Wrestling ring to political ring: WWE star runs for mayor

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Glenn Jacobs, better known as the towering WWE villain Kane, is stepping into the political ring with a bid for mayor in Tennessee.

Jacobs has filed paperwork naming a campaign treasurer, the first step needed to raise or spend money in an effort to succeed term-limited Knox County mayor Tim Burchett in 2018.

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Tea party groups urged Jacobs to challenge U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander in the Republican primary in 2014, but he ended up deciding against a run.

Jacobs isn't the first professional wrestling star to try his hand at politics in Tennessee. Jerry "The King" Lawler, who is known for his feud with comedian Andy Kaufman in the early 1980s, has made unsuccessful bids to be elected mayor of Memphis.

Associated Press