This past week on Raw fans were left shocked by a Superstar return that nobody saw coming—Kane. As Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman battled inside a steel cage during the night's main event, The Miz sat at the announce desk and teased who his potential fifth teammate was going to be at TLC this Sunday. For that fifth man to earn a place in the bout, The Monster Among Men would have to overcome Roman inside the steel, but turns out the mystery Superstar couldn't wait for that potential eventuality. Instead, he burst up through the ring and helped Strowman pick up the win. The mystery man was Kane, of course, and now he will join The Miz and friends at TLC to take on The Shield, but why exactly did he choose to help Team A-Lister?

5. A Big Name During A Down Period

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There are certain times of the year that are renowned down periods for WWE. As you can imagine, Vince McMahon hates that, and despite the accusations, he doesn't simply phone in the booking of his shows during these times as he waits for the fans to flock back. McMahon does try, but as is evident with the return of Kane, what Mr. McMahon thinks draws eyes to the product can sometimes be a little skewed. We're in the middle of the time of year when big stars like Brock Lesnar and John Cena are away from the ring, so WWE needs people to take their place. That may very well be why Kane is back and why he is the fifth man on Team Miz.

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4. Roman Reigns Needs Someone To Feud With

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There are a few names under contract with WWE right now that are merely considered as good hands, even though they've been around for a while. Trustworthy, tenured Superstars that can slip seamlessly into various slots. Dolph Ziggler is currently playing that role on SmackDown Live, and Kane has been doing it for years. Whenever a top guy needs someone to feud with in between big rivalries, you can rest assured that Kane will be somewhere near the top of the list of candidates. That seems to be the case here. WWE has nobody to battle between now and when he's penciled in to get into it with Brock Lesnar, so by placing Kane alongside The Miz they've started the ball rolling on filling that void.

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3. He's Avenging The Undertaker

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The main rumor doing the rounds as to why exactly Kane has returned to WWE television and opted to go right for Roman Reigns is this one. With his kayfabe brother, The Undertaker, retired, he feels it is his duty to get revenge on The Deadman's behalf. Roman Reigns famously defeated The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33, of course, and since then, all signs have pointed towards The Phenom finally being done with in-ring competition. To have Reigns and Taker's rivalry simply end seems like a waste though, and with the inclusion of Kane into the equation, \WWE has an almost ready-made way to keep that hot angle going for a little while longer.

RELATED: HAS KANE ARRIVED ON RAW TO AVENGE THE UNDERTAKER?

2. So That He Can Battle The Undertaker

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The much more intriguing rumor that has been doing the rounds since Kane's return is that his siding with The Miz at TLC is actually the start of a much bigger angle, one that will see The Undertaker return to in-ring competition. According to some reports, at Survivor Series The Deadman may return and reveal himself not to be retired at all. Strangely though, those same reports suggest that his Survivor Series return will revolve around him aligning with the man who defeated him at WrestleMania 33 along with the rest of The Shield. If Undertaker is willing to wrestle again, then it's certainly feasible. He could claim that his beef with Roman Reigns is none of Kane's business, thus starting up one last dance between The Brothers of Destruction.

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1. They Needed Something For Him To Do

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This final theory as to why Kane is siding with The Miz is the most boring, but considering WWE's track record it's also the most likely. The man behind the red and black mask, Glenn Jacobs, is an extremely busy man outside the ring right now and is currently vying to become mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. Evidently, The Big Red Machine must have a gap in his schedule and likely made himself available to WWE since he is still under contract with them. WWE not wanting to turn one of their longest serving employees away looked up and down the card and deemed the fifth opening on Team Miz as the best place for The Devil's Favorite Demon for the time being. It's pretty dull, but more than likely exactly how it went down.

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