Kane was Edge and Christian’s latest guest on the E&C Pod of Awesomeness. The WWE Superstar turned politician spoke about a variety of WWE-related topics and his campaign to become the Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee in 2018.

• Watch Kane’s First Official Political Campaign Ad For Mayor (Video)

One of the highlights of the interview was Kane’s praise for Seth Rollins. As you’ll recall, both Rollins and Kane were aligned with The Authority. They have also wrestled each other on numerous occasions. Kane says Rollins is one of the best performers he’s ever been in the ring with. “I am a huge Seth Rollins fan,” Kane said. “Anyone that has ever been in the ring with Seth, he really is the second-coming of Shawn Michaels… He is that good.”

Kane also had very positive things to say about Cesaro and his ability to work with anybody on any given night. “He can go out one night and have a match with me and then go out the next night and have a match with Jericho. Two completely different styles and still have the best match of the night because he is that good.”

You can listen to the full podcast below:

https://art19.com/shows/ecs-pod-of-awesomeness

Kane was a guest on the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling podcast earlier this week and spoke to hosts John and Chad about running for Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, the Undertaker’s impact on his career, working with Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins, the future of WWE and much more. Here are some highlights of what Kane said about:

Being able to team with The Undertaker for what was the last time in 2015 and The Undertaker’s entrance:

“That Survivor Series was simply amazing. It was the 25th anniversary of The Undertaker and it was a huge deal and just to be involved with it in any capacity was really an honor for me. It’s always great because I remember when we had the 1000th episode of RAW in St. Louis and I was in the ring and I forget what the exact scenario was but basically I was surrounded by the bad guys and then the gong hits and it was just awesome. The crowd was chanting “this is awesome” and I get goose bumps because that is what WWE is all about. I don’t know if our audience and the WWE Universe realizes this but we feed off of them as much as they do off of us. When they are into a moment like that it is amazing. It is the epitome of why I got into the wrestling business and why I got into the entertainment business. I can lose myself and for that moment that is all that matters and that is what happens with Undertaker.”

Reflecting back on the impact of the Kane vs. Undertaker story:

“Through the years we’ve been together through so much. Very unique the both of us. Bray Wyatt is sort of the new character who has the super-natural component and the cool-creepiness but the fact that we were able to come in and be such fierce rivals but yet everything turned and to be able to join forces and ally with ourselves and split and come back again, if you look (and I’m a big fan) of old NWA you would have these relationships and feuds just go on for years and years and it was the same type of deal. I’ve said this many times and I really believe this is true. I believe that the Kane / Undertaker story if you look at epic storytelling like Greek mythology, that is what it is. It is the best piece of epic story telling that the WWE has ever done. There is a huge story arc with all of these back stories and all of these extremely powerful characters and by that I mean the personalities and to be able to make that work and work as well as it always has is just amazing. Hats off to Vince McMahon for being able to do that with the creative teams and his vision as well as Taker and as well as my good friend the late Paul Bearer. It was a lot of moving parts and he was always able to make them work smoothly and the finished product was beautiful.”

Being mentioned during Daniel Bryan’s retirement speech and their relationship:

“Daniel Bryan is a friend of mine. It’s sort of funny that the relationship that you saw between Team Hell No on screen it sometimes goes the same way off screen as well (laughing). He is a great human being and good friend of mine and frankly the Team Hell No stuff  helped me. What it did for me was basically show people that I could be a well-rounded performer because through the years I had always been the silent guy and the mean guy and the extremely serious guy. If you would have told people in 2000  or 1998 that Kane is going to provide the comedic element to the show, well they would have looked at you like you were completely nuts and off your rocker. But because of Daniel Bryan I was able to do that.”

“When he retired I think it was Rolling Stone that said he was “WWE’s Everyman” and that is what he is. He can relate to everybody and not only because of he’s not a big guy but he has so much passion and he is also a very humble human being and he is just the average dude. I think that shows through and he is sincere and he is genuine and people relate to that. Of course you add on that he is a tremendous talent and there is your superstar.”

Ending Corporate Kane and his Main Event run with Seth Rollins:

“It was a lot of fun and Seth Rollins is just phenomenal. He’s a tremendous performer and that felt like a full circle thing as well because The Shield early on it was Daniel Bryan and I that were their first opponents and we had a history there. To see Seth being able to leave the Shield and also Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns who are tremendous as well and have done great things and will do great things. Nevertheless, Seth went out on his own and was just able to pretty much immediately prove to the world that he’s like a young Shawn Michaels.”

“That was a lot of fun and especially at that point the Corporate Kane character had run its course and people really wanted to see the mask come back and what was pretty cool to me was the fact that I was able to keep up with Seth in the ring which is no small feat for anyone much less a guy who is a bit of a veteran at this point in his career (laughing) so I was proud of that. Anytime you are in that position and the company is relying on you to come through with great performances and you are able to deliver on those it is very rewarding.”

Subscribe to The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling on iTunes and follow them on Twitter @TwoManPowerTrip

WWE Superstar Kane (Glenn Jacobs) announced on Tuesday that he’s running for Mayor of Knox County in Knoxville, Tennessee. WWE.com has since picked up the story and Kane’s official campaign website is now live at JacobsForMayor.com.

