Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs (born April 26, 1967), better known by his ring name Kane, is an American politician and professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 1995 and was inducted into the 2021 class of the WWE Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was elected as the Republican Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. In 2022, he won a second term as Mayor.
Kane
American
2
7 ft 0 in (213 cm)[4]
323 lb (147 kg)[4]
Decatur, Illinois
(as Isaac Yankem, DDS)[5]
1992[6]
Jacobs began his professional wrestling career on the independent circuit in 1992, wrestling in promotions such as Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) and the United States Wrestling Association (USWA), before joining the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1995.[8] Jacobs played various characters until 1997, when he was repackaged as the masked wrestler Kane, a horror-themed personification of fire and the juggernaut younger half-brother of The Undertaker and son of Paul Bearer. This "hellfire and brimstone" gimmick was rooted in acts of arson by The Undertaker as part of their characters' backstory.[9] Jacobs would alternatively feud and team with The Undertaker, the latter as the Brothers of Destruction.
Following his WWF debut, Kane remained a pivotal component of the company's "Attitude Era" of the late 1990s and early 2000s, defeating the era's "poster boy"[10] Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWF Championship in his first pay-per-view (PPV) main event at King of the Ring in June 1998. He continued to headline PPV cards through 2018's Crown Jewel, and has appeared in more PPVs than any other performer in WWF/WWE history other than Randy Orton.[11][12]
Within WWE, Kane is a three-time world champion (having held the WWF Championship, ECW Championship and World Heavyweight Championship once each) and a 12-time world tag team champion (having held the World Tag Team Championship, WCW Tag Team Championship and WWE Tag Team Championships with various partners). He is also a two-time Intercontinental Champion and a Money in the Bank winner, as well as the third man to complete WWE's Grand Slam. The last title Kane won was the 24/7 Championship on September 16, 2019, the only title won under his real name.[13] Veteran wrestler Ric Flair described Kane as "the best in the world",[14] while Big Show dubbed him "the best big man ever".[15] Kane holds the record for the most appearances in a Royal Rumble match at 20, as well as the highest cumulative total eliminations at 46.[16]
Outside of professional wrestling, Jacobs has made numerous guest appearances in film and on television, including the lead role in the 2006 WWE Studios production See No Evil and its 2014 sequel. He is also a longtime supporter of libertarian political causes. In March 2017, Jacobs announced that he was running for the mayoral seat of Knox County, Tennessee as a Republican.[17] He won the Republican primary election on May 1, 2018,[18] and the general election on August 2, 2018.[19] He was re-elected as Knox County Mayor on August 4, 2022.[20]
Early life
Jacobs was born in the Spanish town of Torrejón de Ardoz[21][22][23] to a United States Air Force family that was stationed in Spain at the time of his birth.[24] He grew up near St. Louis, Missouri, and attended high school in Bowling Green, Missouri, where he excelled in football and basketball.[25] He went on to earn a degree in English literature at Northeast Missouri State University, where he played both basketball and football.[26]
Personal life
Jacobs has been married to Crystal Maurisa Goins since August 23, 1995. He is the stepfather of Crystal's two daughters,[287] named Arista and Devan, as well as two grandchildren.[288]
Outside of wrestling, Jacobs also works as an insurer[289][290] and he and his wife own an Allstate agency in Knoxville, Tennessee.[291] In a July 2015 interview for Realtor.com, the website of the National Association of Realtors, Jacobs indicated that the couple's obligations to their insurance business led them to place their Jefferson City home up for sale. The home, built in 2005, was an hour's drive from the agency and both Jacobs and his wife eventually grew tired of the commute.[291]