RING LEADER: WWE wrestling superstar Kane, aka Glenn Jacobs, wins Knox County mayoral race
The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestler Glenn Jacobs, popularly known as Kane, or the "Big Red Machine" is set to become the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. Jacobs won the mayoral race by defeating opponent Linda Haney with nearly twice as many votes on Thursday night, according to reports. Jacobs, 51, a professional wrestler since 1992, has won multiple WWE world championships and has also been involved in Libertarian politics for quite some time now and frequently speaks at various political conference events. Jacobs was also backed by Ron Paul in his 2008 presidential bid.
The famed wrestler said that he considered running for the mayoral seat in 2016, however, he wanted to wait until after the 2016 presidential elections to decide whether he should run or not. In April 2017, Jacobs decided to announce his mayoral bud in Tennessee.
Jacobs, while addressing the crowd at the night of his announcement, said: "Now this is the part where many politicians will stand up here and tell you all the grandiose things that they’re going to do just by snapping their fingers. I’m not going to do that because that would be unrealistic and disingenuous," according to HuffPost.
The wrestler-turned-politician also spoke at length about job creation, reducing taxes and cutting down non-essential government spending.
Jacobs also said that although WWE will always be a part of his life, he will continue to commit to his new role as mayor of Knox County.
"After I am elected mayor, I’ll be mayor. I may still do a few special things [with WWE]," he said. “I’ve done it for 23 years now and have quite a history, it’ll always be part of my life. I think the question is, if I am taking it seriously, and of course I am. I wouldn’t [be running] if not.”
Reports state that Jacobs will officially take over as the mayor of Knox County on September 1.
Wrestler Kane is a former heavyweight champion, and performed inside of the ring under his famous red mask as recently as July 15 at a WWE pay-per-view event in Pittsburgh, according to ESPN.