Here is Kane’s first official political ad for his 2018 Knox County Mayoral campaign.

After announcing his candidacy, Kane appeared on the the Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling  podcast and to share his thoughts on his life-changing career move.

“I am going to run as a Republican and I think I will have the ability to help grow the Republican party locally. The reason I am running as a Republican is because I believe very strongly in the foundations of the republican party, which are free market as well as personal freedom and that is the message that I need to get out there and I need to get it out there especially among young people. Frankly those are the future of the country and I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for fact as you said, I’ve put in a lot of work to get to where I was in WWE.

I overcame obstacles to get to WWE, I had the opportunity to do those things because I live in America and I grew up in America. I’ve been so fortunate that I was able to live the American dream and that has to be available for my kids and my grand kids. The ability to do what you want with your life and the opportunity to build the life that you want and sometimes of course it feels like that is slipping through our fingers and a lot of times we look at Washington, D.C. as a problem (a person like me does) but local elected officials have probably more impact on your life than the people in Washington, D.C.

We often get wrapped up in the “WWE of politics” which is at the Federal level and the Presidential Election and those sort of things but all levels or government matter and for someone like me who has been given just tremendous opportunities to take advantage of I want to keep those opportunities alive and I think it starts with me here in Knox County, Tennessee.”

Hat tip to PWPodcasts.com for the transcribed quote. You can listen to Kane’s full appearance below:

Glenn Jacobs, best known as WWE Superstar Kane, has officially announced that he’s running for mayor of Knox County in Knoxville, Tennessee. The election will be held May 1, 2018.

"I'm officially announcing my candidacy for Knox County Mayor." — Glenn Jacobs says. @6News #WATE pic.twitter.com/M86W3ASgcO

— . (@bridgettebjorlo) April 11, 2017

As Knox County Mayor, I promise to keep taxes low and make Knox County a place everyone can be proud of." — Glenn Jacobs says. @6News #WATE pic.twitter.com/Sbvs6pnkib

— . (@bridgettebjorlo) April 11, 2017

Jacobs has resided in Knox County since 1995 and will be running as a Republican.

During an interview back in February with Knoxville’s WBIR news, Jacobs said, “Being someone who hasn’t been in local government before, we’re a new set of eyes on the new problems and challenges that we’ll have going forward. I think that we’re really in a transitional period as a county.”

PWInsider.com is reporting that WWE Superstar Kane is scheduled to be in Orlando for Wrestlemania 33. Eva Marie is not scheduled to be in Orlando and it has been reported that she may also be on her way out of the WWE. 

The WWE recently posted a video of Kurt Angle arriving in Orlando for Wrestlemania 33 weekend. Angle is being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame tomorrow night. Angle stated that he was not expecting to be inducted right now and is very grateful.

Glenn Jacobs, known in the WWE as Kane, may be running for mayor in Knox County, Tennessee. Jacobs has resided in Knox County since 1995. The election isn’t until May 1, 2018, but Jacobs has begun taking steps that indicate he is preparing for to run for mayor.

According to Knoxville’s WCYB.com, Kne, who runs Jacobs Insurance Associates in Halls,  TN, has filed paperwork with the Knox County Election Commission appointing a political treasurer, Brian Carl. He identifies himself as a Republican.

Kane spoke with another local station WBIR last year and announced he was seriously considering running for county mayor. He stated on Thursday that appointing a political treasurer is yet another step toward formally running for office.

“Knox County is a great place and we’re so happy and feel so blessed to live here,” Jacobs said of he and his wife Crystal. “I want to do my part going forward.”

You can check out the entire article by clicking here.

New Japan Pro Wrestling have announced that several title matches will take place on March 6th 2017. The event is to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the promotion and will air live on New Japan World (5am est.)

NJPW 45th Anniversary Show Lineup

• Jushin Liger and Hirai Kawato vs. Tiger Mask and Tomoyuki Oka
• Hirooki Goto, Yoshi-Hashi, Gedo and Jado (CHAOS) vs. El Desparado, Taka Michinoku, Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Minoru Suzuki (Suzuki-Gun)
• Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and David Finlay vs. Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa, Yujiro Takahashi, Bad Luck Fale and Kenny Omega (Bullet Club)
• Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, Bushi and Sanada (Los Ingobernables) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Michael Elgin, Kushida and Juice Robinson
• RPW British Heavyweight Championship
  Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. *
• IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship
  Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
• IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
  Roppongi Vice (c) vs. Taichi and Yoshinobu Kanemaru (Suzuki-Gun)
• IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
  Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano (c)(CHAOS) vs. Tomoaki Honma and Togi Makabe (GBH)**
• Kazuchika Okada (CHAOS) vs. Tiger Mask W***

*     Zack Sabre Jr. is making his NJPW debut
**   This match was made after GBH beat CHAOS at Togi Makabe’s anniversary show this weekend.
*** non-title match. Tiger Mask W is played by Kota Ibushi and is from the current Tiger Mask anime series. 

