For two decades, Kane was one of the most recognizable and popular figures in professional wrestling. The hulking, red-clad man was a pivotal character in WWE’s heralded “Attitude Era” in the late 1990s and, more often than not, inspired fear in opponents and fans alike.
After 25 years in the squared circle, it was time for Kane to take on a new endeavor: introducing the world to Glenn Jacobs, the man behind the iconic mask and successfully campaigning to be the next mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.
“About four years ago, I literally woke up one day — as weird as that sounds — and if I say I’m going to do something, I have to do it,” Jacobs told Yahoo Sports about his decision to run for mayor. “The mayor at the time was term-limited, so I was able to run for an open seat. I loved the idea of the mayor’s position because you have a lot of influence at the local level. An idea and plan started coalescing in my head. I talked with my family, prayed over it and finally decided to do it.”
Although Jacobs describes his decision to run for public office as a bit of a whimsical one, the truth is the nearly 7-foot-tall professional wrestler had developed a passion for politics and had been dipping his toes in those waters for a while before he made the call.
“I started getting more and more interested in government and politics right when I got out of college and then as I got a little bit older,” Jacobs said. “I never looked at myself as someone who was going to run for office, but I started to dabble with the idea about 10 years ago. I started paying attention to things more, started to meet people.”