The Rock made his first-ever appearance in WWE NXT this week, where he shared his love for WWE and teased that his issues with Cody Rhodes aren’t over yet. The Final Boss is hardly the first surprising name to have shown up in WWE’s developmental brand:
CM Punk
CM Punk has been keeping a close eye on NXT since his return but competed for the brand in a dark match in 2012. In a meeting of the internet ‘darlings’, Punk teamed with Seth Rollins to defeat Kassius Ohno and Antonio Cesaro.
Chris Jericho
Appearing on the May 1, 2013, episode, Chris Jericho bested Bray Wyatt in the main event of WWE NXT. Wyatt would arrive on the main roster later that year and the pair would feud in 2014.
Sheamus
Already a former World Champion, Sheamus defeated Luke Harper in July 2013 during the Celtic Warrior’s first-ever match in NXT. Nine months later, Sheamus returned to the brand to defeat Aiden English.
John Cena
Cena made an appearance for NXT in 2023, but also appeared for the gold brand back years earlier. A segment with Enzo Amore and Big Cass ended with Cena delivering an AA to Damian Sandow, but as this was a dark segment, fans at home couldn’t see John.
Team Hell No
After appearing on the game-show edition of NXT in 2010, Daniel Bryan returned to the gold brand alongside Kane on the November 28, 2012, episode. Team Hell No retained their tag titles on the night against Johnny Curtis and Michael McGillicutty.
Christian
Years before he was waging war on deceased fathers, Christian hosted a post-show edition of the peep-show after an October 2013 WWE NXT. This unlikely segment saw the unlikely guest of World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio and ended with Rusev standing tall over Del Rio.
Too Cool
The first-ever NXT TakeOver event saw Scotty 2 Hotty and Grandmaster Sexay surprise fans in tag-team competition. The pair challenged then-champions The Ascension but failed to capture the gold.
Batista
Batista’s 2014 run didn’t go as WWE planned as the fans rejected the Animal in favor of Daniel Bryan, ultimately turning Batista heel. That same year though, Batista won fans back after an NXT taping. After Bo Dallas suggested the pair team up as ‘Bo-tista’ the Animal rejected the idea with a Batista Bomb to the delight of the crowd.
WWE Hall of Famer Glenn ‘Kane’ Jacobs has advised Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson from entering politics, especially given the ongoing toxic climate. Sitting down with Going Ringside, Jacobs, the current mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, argued that Johnson would only hurt his brand if he entered the political ring.
“Everybody likes Dwayne, no matter where you are in the political spectrum, because he’s a great entertainer… gotta remember that no matter what you say in politics, 50% of the people are just gonna knee-jerk disagree with you.”
Johnson has yet to enter politics but it is something that WWE’s Final Boss has been mulling over for some time. Examples include:
The premise of Young Rock was Johnson recapping his life and formative years during a campaign for President.
During the 2020 presidential election, Johnson endorsed Joe Biden, who defeated Donald Trump in November of that year.
While several wrestling names have entered politics, including Jesse Ventura, Matt Morgan and Trump’s pick for Education Secretary Linda McMahon, it remains to be seen if Johnson makes the move. While Jacobs is against the idea, and Johnson himself has said running for the highest office is off the table, we all know that politics, like wrestling, is an unpredictable game.
There’s the cliche that it’s a “fine line between love and hate” but that line Jim Cornette drew between he and Donald Trump is wider than the Mississippi River his home state rests alongside.
A rightful WWE Hall of Famer, Cornette clearly despises Trump, a 2013 celebrity inductee, who aims to reclaim the Oval Office once again this November. With Election Day less than a week out, there’s a fine line between politics and pro wrestling, and while an immense amount of hate is harbored from Cornette to Trump, Donald pulls quite a bit of promotional tactics from the world of wrestling. The distinct difference is one is just selling merchandise, the other is doing that and campaigning to be the next leader of the free world.
Two well-known no-no’s in the wrestling business have been to steer clear from politics and religion. If you’re currently in the ring or under a promotion’s umbrella, that notion (for the most part) still holds true. Very rarely do you see an AEW name, a WWE name or a “name your promotion” name take a political stand because when you’re in between the ropes, your goal should be to unite the people in an effort to make money.
The late great George Carlin said division is what makes the government run off the backs of the lower and middle classes. “It’s a big club and you ain’t in it,” unless you buy a ticket to take the ride, something those classes do in droves for pro wrestling. While the First Amendment gives everyone the right to speak their mind, doing such under a wrestling company’s eye could garner some repercussions. Good or bad, you’re not just representing yourself, but the promotion you work for.
