WWE great Kane to run for mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, in move that could end his wrestling career

Kane, real name Glenn Jacobs, will run for the Republican party

Kane is most famous for the mask he wore when he arrived in the WWE and which returned in 2015 (WWE)

WWE superstar Kane is ready to end his 22-year career as a professional wrestler to run for mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.

Kane, real name Glenn Jacobs, has not been seen in the WWE since November after suffering from injury, with his latest appearance coming in a victory over Baron Corbin on Smackdown.

The 49-year-old has announced his Republican candidacy for Knox County in 2018, which is located east of the city of Nashville, and it will not be his first venture into business outside of the wrestling ring either.

He currently runs an insurance company named Jacobs Insurance Associates, and previously confirmed that he would wait until the outcome of 2016 presidential election before committing to his own campaign.

“Knox County is a great place and we’re so happy and feel so blessed to live here," Jacobs said.

“I want to do my part going forward. It's a great time to live in the county and a great time to live in the South, which is flourishing.

WWE superstar Kane is running to be mayor of Knox County (Getty)

"One of the things we're going to have to figure out in Knox County is how to take advantage of that."

The election is due to take place on 1 May, 2018, but the WWE confirmed that there are still a number of steps for Kane to take before his candidacy is made official.

“Former WWE Champion Kane has filed paperwork with the Knox County Election Commission, which is traditionally a move that predates a candidacy for mayor,” the WWE said. “However, there are still several steps to be taken before he formally enters the political arena.

Kane has spent 22 years in the WWE (Getty)

“The paperwork in question appoints a political treasurer, as reported by NBC’s local Tennessee affiliate. And while that step is typically seen as the starting point of a mayoral run, Kane must first file a nominating petition during the November election cycle to formally run in the May 1, 2018 elections.”

Jacobs joined the WWE in 1995, before being repackaged in 1997 as Kane, the half-brother of the Undertaker. Branded “The Devil’s Favourite Demon”, Kane would both feud and team up with the Undertaker during the first 10 years of his time in the WWE before the Undertaker’s appearances became less regular.

Kane continued to be one of the mainstays of the company though, winning both the World Heavyweight Championship and the WWF Championship, along with 12 tag team titles along with the Undertaker, Mankind, X-Pac, The Hurricane, Rob van Dam, the Big Show and Daniel Bryan.

Kane has been given the approval by the WWE to run for mayor (Getty)

He is not the first WWE superstar to venture into the political world, as Rhyno – real name Terrance Guido Gerin – ran as the Republican primary for the 15th District seat of the Michigan House of Representatives, though he was defeated by Democratic Primary winner Abdullah Hammoud in last November’s general election.