A new video was posted to The Bella Twins YouTube channel of Nikki Bella impersonating AJ Styles. AJ was shown at the end of the video and seemed to get a kick out of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GGhXrRDzXc

Nia Jax posted a new video on Twitter. In the video she squatted 300 pounds with ease.

Getting it in 💪🏽this morning with my crew! Hitting my max squat 137kg (300 pounds) & increasing my max snatch 🏋🏽‍♀️ by 12kg earlier pic.twitter.com/QZrNVNWCN4

— Lina Fanene (@LinaFanene) January 25, 2017

The WWE released a new video to hype up the Royal Rumble this Sunday. The video highlighted Kane as the most dominant Superstar ever in the Royal Rumble because he has 43 eliminations on his resume.

• Paige Responds To MTV Star Calling WWE Women “Strippers”

WWE Smackdown (11/29)

This week’s episode of Smackdown kicked off with Renee Young in the ring. Alexa Bliss and Becky Lynch joined her in the ring for a contract signing for their Smackdown Women’s Championship match this Sunday at WWE TLC. Alexa Bliss told Renee Young to get out of the ring. Bliss also scolded Renee for her fashion choices. Becky Lynch then compared Alexa to her four year old cousin. Bliss continued to insult Becky Lynch and they both signed the contract. After they both signed it, they brawled in the ring. Lynch hit the Becksplex on Alexa Bliss. Alexa then fought back and shoved Becky through a table off of the turnbuckle.

Reaction: I thought this promo was really good. Becky Lynch can be a bit of adventure on the microphone but tonight she did a good job. Alexa Bliss is excellent on the microphone and her facial expressions are hilarious. I find this feud to be much more interesting than the one between Charlotte and Sasha Banks on Raw.

.@AlexaBliss_WWE blocks @BeckyLynchWWE's #Bexploder, and sends the Champ crashing through the table! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/gbOh4XYeVU

— WWE (@WWE) November 30, 2016

Dolph Ziggler & Kalisto vs Baron Corbin & The Miz

Corbin dominated the match early and threw Ziggler out of the ring. The Miz was then tagged in and he immediately grabbed a ladder from under the ring. Ziggler got up and connected with a DDT on The Miz outside the ring. Ziggler then hit Corbin with a Superkick. Back in the ring, Ziggler tagged in Kalisto. The Miz hit Kalisto with a boot to the face and dove outside the ring onto Ziggler. Miz then launched Ziggler into the barricade surroinding the ring.

Kalisto then dove onto Corbin outside the ring. Ziggler hit a Superkick on The Miz as he was lying on the ring apron. Maryse shoved the ladder into Ziggler’s face. Kalisto landed the Salida del Sol on The Miz in the ring. Before the referee could count to three, Baron Corbin nailed Kalisto in the back with a chair. The referee then disqualified The Miz and Baron Corbin.

Winners via DQ: Dolph Ziggler & Kalisto

Reaction: This was a quick match but it served a purpose. Ziggler will be facing The Miz in a ladder match for the IC Title on Sunday. Corbin will be squaring off with Kalisto in a chairs match at TLC. Both the ladder and a chair came into play during this match. I like it when things make sense, don’t you?

.@BaronCorbinWWE, you can't do that until Sunday at #WWETLC! @HEELZiggler & @KalistoWWE win by DQ! #SDLive pic.twitter.com/IDPvwvv19j

— WWE (@WWE) November 30, 2016

American Alpha were interviewed backstage about their match tonight versus Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton. Gable and Jordan stated that they will prove again tonight why they are the best team in the WWE.

Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and Luke Harper were then shown backstage. Orton interrupted Wyatt and questioned Luke Harper. Orton asked Harper if he was going to do what needs to be done tonight against Kane. Harper looked aggravated and Wyatt instructed Harper to go send Kane back to hell. There is obviously some friction between Harper and Orton. I do not believe that Harper is completely sold on Orton joining the Wyatt Family.

"Harper … go send @KaneWWE back to HELL!" – @WWEBrayWyatt #SDLive #WyattFamily pic.twitter.com/GLnJn5MvrR

— WWE (@WWE) November 30, 2016

Carmella came down to the ring for a match but that never happened. Carmella gave a special message to John Cena. Carmella apologized for what she will do to his girlfriend, Nikki Bella at TLC. Carmella claimed that she was going to rearranged Nikki’s “Bella twins” and her face as well. Nikki Bella came sprinting from backstage and attacked Carmella. The referee seperated them and that allowed Carmella to haul off and slap Nikki in the face. Nikki then got up and continued the assault on Carmella.

"@JohnCena, I want to publicly apologize for what I'm going to do to your girlfriend [at #WWETLC]." – @CarmellaWWE #SDLive pic.twitter.com/lNqKBBw8PB

— WWE (@WWE) November 30, 2016

Ambrose Asylum w/ Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose introduced James Ellsworth as his first guest on the Ambrose Asylum. An “Ellsworth!” chant broke out amongst the crowd. Ambrose poked fun at Ellsworth’s old wrestling boots. Ellsworth thanked Ambrose for helping him become an official WWE Superstar. Ellsworth stated that if Ambrose ever needed anything he would do it. Ambrose asked Ellsworth to wash his car, do his laundry and pick him up a six-pack and some candy for later.

