Which crazy characters did Glenn Jacobs play before becoming Kane?
Kane is one of the greatest characters Vince McMahon has ever created. In his 24-year long career, Kane has given many unforgettable moments to the WWE Universe.
In 1997, WWE introduced The Big Red Machine as The Undertaker's brother. However, Kane managed to get out of the Phenom's shadow and carve out his own legacy. Kane is now all set to be the latest inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame.
However, the Kane character might not have worked so effectively if it hadn't been for Glenn Jacobs. Jacobs is the man who plays Kane on WWE TV. Glenn made his wrestling debut in 1992. He got his big break in 1997, when he donned this mysterious gimmick.
It seems like Glenn was a perfect fit for the pyromaniac character. But did you know that Jacobs wasn't always Kane? In this article, let's take a look at the crazy gimmicks Glenn Jacobs played before turning into the Big Red Machine.
Glenn had multiple gimmicks during 1992-95
Glenn started his wrestling career in 1992. He debuted as "The Angus King" in a St. Louis-based wrestling promotion. Later, Jacobs became The Unabomb and was signed by Smoky Mountain Wrestling.
Jacobs got into a tag team with Al Snow there and captured the SMW Tag Team Championships. In 1993, Glenn appeared in WCW as Bruiser Mastino and faced the company's icon, Sting, in a losing effort.
He also wrestled for the World Wrestling Council (WWC) in Puerto Rico. During an inter-promotional show for SMW, Glenn (as Unabomb) lost to his future brother, The Undertaker.
Jacobs became Issac Yankem, DDS, in 1995
Jacobs made his first televised WWE appearance in 1995 as a wrestling dentist, Issac Yankem, DDS. He aligned himself with Jerry Lawler, who had some ongoing issues with Bret Hart.
Jacobs talked more about his dentist character on Stone Cold Steve Austin's Broken Skull Sessions Podcast. He told the hilarious story of Vince McMahon asking him if he was afraid of dentists.
After getting a no from Jacobs, Vince declared that he would be doing this sinister character. Yankem collided with the Hitman in his in-ring debut. Unfortunately, he lost the bout via count-out. He continued to feud with Hart but never beat him in any of their matches.
Along with Bret Hart, Yankem also faced the likes of Marc Mero, The Undertaker and The Ultimate Warrior. He also participated in the 1996 Royal Rumble Match. However, WWE soon changed their minds and gave Glenn Jacobs a new gimmick.
Jacobs became Fake Diesel in 1996, before turning into Kane
In 1996, Jim Ross introduced Rick Bogner as Fake Razor Ramon and Glenn Jacobs as Fake Diesel. These superstars were part of a highly controversial storyline, created solely to mock the WCW Superstars, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.
Both Hall and Nash left WWE in 1996 after long runs with the company. Before they departed for WCW, both superstars took part in the infamous Curtain Call at Madison Square Garden. WWE management was infuriated by their actions.
So, they decided to defame both the superstars by parodying their previous WWE personas. Thus, WWE chose Bognar and Jacobs for portraying these characters. They operated as a tag team unit. The duo even challenged The British Bulldog and Owen Hart for the Tag Team Championships at the In Your House 12: It's Time pay-per-view.
Jacobs' final televised WWE appearance as Fake Diesel happened at the 1997 Royal Rumble event. He entered the contest at Number 28 before being eliminated by Bret Hart. After that, Glenn disappeared from WWE television and eventually debuted in October as Kane.
Where is Kane these days?
Kane is no longer an active WWE Superstar and wrestles on a part-time basis. He has transitioned into a politician and is currently the incumbent mayor of Knox County. However, he still makes special appearances every now and then.
He recently participated in the 2021 Royal Rumble Match. He eliminated four superstars from the match before getting eliminated by Damian Priest. He also had a brief reunion with his former Tag Team partner Daniel Bryan.
Which of these characters did you like the most? Sound off in the comments section below.