was cool I guess."

[8.0] "This was a visual spectacle if there ever was one. The match itself was good, too. The Undertaker suicide diving out onto Kane and Vader is forever etched in my memory. They took a unique concept and did the most they could with it and maintain safety."

[8.0] "Overall this was a good match. A man got set on fire for fucks sake. The segment where Undertaker gets some revenge against Paul was a great part of the match. The only knock I can really say about this match is that if you think about it, and pay even just a little attention, you can tell how the stunt is done. The segment with Paul was just a distraction for Kane to get the protective gel on. When he stands up for the final few moments of the match, you can really tell."

[8.0] "Underrated! This was highly entertaining thanks to a well-executed novelty stipulation and the chemistry between Undertaker and Kane at this time. Some genuinely memorable moments like Undertaker flying out of the ring through the flames, before putting Paul Bearer's head through a bass drum!"

[9.0] "I have very fond memories of this era. This was very entertaining. Obviously from a pure wrestling perspective it wasn't great but the sheer spectacle of the match and the hot finish (see what I did there) was awesome."

[6.0] "(***1/4) About on the same level as their previous match at WrestleMania 14. While it doesn't have the big fight feel that match had, this is compensated by the spectacle of the stipulation, being the first Inferno match in history, a match in which one opponent needs to set the other on fire to win. While on paper this might sound a bit silly, the stipulation works for the storyline they are telling and the two characters involved, and they make it work within the in-ring and outside-the-ring action. Nothing too memorable when it comes to the actual wrestling, but it is entertaining and visually impressive. A good second chapter in their rivalry."

[8.0] "I remember seeing this match as a kid and on rewatch the nostalgia of this was awesome. The fire really does give the match a feeling of real danger and on a pure spectacle level the match just worked, especially with Undertaker and Kane's characters at the time."

[8.0] "This match was like watching a final scene of a big blockbuster movie! It wasn't the most technical match ever, but the fire around the ring made all of the big moves look impactful to watch. It's an intense match that's hard to turn away from. Kane somehow does get out of the ring and as it looks like he's walking out Vader finally makes his return. Taker's dive over the top rope was an iconic moment and his payback on Paul Bearer was fun to watch and then Kane finally falls into the fire to end the match. It was a one of a kind match that relied heavily on spectacle and I thought it succeeded in that. Probably their best clash outside of Wrestlemania."

[7.0] "Kane appeared formidable, often shrugging off his opponent's attacks. At times, during the high spots, the flames intensified, giving the match a cartoonish vibe. Undertaker executed an Old School over the flames. Additionally, there was a visually striking double big boot and a superplex by Taker. Both competitors exchanged chokeslams. Paul Bearer tossed a chair to Kane, who delivered a brutal chair shot to his "brother". Taker tossed Kane over the top rope. Kane, visibly frightened by the flames, attempted to retreat but was ambushed by Vader on the ramp. Undertaker then dived over the top rope, taking out both men outside the ring. Bearer struck Undertaker with a chair, but Taker shrugged it off and used the chair against Kane. After the slowest chase ever Undertaker attacked Bearer with a bass drum on the stage, causing his former manager to bleed. Returning to the ring, Undertaker continued his assault on Kane, who inadvertently set himself on fire. The match concluded with Undertaker declared the winner, as Kane fled in terror with his arm ablaze. Overall, it was an entertaining brawl with captivating visuals."

[6.0] "It had some fantastic big moments, but due to the nature of the match everything in between was just a filler. They couldn't do much in terms of the pure wrestling, but at least it was a spectacle. Great visuals and phenomenal stuff outside of the ring: Vader's interference was a pleasant surprise, Taker busting Bearer open was a good payoff and Deadman's Plancha looked incredible."

[7.0] "I like this match. The visual is quite something. Kane and Taker delivered in the ring with a bunch of big powerful looking moves. It really did manage to get across the idea of these two demons battling it out in the pits of hell. Taker throws Kane out of the ring, Vader comes out and they battle back down the aisle. Taker's dive was awesome and the segment where Taker followed Bearer up to the stage and attacked him with instruments from Double J's set was effective. I even like the finish as initially we're not sure if Kane is on fire and then he looks down and sees his arm in flames. Really cool attitude era style match."