Ambrose asked Ellsworth who he will be rooting for this Sunday at TLC. Ellsworth stated that it would be an honor to wrestle Dean Ambrose for the WWE World Championship. AJ Styles interrupted the party and stood on the announce table. Styles poked fun at Ellsworth and called him a dummy. Ambrose stated that Styles had then lost to a dummy three times.

Styles got in the ring and claimed that he was tired of Ambrose making him out to be a joke. Styles demanded respect and claimed that he was going to beat the hell out of Ambrose at TLC. Styles dared Ellsworth to show up during his match againt Ambrose at TLC. Ambrose claimed that Styles was weak mentally. Ambrose stated that this Sunday the fun and games were over. Ambrose went on to state that he will recapture the WWE World Championship at TLC.

Styles pushed Ellsworth into Ambrose who fell into a ladder. AJ then whipped Ellsworth into a table and smashed Dean Ambrose with the steel steps. Styles returned to the ring and beatdown Ellsworth. Styles hit Ellsworth with a ladder and then tossed him out of the ring. Ellsworth’s feet got caught up in the bottom rope and Styles hit him with a steel chair. AJ then hit the Styles Clash on Ellsworth off of the steps onto the floor outside the ring.

Reaction: Finally, Styles got the upper hand on Ellsworth and Ambrose. I find Ellsworth to be very entertaining but I’m not really interested in seeing him in the WWE World Championship picture. Having said that, this was a very good promo. There has only been one match in the first hour and fifteen minutes of tonight’s Smackdown. Usually that would annoy me but tonight’s promos have all ended in brawls.

"@AJStylesOrg has just delivered the MOTHER OF ALL #StylesClashes to @RealEllsworth!" – @MauroRanallo#SDLive #WWETLC pic.twitter.com/KKihIY7zO4

— WWE (@WWE) November 30, 2016

Luke Harper vs Kane

Kane and Harper tied up to begin the match. Kane shoved Harper down and Harper got back up and they locked up again. Harper bounced off of the ropes and hit a couple of shoulder blocks but Kane was not phased. Kane then leveled Harper. Luke Harper got back up and hit Kane with a series of uppercuts. Kane once again shrugged them off and came right back at Harper. Smackdown went to a commercial break with Luke Harper outside the ring with a shocked look on his face.

When Smackdown returned, Harper was in control of the match and had a Chinlock applied to Kane in the center of the ring. Kane battled out of the Chinlock and hit a Jawbreaker. Kane went for a Chokeslam but Harper blocked it and kicked Kane in the head. Harper went for a pinfall but Kane kicked out at two. Kane fought back and connected with a DDT on Harper. Kane followed it up with a Sidewalk Slam and went for a pin but Harper kicked out. Harper battled back and hit Kane with a Dropkick to the ribs. Kane was affected and hunched over in the corner. Harper leaped on him twice and connected with a couple of shots to the ribs. Harper then then climbed to the second turnbuckle and hit Kane with a couple of punches.

Kane fought out of the corner by hitting a Powerbomb on Harper. Kane once again went for the Chokeslam but Harper grabbed the rope. Harper connected with a Sidewalk Slam of his own but Kane kicked out once again. Kane slammed Harper to the mat and climbed to the top rope. Kane went for a Clothesline off of the top rope but Harper ducked it and drilled Kane with a Superkick. Kane once again powered out of the pinfall at two. Harper then climbed to the top rope but Kane got up and punched him in the face. Kane then joined Harper on the turnbuckle and connected with a massive Superplex to Harper.

Both men slowly got back to their feet and began to trade punches. Kane blocked a punch by Harper and grabbed his throat. Kane then connected with a Chokeslam and picked up the victory.

Winner: Kane

Reaction: When you think of Kane versus Luke Harper it doesn’t sound like it would be a good match. This match was actually quite good. The announcers made a comment after the match that Bray Wyatt will not be happy with Luke Harper following this loss to Kane. I’m intrigued with the Wyatt Family storyline right now. It appears that Harper may be on his way out and Orton will be replacing him. I’m curious if this will wind up with Orton turning his back on Bray after he has already destroyed the Wyatt Family from the inside. I do not really know where they are going with this and that is a good thing. Luke Harper has always been one of the more underrated Superstars on the roster. I wouldn’t mind seeing him in the Intercontinental Championship picture and having a single’s run of his own. Harper can work well with almost any male Superstar on the Smackdown roster. I think if you put him up against someone like Baron Corbin they would put on some very physical and entertaining matches.

#CHOKESLAM by @KaneWWE!!! ONE TWO THREE!! #SDLive @LukeHarperWWE pic.twitter.com/46nPuNNTqZ

— WWE (@WWE) November 30, 2016

Smackdown Tag Team #1 Contenders Match: Randy Orton & Bray Wyatt vs American Alpha

Randy Orton and Jason Jordan started out the match. Jordan went on the offensive to start things off. The WWE cut to Slater and Rhyno watching the match from backstage. This was humorous because the television screen they were watching was black for a second and essentially Slater and Rhyno were staring at nothing.