That doesn’t stop the retired names from talking, however. Dave Bautista made it known he’ll be voting for Kamala Harris. She got the Venn diagram of pro wrestling and Juggalos with ICP’s support. Mick Foley shot a video believing America will have a “Nice Day” if you go to the polls for Harris/Waltz. Same goes for Kevin Nash, always an outspoken Clinton Democrat, “sidewalk slams” Trump’s bluster on a weekly basis. However, his fellow NWO member Hulk Hogan notoriously tore off his shirt for Trump and JD Vance at the Republican National Convention. Right after Bautista voiced his vote, Trump literally sat in between Undertaker and Kane for a TikTok video. “The Brothers Of Destruction” called out “The Animal,” making it known they’ll be voting for Donald on November 5. Trump was then the next guest on Undertaker’s podcast.
Jim Cornette Pulls No Political Punches
While Jim Cornette has never been one to mince words, he makes a point to saw off the end of the double barrel and fire away at anyone who evokes the name of Trump. He did just that with Undertaker and Kane.
“Another former great wrestler on the list of alien pod people duped by the world’s most repugnant con man. Mark & Glen, you made it this long with everyone admiring you, then in the end you ruin your reputations AND try to destroy the country along with them. I’m ashamed FOR you.”
Cornette was so motivated by many of his colleagues speaking their minds, the legendary manager ended up doing the same. Very rarely does Jim Cornette put himself on video (his podcast clips are mostly adorned with Hannah-Barbara like illustrations), but he made clear that “we’re all idiots” if we as a country put Trump back in office.
Cornette has been out of the mainstream pro wrestling spotlight for years, but has created his own relevancy via his podcasts and his undeniably astute takes on the business. Because of his brashness, particularly when it comes to AEW, Jim Cornette has created a fine division amongst the cesspool that is social media. Jim has cultivated his own “Cult of Cornette” that backs him and there are plenty of wrestlers (plenty) that agree with his philosophy on the business. I too find myself nodding along in agreement with a good deal of his thoughts. Granted, how he sometimes expresses said thoughts can cut deep and raise eyebrows, but that’s always been what made Cornette the legend he is in the business.
In a lot of ways that willingness to verbally flamethrow is what helped his ultimate heel become president. Before he was ever a primetime factor on “The Apprentice”, Trump’s ties to the WWE have been long-standing since WrestleMania 4. Lavie Margolin’s “TrumpMania” does an in-depth job at showing Donald’s continuous ties to pro wrestling before he became the 45th President covering his beef with Rosie O’Donnell, the potential influence of Dutch Mantell’s Zeb Colter. For basically a decade now, the “cult of personality” conjured up Donnie’s own passionate fanbase, filled with all types of wild merchandise to show your MAGA support.
However, there is a very distinct difference between Trump’s rise to power and Jim Cornette’s impact on the business. Cornette has been a bricklayer for how the house of pro wrestling has been presented while Trump is the result of a broken system courtesy of both parties. The lack of attention to the middle class in favor of what’s going on overseas, gave Americans an ax to grind and a division that is fiercer than anything ever exemplified in our lifetime.
Many Legends Don’t Let Politics Divide
While Cornette is more than willing to draw a line in the sand between he and his colleagues, others aim to not torch their longstanding relationships over political sides. On his podcast, Nash said despite Kane fully putting the “red” behind “Big Red Machine” he didn’t bury him alive for his stance, same with Hogan, who “Big Sexy” checked in on following Hurricane Milton. In Mick Foley’s ballot backing for Kamala, Mankind didn’t throw his friendship with The Undertaker off the cell either despite disagreeing with him, but much like Cornette did to him, Undertaker took a light jab at Bautista for backing Harris and Waltz.
Pro wrestling fandom sure has its fair share of tribalism and the political contention is quite thick between everyone with less than a week away.
“I can count on one hand the number of friends I lost over politics. Friendships are stronger, family is stronger, the things that draw us together are so much more meaningful than the things that divide us,” Foley said in an interview with CNN, noting how much respect he has for Undertaker despite their political differences.
“When I see him for the next time, we’ll hug it out, we’ll agree to disagree and we’ll do the best we can to keep a 30 year friendship going strong.”
At WWE Armageddon 2006, MVP, one of the hottest rising stars on SmackDown, got too hot for his own good when he met Kane in an Inferno match. The fourth and final Inferno match (to date) saw Kane finally win in the fiery stipulation as he set MVP’s back aflame to open the SmackDown pay-per-view.
18 years on, MVP still has vivid memories of being burned by the Devil’s Favorite Demon. Speaking during a virtual signing for K & S WrestleFest, MVP revealed how WWE was able to pull off the dangerous stunt.
“I had a flannel suit that was dumped in this like freezing cold gel, and on top of that I had a dry one, and then the seamstress had to sew the top and bottom together.”
Ironically, the unique outfit left MVP so cold that his prostrate retracted, the former WWE U.S. Champion joked during the signing. MVP added that the match was “terrifying” to be a part of and not just because of the fire. After selling one move, MVP inhaled the gas that was being used for the flames and couldn’t breathe for a few seconds, which left the young Superstar even more scared.
What’s To Come?
MVP has wisely kept away from competing in fiery matches ever since and recently made clear that he’s not finished in the ring just yet. After parting ways with WWE earlier this year, MVP’s return to the ring will come this November when he takes on Josh Barnett at Bloodsport XII. The 50-year-old confronted MVP at Bloodsport XI earlier this year, setting up a fight between the two.
