Glenn Jacobs' masked Kane character was one of WWE's most featured stars in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In a recent podcast appearance, the wrestling legend opened up about the time he finally unmasked.
On June 23, 2003, Kane was forced to remove his mask after losing against Triple H on RAW. The booking decision divided opinion at the time, with many believing he should have continued wearing the mask.
Jacobs appeared on the latest episode of The Undertaker's Six Feet Under w/Mark Calaway podcast. Asked if he wished the mask never came off, The Big Red Machine said he and then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon agreed he should unmask:
"No, because the thing is, I felt that I had gone as far as I could with the mask," Jacobs stated. "It had actually become a limitation at that point. The two people that wanted to do it were me and Vince. We were the ones that actually wanted to take the mask off." [1:08:50 – 1:09:08]
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After his unmasking, Jacobs' Kane persona wrestled with and without his face being covered up for the next 15 years. In 2018, the veteran superstar stopped performing full-time after becoming the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.
How Glenn Jacobs felt about wearing a mask as Kane
Several WWE legends wrestled under a mask, including current RAW star Rey Mysterio and Mick Foley when he performed as Mankind.
Glenn Jacobs had no problem wearing a mask and felt that the face covering added to the mystery surrounding his character:
"It never really bothered me. I got used to it. The only issue I had was my extreme peripheral vision was cut down a little bit but not bad. Again, the character-driven part of it, the mystique that that added to it was very unique, obviously, and it just made the character." [1:06:54 – 1:07:14]
Jacobs also disclosed details about a worrying WWE moment that left him unable to walk and requiring hospital treatment.
Do you think Glenn Jacobs should have always worn a mask as Kane? Hit the discuss button and let us know.
Please credit Six Feet Under w/Mark Calaway and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.