Bray Wyatt entered the match and Jordan went to jump onto him but Wyatt ducked and Jordan went flying into the ropes. Bray tagged in Orton and he continued the assault on Jordan. Gable tagged himself in and immediately connected with a Crossbody off the top rope on Orton. Gable climbed to the top rope again but Wyatt knocked him to the outside of the ring and Smackdown went to a commercial break.

When Smackdown returned, Wyatt and Gable were in the ring. Wyatt hit Gable with a DDT on the ring apron. Wyatt then went for a pin but Gable kicked out at two. Orton then entered the match and applied a Chinlock to Gable. Orton hit a Powerslam on Gable and once again went for a pinfall but it was unsuccessful. Orton tagged in Wyatt and Gable connected with a Dropkick then sent Bray to the mat. Gable tried to tag in Jordan but Bray got up and punched Jordan off of the ring apron.

Bray mounted Gable on the mat and punched him in the face several times. Orton was tagged back in and propped Gable up on the top rope. Orton connected with a Superplex on Gable. Jason Jordan and Bray Wyatt were then tagged in. Jordan leveled Wyatt with an overhead Belly to Belly Suplex. Chad Gable hit Orton with a Cannonball off of the ring apron. Back in the ring, Jordan hit a German Suplex on Bray Wyatt.

The lights then went out and Luke Harper was ringside. Bray went for the Sister Abigail but Gable prevented it. American Alpha then went for the Grand Amplitude but Orton hit Gable with an RKO out of nowhere. Jordan went to hit Bray with a Spear but Harper pulled Bray out of the way. Wyatt then hit the Sister Abigail on Jordan for the victory. Wyatt and Orton will now face Slater and Rhyno at TLC this Sunday. Slater and Rhyno were interviewed backstage but AJ Styles interrupted. Styles stated that nobody cared about the Tag Team titles. Ambrose then appeared out of nowhere and attacked Styles and Smackdown went off the air.

Reaction: This was a very solid match to close out a good episode of Smackdown. It appears that Harper and Orton are back to getting along for now. Tonight’s episode was promo-heavy but they all were effective. TLC is shaping up to be an exciting show and I cannot wait to watch it on Sunday.

Winners & #1 Contenders For The Smackdown Tag Team Championships: Randy Orton & Bray Wyatt

#SisterAbigail!! The #WyattFamily is going to #WWETLC to face @HeathSlaterOMRB and @Rhyno313!! #1Contender pic.twitter.com/telCi0c0T9

— WWE (@WWE) November 30, 2016

205 Live (11/29)

Austin Aries and Corey Graves joined Mauro Ranallo on commentary. All of the Superstars on 205 Live were on the entrance ramp and they were introduced to the WWE Universe. A vignette for the Bollywood Boyz was then shown.

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/803797913251917824

Bollywood Boyz vs Drew Gulak & Tony Nese

Harv and Gurv Sihra started out the match on the offensive. Tony Nese was laid out by both of them but was able battle back and tag in Gulak. For the next few minutes, Gulak dominated the match. Nese was tagged back in and he continued the assault on the Bollywood Boyz. Gulak got back into the match and maintained control of the match.

Nese got back in the match and he applied a Chinlock to one of the Bollywood Boyz. Harv battled out of the Chinlock and connected with a Neckbreaker. Harv tagged in Gurv and he hut Gulak with several chops and a kick to the face. The Bollywood Boyz hit a double Superkick on Drew Gulak for the pinfall victory.

Winners: The Bollywood Boyz

Reaction: Not the best way to start off the debut episode of 205 Live. There were some cool spots in this match but overall it was very clunky.

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/803800282756878338

TJ Perkins and Brian Kendrick had a confrontation. Perkins stated that he is still owed a rematch and that he wants Kendrick to retain the Cruiserweight Championship tonight. Perkins wants Kendrick to keep the belt so he can get his rematch and take the title away from him.

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/803801771600580608

Ariya Daivari vs Jack Gallagher

Gallagher started out this match extremely cocky and applied a few submission holds to Daivari while posing for the crowd. Daivari battled back and but Gallagher escaped his Headlock. Gallagher did a handstand on the top turnbuckle and then took Daivari down. Gallagher then tied Daivari up in a knot in the center of the ring and taunted him from the corner. Gallagher then hit him with a running kick and Daivari escaped the knot.

Daivari connected with a Neckbreaker on Gallagher and slapped him in the face a couple of times. Daivari applied a Chinlock but Gallagher fought out of it and connected with a couple of Dropkicks. Gallagher then headbutted Daivari and hit him with a Dropkick in the corner for the victory.

Winner: Jack Gallagher

Reaction: This match was bizarre and entertaining. Jack Gallagher may look ridiculous but he is fun to watch. The main positive to take from this match is that Gallagher was able to get the crowd into it. That is something that has escaped the Cruiserweight division when it is featured on Monday Night Raw.