Posted September 15th, 2024 in WWE. Tagged: Kane, MVP.
Former WWE Superstar Kane thinks U.S. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz could benefit from a few ‘promo’ classes at the WWE Performance Center.
Kane (Glenn Jacobs) currently serves as the Republican Mayor of Knox County, TN. He’s an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump’s campaign, and was not impressed with what he saw at last week’s Democratic National Convention. While the Republican convention featured speeches from luminaries such as Hulk Hogan, Linda McMahon and Dana White, Jacobs feels Harris and Walz were a far cry from iconic ‘stick men’ like Dusty Rhodes.
“Harris/Walz are spitting out catch phrases faster than Dusty Rhodes with an open mic on a Saturday morning. Dusty’s were entertaining and iconic. Their’s, not so much.”
Jacobs also noted that Harris and Walz have avoided another aspect where Rhodes made his money in by stating, “Dusty also did interviews.”
While there’s at least three WWE Hall Of Famers not rooting for the Harris/Walz ticket in Jacobs, Donald Trump and Hulk Hogan the two do have two in their corner. Jesse Ventura, who like Walz was also the Governor of Minnesota, put his support behind Harris. Ventura has notoriously been against either major party in the past but explained in an interview that it was time to have a woman in the Oval Office.
The other legend backing the Harris/Walz campaign is Kevin Nash, who ran into Kane at SummerSlam. Nash, a noted Democrat, but made clear to Kane he had no problems with the ‘Big Red Republican.’ On a recent episode of The Kliq This Podcast, Nash echoed Kane’s political aspirations before the aforementioned interview took place and according to Big Sexy, Kane cited how dirty of a business the political game was.
Glenn ‘Kane’ Jacobs has no desire to run for the office of president. The Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee recently appeared on Maintaining with Tyrus for an interview with fellow WWE alumni to talk about the current political landscape of the country.
During the interview, he was asked if the thought of running for president has ever crossed his mind, and Jacobs claimed that it hasn’t:
“No, it’s not. I have no desire to go to Washington DC. I think that there’s a lot of things that can be done at the local and state level, especially at the state level.”
So Many Things Going Up There: Glenn Jacobs
The former World Champion claimed that they can make things better in the country by making good policies at the state level. He went on to explain another reason why he doesn’t want to dive too deep into the politics of Washington:
“Washington, man, it’s just, there’s just so many things going on up there, and it really is a swamp. Good people go in, and they get frustrated because they can’t change, or in some cases, they just throw up their hands and leave, or sometimes they unfortunately become part of the machine because that’s the only way to survive.
So I really think that a lot of changes can be made, especially at the state level, which would be productive for where you live. Ultimately then that would be productive for the entire country.”
Kane is not the only wrestling star who has been asked this question in recent time. The Rock has been honest about considering the idea in the past and he has kept the door open for a future in politics.
The current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes was also inquired about it recently and he revealed that both the democratic and republican parties have made offers to him.
Glenn Jacobs, aka Kane, wrote reacted to the news, after Clay Travis of Outkick.com posted the following on Twitter:
“Trump is guilty in business records case. In related news, congrats to Donald Trump on his election as the 47th President of the United States.”
Jacobs posted the following reply to the tweet:
“Yep. Tonight, the political class will be patting each other on the back and offering toasts at their cocktail parties. On November 5th, they’ll be shaking their heads wondering what happened.”
The Knox County mayor also wrote “And people say pro wrestling is fixed” to another post about the topic.
Jacobs is the Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, and affiliated with the Republican Party, which Trump is also affiliated with. Trump is the presumptive nominee of the party for the 2024 presidential election.
Jacobs announced he was officially running for the mayoral seat of Knox County in March 2017. In May 2018, he won the Republican primary election for the seat by 23 votes, and was elected mayor in August 2018. He won a second term in the election in August 2022.
Trump’s indictment is the first of a former US president, and was convicted on May 30, 2024. His sentence hearing is scheduled for July 11 this year, and it is not known yet what sentence Trump would receive. The 77-year-old is expected to appeal the conviction.
WWE Hall of Famer Donald Trump recently mentioned WWE legends The Kane and The Undertaker during his recent speech.
In WWE, Kane was billed as The Undertaker’s brother and duo went on to have great tag team run as well as memorable storylines as rivals.
After bringing down the curtain on his pro wrestling career, Kane (real name Glenn Jacobs) became the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. In the past, the former ‘Big Red Machine’ had backed the former President and showed his support for Trump in his attempt to get elected again.
Donald Trump talks about Kane and The Undertaker
During an event held on Sunday at the Iowa caucuses, the former Kane was one of the people who attended the show and also spoke before Donald Trump’s speech. Jacobs had nothing but praise for Donald Trump like always.
Trump also reciprocated the feelings. He lauded Glenn Jacobs for his physique and his time in WWE. During the speech, he also namedropped The Undertaker.