[6.0] "The image of the flames spewing upwards every time a move made an impact made for quite the spectacle and I give both men props for working such a match, as the intense heat must have made it hard for them to wrestle. Much like their previous match, this was all about the big moments and less about the other stuff holding it all together. The big moments were better here, with Vader coming out to pummel Kane, Undertaker hitting a dive over the flames, and Paul Bearer getting his comeuppance by having a drum smashed on his head. Kane losing the match by getting his arm set on fire felt like a bit of a letdown after what they had hyped up on commentary, but there's not much else they could have safely done with the stipulation."

[7.0] "I thought that this was quite interesting, it had good suspense, the only thing I did not like was them going to the outside and the finish."

[4.0] "To win you have to set your opponent on fire. The ring is surrounded by a pipe spewing butane powered flames that rise every time a big move is hit. Taker attacks Kane and does the rope walk early, and flames puff up. Taker blinds charges and gets back dropped onto the ropes but lands awkwardly and falls back into the ring. Kane stomps Taker down then uses a chair. A lot of punching and kicking going on. Taker gets a Russian legsweep and Kane zombie sits up. Kane hits a choke slam then goes for the tombstone, Taker blocks and choke slams Kane who sits up again. Double big boot results in a double KO. Kane climbs up top but gets crotched and Taker superplexes him. Kane sits up and goes outside and Vader makes a run in and punches it out with Kane. Taker suicide dives onto both guys. Taker knocks Kane down by ringside then chases Paul Bearer to the band stand and slams a drum base set over his head and stabs at him with a mic stand. Back to ringside Taker punches Kane who staggers back setting his arm on fire and he runs/wanders/staggers back to the dressing room. Taker wins at 15:53. The arm coating a plastic bag type thing that was put on Kane's arm looked pretty fake. Gotta knock points off. 1 1/2 star. I did mark for Vader making the run in for revenge at No Way Out."

[6.0] "Obviously a very tame version of an actualy flaming ring match, but since the original in FMW nearly killed a few people that was probably a good idea, and I expect far less people in 1998 had seen that one. As it was, it was a decent spectacle but hardly an "inferno", and the stipulation made it tricky for them to actually wrestle. They got by on charisma and showmanship, and it was certainly entertaining, but it wasn't much of a wrestling match."

[6.0] "This match actually slowly builds up and the story of Kane being able to take so much punishment yet keep getting up was surreal to see. Taker and Kane got the most out of what they could have gotten with a dumb stipulation. Taker jumping over the fire to attack Kane was fun, his attack on Bearer. Match ends with Kane arm on fire and him just walking it off to the backstage area.***"

[6.0] "A slow burn type match (no pun intended) where the payoff was only ok, Kane just walks off and that starts a 4-way brawl between Kane, Undertaker, Vader, and Paul Bearer. Kane then gets his arm set on fire and then just walks backstage. The Match was ok though, cool idea and match type but really nothing great."

[4.0] "In fact, the guys probably got the most out of these conditions. Spot with the Undertaker's jump bomb of course. But the technique was too weak. Their first match was incredible and stole the show. We were able to do almost the same thing here, but due to the restrictions of the rules, it was not possible. **1/4"

[7.0] "This is much more of an "inferno match" than other ones put on in WWE/WWF history. Match is initially pretty slow at first, but it really starts to build up more as the fire increases."

[7.0] "I seem to remember that the last time I watched an inferno match it was just a tiny tiny amount of flames alonge the apron. This was a lot more legit than that, shooting bursts of flames for the bigger spots, and it actually keeps you somewhat on edge because the flames are really not that far from the ring. The match itself starts with a slow build-up, but it feels pretty damn real, like there's real animosity between the two. Taker chasing Bearer around and slamming a bass drum over his head and Bearer getting a cut was pretty great, and Kane ends up running out the arena with an arm on fire. Oh, and Vader returns to keep Kane from leaving the arena earlier. Pretty good and entertaining bout!"

[7.0] "At first, the match began very sluggishly and there were no moments that this could be corrected, but later, with each blow of fire, they added more, thereby emphasizing the intensity of passions between the brothers and the ending of the meeting was very good."