WWE legend Kane is an elected mayor today. From terrorizing his opponents and fans alike with his demonic gimmick, here’s how the 7’0” wrestler won people’s hearts and their votes.
Born Glenn Jacobs, Kane first started pro wrestling in 1992 before making his way to WWE (formerly World Wrestling Federation) on February 20, 1995. ‘The Big Red Machine’ won the WWF Championship, the ECW Championship, and the World Heavyweight Championship before hanging up his boots after the 2021 Royal Rumble. However, he had already set foot into politics back in 2008.
Last year in September, the legend appeared on The Undertaker’s Six Feet Under podcast, where he explained why he chose to join politics after WWE. He noted that working in the company actually helped him plant his feet in the political terrain, since he had to navigate through a lot of internal politics as a wrestler as well.
An advocate of libertarian politics, Kane supported Ron Paul for the presidency in 2008. He even joined the Free State Project, delivering a speech at the 2009 New Hampshire Liberty Forum organized by the body. The WWE legend launched an official campaign to run for the position of mayor in Knox County, Tennessee, in March 2017.
He nicked a candidacy win for the Republican Party by just 23 votes against Knox County commissioner Brad Anders. However, the electi ons saw people heavily voting for him, with Kane winning the position of mayor by almost two-thirds of the total votes on August 2, 2018.
Kane Got Re-elected for a Second Term
Kane had faced Democratic nominee Linda Haney for the 2018 mayor elections of Knox County, winning with over 80,000 votes in the heavily republican leaning state. His tenure saw him manage his county through the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, where he relieved the staff of county offices from wearing masks indoors. He also furloughed several county employees in May 2020.
When the time for the next election arrived, the WWE legend was against labor organizer Debbie Helsley of the Democratic Party. Although he saw a fall in voter share percentage, he retained his mayoral position and got re-elected for a second term on August 5, 2022. According to WATE, after getting re-elected, Kane said:
It’s a continuation of what we’ve done for the first four years — emphasis on education, workforce development. With the global economy moving in the direction of innovation, we have to keep up with that, so a lot of what we’ll be doing is really aligning our workforce and everything we do so that we can be competitive and be a big-time player in the innovation economy.
Kane and his on-screen WWE brother, The Undertaker (Mark Calaway), also supported Donald Trump for the 2024 Presidential elections.
Kane Was Inducted Into the WWE Hall of Fame
Kane has been one of the most consistent wrestlers WWE has ever had. ‘The Big Red Machine’ has had a scary hellfire gimmick that saw him set the ring posts ablaze whenever he arrived. Despite such a strong persona attached to him, Kane always had the versatility to mold himself into another role perfectly well.
The Undertaker was the kayfabe brother of the seven-footer, and according to their lore, ‘The Big Red Machine’ wore a mask to conceal the burn scars on his face. Notably, the fire that scarred him was started by none other than ‘The Phenom.’
While Taker and Kane shared fierce rivalry, they also joined hands to win the WWF Tag Team Championship twice and the WCW Tag Team Championship once. They were also the first duo to simultaneously wield the doubles titles of both companies. Kane also saw himself getting involved in several humorous acts, especially alongside The Rock.
The PG Era saw the former three-time world champion forging an alliance with Daniel Bryan (AEW’s Bryan Danielson). Forming team Hell No, Kane won the tag titles once again in September 2012. He also joined hands with Triple H and became an enforcer of The Authority, where ‘The Game’ and his wife, Stephanie McMahon, concentrated all power in their hands, firing several stars while elevating Seth Rollins.
| S. No. | Title/Achievement | Frequency |
| 1 | WWF Championship | Once |
| 2 | World Heavyweight Championship | Once |
| 3 | ECW Championship | Once |
| 4 | WWF/E Intercontinental Championship | Twice |
| 5 | WWF Hardcore Championship | Once |
| 6 | WWE Tag Team Championship | Twice |
| 7 | World Tag Team Championship | Nine times |
| 8 | WCW Tag Team Championship | Once |
| 9 | Money in the Bank | Once (2010) |
| 10 | WWE 24-7 Championship | Once |
| 11 | WWE Hall of Fame induction | Once (2021) |
On January 31, 2021, Kane entered a wrestling ring for the final time, fighting in the Royal Rumble. The same year, on April 6, WWE inducted him into the Hall of Fame alongside other celebrated legends throughout history.
Do you think that WWE could invite Kane for a cameo appearance like The Rock, The Undertaker, and other greats anytime soon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