Trump was slurring and fumbling over his words at times but didn’t shy away from speaking about the iconic duo of Kane and The Undertaker.
“And another man who’s a friend of mine. He’s another one I’m not going to mess around with. He’s Knox County, Tennessee, do you know Glenn Jacobs? Goes by the name, goes by the name of …. Kane. Kane. Where is Kane? Where’s the …. look at the size of this guy. Man o’ man – that’s – he’s all man. He’s all man. He’s good. How many years have you been doing that? You’ve been W, W …. Kane one of the great characters in uhm …. how many …. so how tall are you? You’re six what? 6’8 and weigh what – when you wrestle? Well that’s not bad – I’m not that far away either. That’s not good. You just ruined my day – 300 [pounds]!”
“When I see these guys, some of them like The Undertaker right? And I see him and walks around the ring lifting a 300-pound guy over his shoulders like this. It may be acting… then he throws him into the seats, it’s pretty great.”
Jacobs last competed as Kane in WWE back in 2021 as part of the men’s Royal Rumble match, while The Undertaker’s last match was at WrestleMania 36 in 2020 when he faced AJ Styles in a cinematic match, ‘Boneyard Match.’ against AJ Styles.
Although Kane has not wrestled in a few years, he’s not retired.
The former WWE Champion last wrestled when he was part of the 2021 Men’s Royal Rumble match. Regarding a normal match, he hasn’t wrestled a singles or tag team bout since Crown Jewel in 2018, when he teamed with the Undertaker against Shawn Michaels and Triple H.
Kane was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021. His career will be covered on A&E Biography: WWE Legends on Sunday, March 12.
One More Match?
While speaking to PWMania, Kane was asked about the possibility of wrestling one more match.
“I’ll always leave that door open. In WWE we never say never. I don’t know what will happen. I do some stuff here and there in the WWE. That’s a part of me and it’s something I enjoy and want to do for the rest of my life. If it’s something in the ring, I don’t know. Maybe you have to ask Kane that question,” he said.
Kane did make an appearance at last year’s SummerSlam in Nashville, Tennessee, to announce the attendance for the show. While away from WWE, he continues to be the Mayor of Knox County in Tennessee.
Kane may have spent decades terrifying countless WWE fans, but it is an iconic dance move that keeps the Devil’s Favorite Demon up at night.
After multiple previous gimmicks including ‘Fake Diesel’ and Isaac Yankem D.D.S, Jacobs debuted as the hellish Kane during the In Your House: 1997 Bad Blood Pay-Per-View.
Attacking his ‘brother’ The Undertaker, Kane cost the Phenom the very first Hell in a Cell match against Shawn Michaels.
The Kanearoonie
By 2002, Kane’s monstrous personality had somewhat simmered, and he was a babyface adored by fans on Raw.
In one of the character’s most infamous moments, Kane used Booker T’s ‘Spinaroonie,’ dubbed by fans as the ‘Kanearoonie.’
Speaking on the latest episode of WWE’s The Bump, Jacobs recalled the segment, calling it the scariest moment of his career.
“The most horrifying was the Kaneroonie, I’ll tell you that. I had to get some lessons from Booker T on how to do the Kaneroonie. It turns out it’s all about momentum, getting your lower body and your legs going first. Booker was kind enough to show me how to do that.”
Repackaging
While many Superstars would be opposed to performing the dance move, Jacobs was open to the idea.
The WWE Hall of Famer explained in the interview that he wasn’t against doing the move, as he was working on changing the Kane character.
“We did want it to be a more lighthearted Kane and a more entertaining Kane as opposed to the dark brooding character that I had been initially. So I didn’t really had to be talked into it.
“After I saw it, I kind of wished that I’d never gotten talked into it.”
Kane would remain as a babyface until losing a mask vs. title match against then-World Heavyweight Champion Triple H in June 2003.
A new episode of Table for 3 premiered last week featuring an eclectic group of WWE Hall Of Famers. The series features legends reminiscing about their careers and memorable moments in wrestling history.
Airing on Peacock and the WWE Network (outside of the United States), the newest installment is titled “New Generation Gathering.” There, WWE Hall of Famers Jerry “The King” Lawler, Bret “The Hitman” Hart, and Kane gathered to discuss the respective era of the company.
The New Generation’ era would roughly begin amidst WWE’s debut and introduction of Monday Night RAW in January 1993. The time period would extend to about 1997, a lead-in of sorts for the beloved Attitude Era in WWE.
WWE posted a preview clip of the Table For 3 episode, taking a sneak peak at another previous persona of Kane (real name Glenn Jacobs). The video description reads:
“Kane looks back at his first foray into the business, portraying the “Christmas Creature”, in this sneak peek at the newest edition of Table for 3: New Generation Gathering.”
Before he was Kane, Jacobs would also embody the personas of Isaac Yankem and Fake Diesel. Yankem would find himself aligned with Jerry Lawler during his tenure, in a storyline that rivaled Bret Hart. Lawler and Hart famously met in June of 1995 to compete in a “Kiss My Foot” match, which saw “The Hitman” take home the victory.
