"Vince fell in love with him night one" - Jim Ross on WWE Superstar who Vince McMahon instantly liked
Jim Ross has revealed what happened when he suggested that Vince McMahon should consider hiring Glenn Jacobs (aka Kane) in the 1990s.
Although Ross is best known for his on-screen work as a commentator, he also had an important role behind the scenes in WWE. The WWE Hall of Famer was responsible for hiring dozens of Superstars in the 1990s and 2000s, which meant he worked closely with Vince McMahon.
Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Ross recalled that Vince McMahon had no clue who Jacobs was after he brought up his name. When the former WWE announcer introduced the future Kane to Vince McMahon, the WWE Chairman “fell in love with him” straight away.
“He [Vince McMahon] said, ‘Well, who does he look like? Who does he remind you of?’ I said, ‘He looks like Sid.’ He’s six [foot] nine, he’s a lot better athlete than Sid was. Sid had the look, the face, you know, but Glenn looked like Sycho Sid. ‘Well, I need to see him.’ That’s when I brought him to TV and Vince fell in love with him night one.”
Jacobs originally performed as two different WWE characters – Dr. Isaac Yankem and Fake Diesel – before he became Kane in 1997.
Vince McMahon’s relationship with Glenn Jacobs
Glenn Jacobs is currently the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, but he still occasionally makes appearances for Vince McMahon’s WWE. His most recent appearance came at Survivor Series 2020 when he featured in The Undertaker’s Final Farewell.
In September 2018, Vince McMahon donated $100,000 on behalf of WWE to the Knoxville Public Safety Foundation after Jacobs became Knox County’s mayor.
Please credit Grilling JR and give a H/T to SK Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.