I'd be a horrible fan if I didn't acknowledge the man behind KANE - the person who makes KANE "work"!

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Meet Glenn Jacobs - no greenhorn when it comes to wrestling and bone jarring athletics ~ hard work, for that matter.  The 6'8" athlete played basketball and football (offensive tackle) at Northeast Missouri State University (Truman University) and was even considered to play for the Chicago Bears - a venture that didn't pan out because management believed a knee injury received in college would inhibit the young Jacobs.  Ah well, pro-football's loss is pro-wrestling's gain!  

Wrestling Career:  Glenn Jacobs hit the wrestling circuit in 1992, and has been entertaining fans the world over ever since.  He trained in Florida, by online wrestling board accounts, at Dean Malenko's wrestling school sometime after graduating and working as a substitute teacher and in a group home for mentally challenged adults. From there he worked with the United States Wrestling Association and Smokey Mountain Wrestling where he was noticed (they really couldn't help BUT notice!) and brought over by Jerry Lawler to the World Wrestling Federation - now World Wrestling Entertainment. 

USWA
Jacobs debuted in 1992 as The Christmas Creature - then, in 1994 moved on to Doomsday - a gimmick of terrifying and destructive proportions.  As Doomsday, Jacobs held the USWA Heavyweight Championship

SMW
In 1995 Unabom (Unabomb) entered the scene. Teaming up with Al Snow, he held the SWM Tag Team Title, feuding with teams such as Tracy Smothers and Tony Anthony and The Rock N Roll Express.  Jacobs cut some pretty hilarious promos during this tag team match up, showing a natural comedic facet to his character as well as controlled brawn.

WWE (WWF)
Isaac Yankem DDS (1995) WWE
Jacobs officially signed with the WWF in 1995 and was brought in as Dr. Isaac Yankem, DDS. At the time, Jerry "The King" Lawler was feuding with Bret Hart and brought in a protégé of sorts, his "dentist", Yankem. Jacobs appeared at SummerSlam 95 and lost to Hart by DQ and in Survivor Series in a "The Royals" vs. "The Dark Side" bout.  "The Royals" consisted of Isaac Yankem, The King Lawler, Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Mable,  - "The Dark Side" . . .  THE UnderTaker, Savio Vega, Henry Godwin and Fatu.   "The Royals" were all eliminated by THE UnderTaker's team, Yankem being the second of the four man "Royals" team ousted.  Yankem entertained wrestling fans for quite some time, battling the likes of Sparky Plugg, Savio Vega and Henry Godwinn, and participating in the 1996 Royal Rumble PPV where he entered at #25 and was eliminated by Shawn Michaels at #27.

Diesel 2 (1996-97) WWE
In mid 1996, the WWF was dealt a bad hand as both Scott Hall (Razor Ramon) and Kevin Nash (Diesel) signed with WCW. Reeling from the loss, the WWF needed to find a way to keep the fans watching their product instead of their number one rivals. They came up with New Razor Ramon (Rick Bodger) and New Diesel (Jacobs). They were supposed to come in and cause an immediate impact but very few fans took them seriously.  Still, they appeared in the 1996 Survivor Series with Farooq, and Vader against Flash Funk, Jimmy Snuka, Savio Vega and Yokozuna - where a Double DQ ended that bout; and against Davey Boy Smith and Owen Hart in the PPV In Your House ~ It's Time.   

Jacobs continued in the New Diesel role until the beginning of 1997, after his Royal Rumble participation where he entered at #23 and was ousted by Bret Hart at #27.  He was appreciative of having a chance to compete in the WWF but a bad gimmick was holding him back. He remained with the WWF but was allowed to compete once again in the USWA where that he lost a "Loser Leaves Town" match against his former partner, New Razor Ramon (Rick Bodger).

Kane (1997-current) WWE
Now one of the most popular stars in the WWE, Jacobs made a huge impact as the heel brother - KANE - of The Undertaker in 1997.  During the summer of 1997, The Undertaker's former manger, Paul Bearer, was trying to find a way to deal with The Man From The Darkside. A storyline was hatched where The Undertaker had a younger brother named Kane. Kane was thought to be killed in a fire that The Undertaker set when he and Kane were children. However, Kane had not only survived, but he was coming to gain revenge on his brother.

For weeks, Paul Bearer had been telling The Undertaker that his younger brother Kane was on his way to the WWF.  In October 1997, while Undertaker and Shawn Michaels were battling in the first ever Hell In A Cell match, Paul Bearer walked down the aisle with a giant of a man wearing a red and black mask and bodysuit. Vince McMahon yelled the words that will never be forgotten by anyone who watched that match: "That's gotta be. . . That's gotta be Kane!" Kane ripped the door off of the cage and stood in mid-ring staring at his "brother" The Undertaker before launching a vicious attack, which started a feud that would be on and off for the next few years.

His impressive debut as KANE seems to have given Glenn Jacobs the ticket he needed to show the world the infinite talent he possess as a top notched athletic entertainer and may go down in the annals of wrestling history as on of the top "big men" to ever compete.  As KANE, Jacobs has enjoyed success at earning numerous Championships over the years ~

WWE World Heavyweight Champion (1)
WWE & WCW Tag Team Champion (9)
WWE Intercontinental Champion (2)
WWE Hardcore Champion (1)

Points of interest - Glenn Jacobs was born April 26th, 1967 in Madrid Spain where his father was stationed at the time in the Armed Forces.  Raised in the "Show Me State" of Missouri, KANE's true Keeper makes Tennessee his home now, with his wife of many years and their two daughters.  Some of his current interests - aside from keeping his body fit and muscular - include reading, video gaming and paintball sessions. 

KANE remained an extremely successful masked wrestler from his debut in October of 1997 to June of 2003, flat out laying to rest previous claims that masked wrestlers never succeed at getting over with wrestling fans.  Indeed, to this day, Glenn Jacobs' KANE has a very strong and loyal fanbase.

By his track record, Glenn Jacobs seems to have a profound love for his career which shows in all his performances.  Dubbed "one of the hardest working wrestlers in professional wrestling", Jacobs has always been willing to put over other stars - with relish. For all his years of experience, he continues to approach the ring and his opponents with a freshness and enthusiasm that is deeply appreciated by his fans.  He brought KANE through years of growth before our eyes, taking him from a silent and tortured soul raging for revenge against a brother he believed scarred and then abandoned him - to a young man spreading his wings in many facets of his life and career - and on to the Towering Titan of Terror we see today.  Suffering a severe Bicep injury early in 2002, Jacobs made sure to keep his fans abreast of his injury recovery and development, making personal appearances when he was fit and giving a few interviews on ByteThis!  Fan reaction to his return to the ring was one of the best I've ever witnessed.  

I've never had the pleasure of meeting this Giant of a Grappler, but by all accounts he's someone you don't forget once you meet him - and graciously accommodating to his fans when at public appearances as KANE.

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