Former CEO Vince McMahon actually came up with the stipulation concept, as Lawler revealed in the episode. Coinciding with Lawler’s royalty gimmick, he often demanded the WWE Universe to “kneel down and kiss my royal feet”. Accordingly, McMahon sparked the “Kiss My Foot” match idea. Leading up to the bout, Lawler was instructed to disgust the audience with mention of his “hammer-toe”, “bunions”, and “calluses”. Bret Hart regarded Lawler as a “master heel” during the time, which made their work and the build to the match even more effective.
The newest Table for 3 episode is now available for streaming on Peacock and WWE Network.
The WWE Universe will once again walk through hell, fire, and brimstone as they prepare to celebrate a quarter-century of the Hall of Famer Kane.
This month marks 25 years since Kane’s debut in WWE, infamously appearing at the 1997 In Your House: Bad Blood event, during the inaugural Hell in a Cell match.
Prior to this, Glenn Jacobs, the man under the mask, had competed on WWF programming as evil dentist Isaac Yankem, as well as the fake Diesel.
Celebration
With today marking 25 years exactly since Kane’s debut, it was fitting that WWE made their announcement today.
In a statement, the promotion addressed Kane’s first appearance, costing his brother The Undertaker, and his feuds with stars such as ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and Triple H.
WWE will be celebrating the legacy of the Devil’s Favorite Demon in the coming weeks with Kane-themed Top 10 videos and WWE PLaylist.
Throwback videos featuring classic Kane moments will also be shared, and fans are encouraged to join in using the hashtag #Kane25.
Kane: A Retrospective
Possibly WWE’s most successful example of a ‘monster’ Kane has been one of the company’s most successful stars.
Less than a year into his run, Kane won the WWF Title (admittedly for one day) but would have longer reigns as ECW and World Heavyweight Champion.
In 2001’s Royal Rumble match, Kane set a record with eleven eliminations, a record that would last until 2014 when Roman Reigns broke this streak.
In 2021, Kane, now the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
For decades, Glenn Jacobs, aka Kane, dominated WWE, ever since his impactful debut at the 1997 In Your House: Bad Blood Pay Per View.
A multi-time WWE World Champion, Intercontinental and Tag Champion, Kane is also a former Mr. Money Money in the Bank, having held the SmackDown briefcase in 2010.
More recently, Kane has traded his seat in hell for a mayoral office, becoming Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, and recently winning re-election.
No More Bumps
Kane’s age and work outside WWE has made his appearances for the company become more and more infrequent in recent years.
Now, the “Devil’s Favorite Demon” has given an update on his career, and has seemingly confirmed his retirement from wrestling.
Speaking on ‘The Right View,’ Jacobs addressed his future in wrestling, and doesn’t plan on wrestling again (via 411 Mania.)
” I don’t want to get into a wrestling ring and actually get knocked down because I don’t know if I could get back up at this point.”
Glenn ‘Kane’ Jacobs seemingly confirms his retirement from professional wrestling.
Other Roles
Kane’s days as a wrestler may be over, but the WWE Hall of Famer still has something to give to the industry.
In the interview, Kane spoke about his recent appearance at Summerslam, where he announced the attendance for the event in Nashville, Tennessee.
The former WWE World Champion said it was “awesome” that he can still have a role even if he is not wrestling anymore.
He added that being a WWE alum has given him an edge in Politics, as his fame often allows him to connect with people.
WWE Hall Of Famer Kane praises Vince McMahon for perfecting the pay-per-view (PPV) model.
Kane was recently a guest on the Honest Offense podcast and praised his longtime boss for his impact on the business. “The Big Red Machine” noted, while McMahon didn’t invent the PPV model, he certainly perfected it.
“You look at pay-per-view, if you go to www.payperview.com, you get redirected to WWE. Vince did not invent pay-per-view, but you can make an argument that he was the guy that perfected it.
“He was ahead of the curve there. We had a huge presence on the internet in 1995, before anyone really knew what the internet was. We were doing chat rooms and all sorts of stuff.
“Then, you look at the app that came out, which was kind of not great, but he recognized before a lot of people did that folks were migrating away from their TV and to their computer and now they are migrating from their computer to a handheld device.
“When the app came out, we were like, ‘we’re behind the curve.’ The reason for that was, they were thinking about WWE Network, which originally was going to be a cable network, and then he decided ‘we’re going put it online, move all the pay-per-views to a monthly subscription,’ we all thought he was crazy for that because pay-per-view made up half the companies revenue.
“He was completely changing the business model. I remember, the stock sunk, ‘Vince McMahon is an idiot,’ people were talking about suing. Now, the company is making more money than ever.
“Vince is not a huge technophile, I don’t even know if he can login to his own email, but he doesn’t have to. All he has to do is see where the trends are going and he gets ahead of them, everyone thinks he’s crazy, sure enough, he’s making all the money.