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/803803266274369537

Cruiserweight Championship Match: Brian Kendrick (c) vs Rich Swann

Kendrick started off the match in control. Swann battled back and hit a Dropkick. Kendrick kicked out of a pinfall and Swann applied a Chinlock. Kendrick reversed the Chinlock into a German Suplex. Kendrick attacked Swann in the corner but Swann fought back and connected with several chops to the chest of Kendrick.

Swann landed a Tiger Bomb on Kendrick and Kendrick rolled out of the ring. Swann followed him out of the ring and hit a Summersault Clothesline off of the barricade. The action returned to the ring and Kendrick connected with another German Suplex. Kendrick then hit a Neckbreaker and Swann’s head hit the top turnbuckle. Swann then fell out of the ring and to the floor.

Swann was able to get back in the ring before the referee counted him out. Kendrick immediately hit him with a Suplex. Kendrick went for the Captain’s Hook but Swann blocked it. Swann then connected with a Michinoku Driver on Kendrick. Swann followed it up with a kick to the face of Kendrick. Swann went for the Standing 450 but Kendrick got his knees up and then locked in the Captain’s Hook.

Swann was able to reach the bottom rope and the crowd cheered him on. Both men were on the top turnbuckle and Kendrick bit Swann’s wrist and hit Sliced Bread. Swann kicked out and the crowd started to chant “this is awesome!”. Swannt connected with three spinning heel kicks in a row and pinned Kendrick for the victory.

After the match, Swann thanked his mother that has passed away and dedicated the match to her. Kendrick was also interviewed on the entrance ramp. Kendrick blamed the loss on TJ Perkins for playing mind games with him earlier in the night. Kendrick also stated that the WWE Universe should not get used to Swann as the Cruiserweight Champion. Kendrick vowed to get his title back and walked away.

Winner & New Cruiserweight Champion: Rich Swann

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/803809979639558144

Reaction: 205 Live started off slow but picked up momentum and wound up being a pretty decent show. I thought the match between Kendrick and Swann was very good. I hope that the Cruiserweight division gets some more time on Monday Night Raw as a result of this show but I doubt that will be the case. Overall, both Smackdown and 205 Live were good shows tonight.

What did you think of this week’s episodes of Smackdown and 205 Live? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

– NXT taped the following matches before SmackDown hit the air on Tuesday night in Ottawa: Eric Young vs. No Way Jose, NXT Women’s Champion Asuka vs. local wrestler Nichole Matthews and Tye Dillinger vs. NXT Champion Samoa Joe.

– After SmackDown ended, WWE taped Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi for this week’s Main Event episode.

– The dark main event to close the show saw Kane and Dean Ambrose defeat Luke Harper and Bray Wyatt with a chokeslam and Dirty Deeds. That match took place after the Main Event taping.

– Below are backstage SmackDown Fallout videos from last night with SmackDown Tag Team Champions Rhyno & Heath Slater vowing to fight the #1 contenders no matter who wins between The Wyatts vs. American Alpha next week, and WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz adding another notch to his IC Reunion Tour:

Kane and The Undertaker reunited after last night’s WWE SmackDown 900 went off the air. After The Deadman made his exit following the main event segment, Kane’s pyro went off and he joined Taker on the stage.

• Update On The Undertaker’s WWE Future

The Brothers of Destruction posed together before leaving to end the cool moment for the live crowd.

After the show , undertaker / Kane 😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/WLJafiSHqc

— Vick🙏💪🏻 (@lebronvick45) November 16, 2016

Former WWE World Champion Kane was recently in UK and spoke to Top Rope Press about his longevity in the business and WWE’s current programming. Kane, who has been with WWE since 1995, says the key to longevity in the wrestling business is reinventing your character.

“If you look at guys like Shawn Michaels, HHH and The Undertaker, the reason why they are around so long is because they keep things interesting and hopefully I have been able to do it as well,” Kane said. “A lot of it is because of being open to change. […] Especially if you see the Team Hell No stuff I did with Daniel Bryan, it’s a significant departure from when I first started.”

Kane is currently a member of the SmackDown roster, and noted that he prefers the two-hour show to RAW’s three hours. He feels the brand split has helped SmackDown the most, and that fans have been very receptive to the split.

“I like the two hour format much better than the three hour format,” he said. “I think it’s incredibly hard to produce that sort of content every week. I think Raw has a disadvantage being a three hour show as opposed to SmackDown. In that respect, SmackDown is going places where it was not able to go in the earlier years.”

You can watch Kane’s entire interview here.

Becky Lynch will be returning to action earlier earlier than expected.  The SmackDown Women’s Champion has been out dealing with an undisclosed health issue, but WWE is now advertising her for Tuesday’s SmackDown in Green Bay. Lynch posted this photo last week of what appears to be a cross-fit workout, so whatever she was dealing with is no longer preventing her from engaging in physical activity.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLpMQ0tByAf/?taken-by=beckylynchwwe

Also added to Tuesday’s tapings is Bray Wyatt vs. Kane in a No DQ match. As announced last week, the show will feature WWE World Champion AJ Styles vs. Dean Ambrose in a non-title match. If Ambrose wins, he’ll be the #1 contender.

