Mayor Glenn ‘Kane’ Jacobs Delivers Chokeslam at Symposium

Mayor Glenn ‘Kane’ Jacobs Delivers Chokeslam at Symposium
Glenn Jacobs poses as 'Kane' during a promotional event in New Delhi on June 10, 2009 (Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images)

Glenn Jacobs is probably better known for his alter-ego “Kane” from his former WWE wrestling career than for his current position as mayor of Knoxville County, Tenessee—and he decided to do something about it.

It happened on Tuesday, May 7, at the National Association of Sports Commissions Symposium, a gathering of more than a thousand leaders in the sports events industry held at the Knoxville Convention Center. Jacobs had just started his welcome speech, when he was interrupted by someone who appeared to be an event staffer, Knox News reported.

The following altercation ensued: “I’m almost done,” the mayor said. The staffer then gestured Jacobs he should leave the stage.

“You know who I am, right?” Jacobs asked. “Yeah, I’m mayor, but that’s not all.” Then, the lights turned dark and music played. Jacobs fumbled in his bag, reached for his Kane-mask and put it on. He grabbed the staffer by the throat and chokeslammed him through a table conveniently nearby, in a signature move.

“As I was saying,” the mayor continued, as if nothing had happened: “Welcome to Knox County. I hope you have a wonderful time and I expect to see you back here very soon, [with a wink at his victim] or else.”

Even though after his last match in November 2018 Jacobs announced he would henceforth concentrate on politics, in a recently released WWE video he does not exclude making his comeback to the WWE ring in the future.

The video shows some highlights of his career and then shows Jacobs seated in a suit and tie, talking about his office as a fresh county mayor.

“I’ve been in WWE for 24 years at this point and found a great deal of success here, but [I] realize too that all good things must come to an end at some point,” he said, according to Knox News.

“It’s a lot of fun,” he said, speaking about his position as mayor. “You get to meet a lot of different people, see what’s going on in your community and really feel that you have an impact and influence on where your community is headed.”

“You are in a position where you can get things done,” he said. “What also appeals to me; local government is very important because that’s really where the rubber meets the road.”

“There’s a saying in WWE, ‘Never say never,’ and again, I love performing,” he said later in the video.

Jacobs joined the WWE “Crown Jewel” tournament in Saudi Arabia on Nov. 2, 2018, which was a highly controversial move after the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which was allegedly commissioned by the Saudi Arabian government.

WWE thereupon donated $100,000 as part of the agreement to the Knoxville Public Safety Foundation, a foundation that supports first responders and their families after they incur injuries, illnesses, death or another dramatic event.

ntd newsletter icon
Sign up for NTD Daily
What you need to know, summarized in one email.
Stay informed with accurate news you can trust.
By registering for the newsletter, you agree to the Privacy Policy.
Comments