“That’s his true brilliance. He can figure out where entertainment, technology, and delivery is going and he ends up getting there first. It’s like he has a weird ESP about it.“
Kane has worked alongside McMahon since 1995 when he signed with WWE. He was ushered into the company in one of the biggest storylines of all time, portraying the Kane character in 1997, who was introduced as The Undertaker’s brother.
The rest, as they say, was history. Kane is a two-time World Champion in WWE, a two-time Intercontinental Champion, and an 11-time Tag Team Champion with partners such as The Undertaker, Daniel Bryan, X-Pac, and more.
Now, Kane, real name Glenn Jacobs, is in the political ring, currently serving as the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.
Could Kane be back on your TV screen tonight (April 25)?
Fightful Select is reporting that Kane is backstage for Raw in Knoxville, Tennessee. He is the Mayor of Knox County, so he didn’t have to travel very far.
The report notes that Kane is scheduled to appear on the show in some form. One pitch was for Kane to appear in a segment with Kevin Owens and Ezekiel.
This week’s Raw figures to be a noteworthy one. Fightful Select reported late this past weekend that Asuka is scheduled to be on the show to start a feud with Becky Lynch. There was also a pitch for Mustafa Ali to make his return.
The current situation in Ukraine is front and center in the minds of most this weekend, and several stars from across the pro wrestling spectrum have commented on the matter. Many have used their platforms to call on people to help provide assistance to the people of Ukraine who are suffering due to the actions of Russia.
However, former WWE star Glenn Jacobs (Kane) has used his platform to criticize and demean his political opponents. Taking to his Twitter account on Sunday, Jacobs wrote, “If you (you’re) on the Left and are shocked by Putin’s aggression, wake up, Sunshine. Historically in the real world, might makes right. Weakness (which is really what the Left is all about) is not a virtue. It’s a fatal character flaw. (And, no, the US should still not get involved).”
The former wrestler almost immediately started getting hasty replies from wrestling fans, but it was none other than AEW World Champion “Hangman” Adam Page who had the best response of all.
Page replied to Kane’s tweet and rather than engaging in political debate during this time of crisis, he urged people to donate to UNICEF’s Children of Ukraine project, as well as the Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund. He closed his tweet, hilariously, by embedding a video of “10 Ruthless Chair Shots Kane Took To The Head.”
As of this writing, Page’s tweet has roughly 8x as many likes as Kane’s (and growing).
Check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.
WWE legend Kane (Glenn Jacobs) will seek another term as the Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.
Earlier this week, the “Big Red Machine” began filing the paperwork to run for re-election.
“Picked up my petition sheet for Knox County Mayor yesterday,” he wrote on Twitter. “It’s been an honor serving you and I would love to have your support to serve the Knox County community again.”
Picked up my petition sheet for Knox County Mayor yesterday! It’s been an honor serving you and I would love to have your support to serve the Knox County community again. pic.twitter.com/lSbDVD52wD
Former WWE Superstar Kane recently appeared on The Doug Collins Podcast. The Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee discussed several topics during the interview, including what it was like to be in WWF at the time when Stone Cold Steve Austin was flourishing and the Attitude Era had begun.
“I was there when Austin took off” Kane began. “That was kind of an accident, I don’t think that anyone ever expected that he would achieve what he did.
“You look at Rock and you could tell early on that Vince [McMahon] thought that Dwayne had whatever it took to go all the way, right? When you think professional wrestler and you watch Steve, he’s an old-school professional wrestler, right?
Kane on Steve Austin getting over
“That’s not necessarily a recipe for success with the way that Vince was taking things” Kane continued. “But Steve was able to take it and he was the right person at the right time and had the right character at the right time, and was able to tap into that, ‘everybody hates their boss and wants to give their boss a Stone Cold Stunner,’ and he did it.
“Of course, a lot of that is down to Vince too” Kane added, praising the WWE Chairman. “He played the antagonist and did really well. But, nevertheless, that whole thing, I don’t think anybody would have ever predicted in 1996 or whatever that within a couple of years Stone Cold Steve Austin would be right where Hulk Hogan was, or is, as one of the true icons of the sport.
“We all knew that Dwayne was going to do tremendous things, just because he’s naturally talented and so gifted” Kane concluded.
The Undertaker broke the news of Kane’s Hall Of Fame induction to the Big Red Monster in an emotional segment on The Bump and many believe that it would be fitting for the dead man to induct him during the ceremony as well.
The devil’s favorite demon spoke to Sports Illustrated after the big announcement and said that he would have never believed that he would be going into Hall Of Fame one day during his Isaac Yankem days.
Kane also revealed his reaction to the big news and claimed that it’s the greatest honor of his entire pro wrestling career. He said that it’s a tremendous honor which he is still trying to process:
“This is the greatest honor of my entire pro wrestling career, there have been so many people that helped me get here, and I can’t wait to say thanks to each of them. It’s a tremendous honor, one that I’m still trying to process.”