One of the oldest tricks in pro wrestling is hiding a wrestler under the ring. WWE used this effect during the Randy Orton & Kane vs. Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper tag match Tuesday’s SmackDown. During the match the lights cut out, and when they came back on Kane had disappeared from the ring apron.

We received several live reports from sharp-eyed fans who were in attendance at SmackDown who noted that Kane didn’t stay hidden under the ring very long. Fans in attendance noted that after SmackDown went off the air, the lights in the arena went out again for several seconds. During this time, Kane rolled out from under the ring and ran to the back. It’s unknown if WWE will continue a storyline based on Kane’s disappearance during the match.

The lights came back on as Kane was arriving in the back, and WWE taped an episode of Main Event after SmackDown.

– WWE taped The Shining Stars vs. two local jobbers and Darren Young vs. Jinder Mahal last night for this week’s Superstars episode.

– Tonight’s WWE SmackDown will feature the fallout from No Mercy plus Randy Orton and Kane vs. Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper.

– Below are backstage RAW videos with Titus O’Neil and Dana Brooke. Following her beatdown on Bayley, Dana says playtime is over because playtime is for kids and that’s exactly what Bayley is, a kid.

Titus tries to hold another “Titus Brand” press conference to address his loss to R-Truth but only Tom Phillips shows up and he has more technical difficulties.

– WWE taped Apollo Crews vs. Tyler Breeze and Kane vs. Baron Corbin last night in Cleveland to air on this week’s Superstars episode.

– Randy Orton and Dolph Ziggler defeated Bray Wyatt and WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz in the dark main event after last night’s SmackDown went off the air.

– While he wasn’t able to compete on this week’s RAW due to a rib injury, Seth Rollins says he will be back next Monday night and will be ready to fight. Rollins tweeted the following on next week’s RAW from LA:

Wrestling hurts, but that's part of the price paid to live in dreams. Crushed ribs or not, I'll be in LA for #Raw next week..ready to fight.

— Seth Rollins (@WWERollins) September 28, 2016

– WWE Total Divas is filming a lot of footage for next season in New York City during SummerSlam weekend. Paige was featured prominently until news of her suspension broke. Next season will reportedly focus on Paige’s rehab and return to wrestling.

– WWE was on hand at the New York Stock Exchange this Friday, as Kane, Big Show, and Intercontinental Champion the Miz rang the closing bell. Below are photos courtesy of the Big Show:

THAT was really cool! Ringing the closing bell at the @NYSE with @KaneWWE and @mikethemiz to celebrate #SummerSlam pic.twitter.com/askvADjlj2

— Paul Wight (@PaulWight) August 19, 2016

– Below is the first part of Finn Balor’s multi-part SummerSlam Diary. Cameras will follow the “Demon King” around New York this weekend as he prepares for his Universal Championship match against Seth Rollins.

– This week’s WWE Power Rankings were headed up by WWE World Heavyweight Champion Dean Ambrose at #1, and finished with AJ Styles at #20:

– Indicating a possible WWE Cruiserweight Classic signing, the company recently applied to trademark the name Gran Metalik.

– WWE taped Kane vs. local wrestler Ricky Starks and Rhyno vs. Baron Corbin tonight in Austin, TX for this week’s Main Event episode.

– Konnor and Viktor say that they are a new version of The Ascension to go with the new era on SmackDown. They cut this promo for tonight’s SmackDown:

EXCLUSIVE: Witness the rise of the NEW Ascension TONIGHT on @WWE #SDLIVE! @KonnorWWE @ViktorRiseWWE https://t.co/CVuqaCts9p

— WWE (@WWE) August 16, 2016

– The dark match before Tuesday’s WWE SmackDown saw Kane defeat indie wrestler John Skyler.

– Fort Minor’s “Welcome” song has been chosen as one of the theme songs for this year’s WWE SummerSlam.

– The following matches and segments are scheduled for tonight’s NXT on the WWE Network:

• The debut of Bobby Roode
• Hideo Itami vs. Sean Maluta
• Asuka vs. Aliyah
• Dash and Dawson vs. TM-61
• Mojo Rawley vs. Chris Atkins

Glenn “Kane” Jacobs says he’s still eyeing a possible career in politics.

Back in May, Jacobs said he was “seriously considering” running as a Republican for the Knox County mayoral seat in 2018, now he says he think the country may be ready for him. In a new interview with Rare.us, Jacobs says being an outsider may be an advantage.

“I’d always hesitated before because I never thought the timing was right for someone like me, because I am an outsider,” he said. “Now, I think the country is so ready for a change at this point that being an outsider actually plays to my or anyone else in my position’s advantage. There are a lot of people in Washington, D.C., who have a lot of experience, and because of that, we’re 20 trillion dollars in debt.

“Maybe we need fresh blood and new perspective,” he theorized. “I think that’s maybe what people are looking for.”

Jacobs says politics divides people into tribes, and that he thinks people with opposing views should communicate better with each other.

