Wrestler Kane contemplating run for mayor in Knox County

Wrestler Kane is contemplating a run for mayor in Knox County, Tennessee, in the near future.

Kane, whose real name is Glenn Jacobs, conducted an interview with WBIR — an NBC affiliate in Knoxville — and stated his interest in running for county mayor in 2018.

“Yes, I’ve talked about it with some folks but there’s nothing too solid yet,” Kane told WBIR 10News. “Mayor Burchett’s term is coming up and I think he’s been really good for Knox County.”

Kane, a 7-foot-tall wrestler who has won 18 total championships in the WWE/WWF realms, says he will wait until after the presidential election later this year to decide whether he will pursue the mayoral seat in Knox County. The longtime East Tennessee resident believes in low taxes and less government interference.

“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,” Kane told WBIR. “People move here and that helps expands the tax base.

“My political philosophy is the ‘smaller the better,” he said. “Government should stay out of the way and let free enterprise do what it does best.”

Though Kane does not have much political experience, he does not see that as a negative. Instead, he spins that well by saying he thinks the citizens are tired of the same old politicians and want a new, outside voice.

Kane still appears at special events for the WWE and participated in WrestleMania32 and the Royal Rumble this year, though he hasn’t been on any WWE programming since WrestleMania.

Kane would not be the first wrestler to go into politics; Jerry Lawlor has run for mayor in his hometown of Memphis, Tenn. in the past, and Jesse Ventura was elected governor in Minnesota.