Kane was then asked the question everyone has in mind and when questioned about Taker possibly inducting him, he said: “I’m not going to speculate on anything, this is all so new. I’m just so grateful for this honor.”
The former world champion is the fourth name to be announced for the Hall Of Fame class of 2021 and he will be inducted alongside people like Eric Bischoff, Molly Holly and The Great Khali.
During the WWE Network’s ‘Brothers of Destruction‘ special, The Undertaker and Kane reflected on The Streak coming to an end. They also discussed who they believed should have been the Superstar to end The Streak.
Kane looked back on how he felt that day after Brock Lesnar had defeated The Undertaker, ending The Streak at WrestleMania XXX.
He explained how he initially believed that the finish to the match “got messed up.” Kane explained how he thought the match would restart as something had to have gone wrong. After the realization sunk in, Kane shared how he walked out of the room as he was so angry.
“I know that the streak wasn’t something that anybody had ever planned and it was just something that had kind of organically evolved, but it had become a part of WrestleMania lore at that point.”
The Undertaker shared his memory of that day. He discussed how he had been under the impression he would be beating Lesnar. It wasn’t until later that Vince McMahon told him otherwise.
“I got to the arena that day and I was going over. I mean, we had gone back and forth and when I showed up, I was going over,” The Undertaker recalled. “Through the course of the day, Vince would come to me and say that he’s changed his mind. man, I was like, ‘Okay, I don’t think Brock needs it, but at the end of the day, it’s your show, it’s your call. If you’re sure about it, then that’s what we’ll do.”
Undertaker & Kane Name Who Should Have Ended The Streak
Turning their attention to who they did think should have ended the legendary Streak, both Undertaker and Kane pointed to the same Superstar: Roman Reigns.
Undertaker noted how, “I thought there would be somebody, like Roman Roman would have been, I think Roman would have been fine.”
Kane agreed, adding how defeating The Undertaker at WrestleMania and ending The Streak would have “made” Roman Reigns and “put even more luster” on the decision.
Three years later, Roman Reigns would face The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33. Reigns defeated “The Dead Man.”
This Sunday’s Survivor Series event also acts as a ‘Final Farewell,’ celebrating The Undertaker’s 30th Anniversary in WWE.
WWE Survivor Series takes place Sunday, November 22nd from the Thunderdome in Orlando, FL.
Kane was asked a question that is on the minds of all fans these days when it comes to The Undertaker.
During an interview with Ryan Satin for WWE on FOX, “The Big Red Machine” commented on whether he thinks Taker is actually retired for good from in-ring action or if he thinks WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon can confince “The Phenom” to come back one more time.
“Whether you can actually say this is gonna be it, it … I don’t know. WWE is one of those deals where it’s a little bit like the mafia, in that you never get to quite leave. I’m sure with someone whose been as important as The Undertaker, that he will be around in some form or fashion for quite some time.”
“Hotel California. You can check out, but you can never leave. That’s kind of the way it goes. It’s always the one more that gets you, right? Just one more. Then there’s always just one more after the just one more it seems like.”
The Undertaker originally debuted for WWE at Survivor Series 1990 so WWE officials decided to do a tribute to the legendary pro wrestler at next Sunday’s event, which is being
With WWE celebrating The Undertaker’s 30th Anniversary throughout November, many are reminiscing on the matches and memories The Undertaker has provided during his historic career. During an interview with Ryan Satin for WWE on FOX, ‘Taker’s on-screen brother, Kane, revealed his top three Undertaker matches of all time.
Kane’s Favorite Undertaker Matches
One of the bouts Kane mentioned was The Undertaker versus Shawn Michaels match at WrestleMania 25. He explained how this match is “[…] one of the greatest wrestling matches in history.”
Kane added how, if he had to show someone what he did for a living as a pro wrestler, he would want to show them this match as he believes it embodies everything about pro wrestling.
Kane’s Inferno Match against The Undertaker from Unforgiven 1998 also made the list. He shared how it holds a special place for him because of how unique it was. As far as he’s concerned, it helped to take their feud to “another level.”
“The WrestleMania match [we had] a month before was pretty important since it was the first time Taker and Kane locked horns inside the ring. However, the Inferno Match took our rivalry to another level. It gave fans a spectacular visual experience with a ring surrounded by flames leaping up.”
Lastly, Kane pointed to The Undertaker’s Hell in a Cell match against Shawn Michaels at 1997’s Badd Blood. He stressed its importance as the first-ever Hell in a Cell match but also noted how it’s also a “[…] fantastic match and will go down in WWE history.”
“Also, because the match ended with what I believe is the greatest debut in WWE history. Not because it was my debut but because the table was set up so well for me, for Kane, to finally arrive in WWE.”
The Undertaker originally debuted for WWE at Survivor Series 1990. The promotion has recently been promoting a ’30 Year Anniversary’ for The Undertaker alongside its ’30 Days of the Deadman’ specials on the WWE Network.