“To me, the American dream is the ability to create the life that you want. If we can get back to that, that the American dream is the opportunity, the ability to create the life that you want so long as you’re not hurting anyone else, to live that life…if someone could come along with that message, it’d be awesome.”

More than one group attempted to recruit Jacobs to run for Tennessee senator in 2014 against Lamar Alexander.

Jacobs is currently on the road with WWE and recently starred in the WWE Studios film Countdown, released in April.

– The official website for independent presidential candidates Gary Johnson and William Weld have both Kane and Sean “X-Pac” Waltman listed as celebrity endorsements.

– TMZ reports that Sunny has contacted the producers of reality show “Botched” as she looks to get her nose repaired. Sunny told TMZ that her nose has been broken nine times and years ago, after the third break, she had surgery but now it’s worse. Her nose is so bad that there’s “nasty scar tissue build up” that has caused “weird bumps” on the bridge of her nose. She also mentioned possibly getting liposuction because of belly issues she’s had since having surgery for cervical cancer.

– It’s now confirmed that Simon Gotch was given time off due to the backstage fight at SmackDown with Sin Cara. As noted, Cara pretty much destroyed Gotch in the one-sided fight from last Tuesday afternoon. PWInsider reports that Gotch is not scheduled for this week’s WWE TV tapings but he’s set to return to the road next week.

– The latest WWE Fury video looks at Roman Reigns’ 20 strongest Superman Punches:

Kane, who will turn 50-years-old next spring, is not thinking about retiring at this point.

“Not really. It’s still fun,” he said when asked about the subject during an appearance on the Like Father, Like Son podcast.

“I have a lot of fun now with the younger guys and just being in the position that I’m in, as more of a mentor at times. I’ve also been very fortunate that I haven’t had many injuries, so my body still feels good. I can’t say it feels as good as it did when I was 25, but it still feels good and I can still do most of the things that I used to be able to do. And I still think that I perform at a high level, even when I’m in there literally against guys that are half my age sometimes. I think they still have to keep up with me.”

He also offered his thoughts on Brock Lesnar fighting at UFC 200.

“I think that’s good for both brands, frankly. Brock Lesnar is one of those guys, like The Rock has done in movies,” said Kane. “Brock has done the same thing in UFC and MMA. He has transcended WWE and that sport, and I think he helps bring UFC and MMA fans into WWE, and vice versa. So anytime someone has crossover appeal like that, I think it’s good for everybody.”

Other topics discussed include Shane McMahon’s return to WWE, Shaquille O’Neal wrestling in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, the upcoming brand extension, various characters he has portrayed (Christmas Creature, Isaac Yankem, DDS and Diesel), working with The Undertaker over the years, his various masks, and more. You can check out the interview here.

• Vince McMahon’s plans for Roman Reigns’ character when he returns

https://youtu.be/s_VgjcitzxY

Nashville-based model and branding specialist McKenszie Mitchell is now handling the weekly Impact Breakview segment, looking back on this week’s episode.

Following Impact, here’s the final card for Sunday’s Slammiversary PPV:

• TNA Champion Drew Galloway vs. Bobby Lashley (Submission or KO only)
• Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy (Full Metal Mayhem)
• Knockouts Champion Jade vs. Sienna
• Tag Team Champions The Decay vs. The Bromans
• X-Division Champion Trevor Lee vs. Eddie Edwards vs. DJ Zema vs. Andrew Everett
• King of the Mountain champion Eli Drake vs. Bram
• Mike Bennett vs. EC3
• Maria Kanellis vs. Gail Kim
• Grado & Mahabali Shera vs. The Tribunal (with Al Snow)

Kane told WBIR NBC in Knoxville, TN that he’s seriously considering a run for the Knox County mayoral seat in 2018. He will decide towards the end of the year after the presidential election. Kane noted that he would run as a Republican.

The job would earn about $170,00 each year. Kane would oversee around 1,000 employees and a $750 million budget if he were elected.

Kane commented on his political philosophy:

“What I’ve seen in Knox County the past several years is that taxes have remained low because it’s a great place to live. People move here and that helps expands the tax base. My political philosophy is the ‘smaller the better. Government should stay out of the way and let free enterprise do what it does best.”

– WWE stock closed at $17.43 per share today, up 2.17% after the First Quarter financial results.

– Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, Mark Henry, Kane and Big Show were reportedly not brought to WWE TV tapings this week but they did work weekend live events, according to PWInsider. Sheamus mentioned on Twitter yesterday that he was given the day off.

– Rosa Mendes has penned a blog about being a new mother for WWE.com.

– John Cena co-hosted NBC’s Today show again this morning. He’ll be back on Friday.

Thanks @TODAYshow ! Headed now to #InvictusGames but will be back Friday. Any requests for suit color choice? (Unleash interweb humor here)

— John Cena (@JohnCena) May 10, 2016

– The Third-Edition of the WWE Encyclopedia will be released on 10/24, with several of the biggest Superstars in history are featured on the cover. Noticeable omissions include Hulk Hogan and Triple H.

https://twitter.com/SullivanBooks/status/729839846064328704