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What's the story?
Well, it's been said for a while that we may be seeing the last few glimpses of Kane in a WWE ring as The Big Red Machine looks to transition into the role of Mayor of Knox County.
Well, on a recent episode of Talk Is Jericho where Y2J spoke to Glenn Jacobs about his mayoral campaign, Kane revealed whether he would still wrestle if elected and the potential cut-off date for his final WWE appearance.
In case you didn't know...
Kane made his return to the squared circle this weekend at two live events - facing Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar respectively. The former in an eight-minute match, the latter lasting just 35 seconds.
The Big Red Machine was recently written off TV the night after the Royal Rumble at the hands of The Monster Among Men during a Last Man Standing Match when Braun Strowman toppled part of the stage and commentary table on top of Kane.
It had been reported that Kane was taken to a nearby hospital but had left on his own accord and was essentially missing.
The heart of the matter
Well, Kane recently appeared on Talk Is Jericho to speak with Chris Jericho about his mayoral campaign in a live special recorded in Knoxville.
Jacobs was asked about his wrestling future and whether he could continue to wrestle if he becomes mayor, with The Big Red Machine revealing that he will be hanging up his boots if he is successfully elected.
"No, I can't. Mayor is a full time job and I would direct all my attention to that."
Chris Jericho asked if it was a legal issue, with Kane stating that he just couldn't split his time as the mayoral role is his priority.
What's next?
Well, the primary election will be in May with the general election taking place in August. I'd expect that the May deadline may also double up as a deadline for Kane's final WWE appearance.
If not, then August most certainly would be if the voting goes his way, depending on whether The Big Red Machine allows for an overlap to say his final farewell to the WWE Universe. One thing is for sure, we definitely won't be seeing a lot of Kane in the meantime as he juggles WWE Live events and his mayoral campaign, which he'll no doubt be ramping up to stand himself in good stead for success.
Author's take
This is quite a tough one. I personally love Kane and I think it's always great to see him back on WWE television, but he sounds really invested in the role of mayor and I wish him the best of success.
Kane isn't quite in the shape he was ten or twenty years ago, but The Big Red Machine is still a huge crowd favourite and highly regarded among peers - so I do hope he gets one last big send-off if he is successful. The ambiguity lies in the uncertainty of him being elected. It may be tough to give him a send-off then for Kane to return if he does continue wrestling if he were unsuccessful.
Either way, it's probably best to cherish whatever Kane appearances we see from now on, as there's a very good chance we won't be seeing The Big Red Machine on WWE television for too much longer.
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