WWE Survivor Series takes place Sunday, November 22nd from the Thunderdome in Orlando, FL.
Former WWE agent and AEW on screen coach Arn Anderson recently answered fan questions on the ARN podcast.
One fan asked The Enforcer what was the best match you’ve ever seen ‘live.’ Arn Anderson would give an interesting and unexpected answer to that question. “I’ll tell you one, it’s a sleeper” Anderson began on the podcast.
Arn Anderson on Kane vs Kurt Angle
“I saw Kane wrestle Kurt Angle, and I hadn’t been with WWE too long. I don’t remember the exact year, but they [WWE] were really high on Angle. They were really building him, and it was when Kane was about 330 pounds with the mask.”
The match that Anderson was referring to is from SmackDown in November 2001. At the time Kurt Angle was the WCW United States Champion and this was right at the tail end of the Invasion storyline.
“They went about 20-25 minutes on TV. With the story being Kane, the monster, tripping up a little bit and allowing that ankle lock to be put on him several times. And I mean several times. Kane obviously did what you thought Kane would, he nodded his head back and forth, saying ‘no no no no way, I’m going to tap out no way.'”
Glenn Jacobs
Arn Anderson would then praise the man behind the mask. “I’m a huge fan of the Kane character, and the person Glenn Jacobs. As we know if you’ve got a mask covering your face? It’s hard to see your facial and facials are where our money lies in this business. It tells you when you’re happy, when you’re hurt, when you’re sad, when you’re hurting and when you’re in trouble. All those emotions are conveyed through your face.”
Elaborating further, Arn Anderson said “when you got a mask on? It’s hard to do that. But some way, somehow Kane was able to show me his frustration, bobbing his head in pain and the slapping of the mat. His whole body English during the course of that; until finally he did the unthinkable, and it was the first time he’d ever done it. Kane tapped out to Kurt Angle.”
Do you remember the match from ’01? Do you agree with Arn Anderson that it’s a great bout? Check out the match below and let us know what you think in the comments.
WWE Superstar and Mayor of Knox County Glenn Jacobs/Kane recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump. The Big Red Machine was appearing on the WWE Network show to discuss the ongoing The Last Ride documentary that features his on-screen brother The Undertaker.
One of the points raised was the respect between the two performers, with Kane being asked if there was a specific moment or moments that he knew he had earned the Deadman’s respect.
Kane Talks Respect
“I actually do, there’s a couple” Kane vegan. “First of all, let’s keep in mind that from the beginning of my career? even before I was in WWE? He was always a big advocate of mine” Kane revealed.
“Even when I was having a lot of trouble early on? This person was there pushing for me and talking with me and making sure that I was doing what I needed to do eventually to become successful” Kane would continue. “I got a lot of that. The conversations weren’t always the most pleasant (laughs), they could be sometimes a little harsh! Nevertheless, they were much needed.”
Glenn Jacobs would then praise The Undertaker for the way that he treated him as a ‘peer’ when he first appeared in the company. “When I came in as Kane, and just overall the whole like 1997 into 1998 and working with him so much? The whole time he treated me as a peer, and as an equal. Then I remember, wince 2003 when I had taken the mask off? We were actually at a wedding, and he told me how proud he was of the transition, and not only my in-ring work but also my work on the microphone.”
Do you think that Kane’s character developed and changed as well as The Undertaker’s during his run in WWE? Let us know in the comments
WWE Superstar and Mayor of Knox County Glenn Jacobs/Kane recently appeared on WWE’s The Bump. The Big Red Machine was appearing on the WWE Network show to discuss the ongoing The Last Ride documentary that features his on-screen brother The Undertaker.
One of the questions posed to Kane was the planning of matches between he and ‘Taker. Kane would discuss how it was sometimes difficult to plan and map out bouts against the ‘Deadman.’ This was because both men were behemoths in stature, and as Kane later mentions, they would prefer to have a smaller performer to work with.
Undertaker vs Kane
“In fact, it was kind of hard because when you have two characters like Undertaker and myself who are very much alike? We do the same things” Kane would begin. “And the characters? Even though they’re mere opposites they’re in many ways…they’re almost exact clones. They’re very, very similar.”
Kane elaborated further, saying “how do you construct a match? When you have the Undertaker who’s indestructible, and Kane who is indestructible? You have to figure all that stuff out. Also you don’t want, for instance, you don’t want The Undertaker to look ‘normal’ by Kane beating them up. So you have to figure out ways to get around all that.”
Kane would finish by saying that planning matches with The Undertaker was always an epic undertaking. The Big Red Machine would also bring up the aforementioned ‘David vs Goliath’ approach. “Frankly, for me it’s always been an epic undertaking, ‘Taker would tell you the same thing. It’s always been easier to work with a smaller guy because you have a built in story; to kind of have the David vs Goliath, you know? The Rocky Balboa story, whereas when you have the Clash of the Titans? It’s harder to do traditional storytelling in that fashion.”
Have you been enjoying The Last Ride? Let us know in the comments
