Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has found himself challenged to a wrestling match by none other than WWE Hall of Famer Kane, now known as Knox County, Tennessee Mayor Glenn Jacobs.
The challenge comes after Walz made controversial comments during an appearance on California Governor Gavin Newsom‘s podcast, where he claimed he could “kick the a**es” of most Donald Trump voters.
“You gotta respect people you disagree with. And you can’t just dismiss people,”
Newsom began during their discussion about winning voters back to the Democratic party.
To which Walz responded,
“How do you fight it? I think I could kick most of their a**, I do think that. I know I can outrun them. I don’t know if we’re going to fall into that place where we challenge you to a WWE fight here, type of thing.”
These remarks quickly circulated through conservative circles, eventually catching the attention of Mayor Jacobs, who initially mocked Walz by sharing what appeared to be an AI-generated image of the governor wearing a rainbow leotard in a wrestling ring.
“With that steely stare and chiseled physique, who wouldn’t be intimidated seeing this across the ring from you?”
Jacobs quipped.
But the former wrestling superstar didn’t stop at mockery. On Thursday night, he issued a formal challenge via social media platform X.
“All joking aside, @GovTimWalz, let’s put our money where our mouth is…in a charity wrestling match,” he wrote. “We’ll split the gate 50/50 between our chosen organizations. I’ll kick things off myself with a $10,000 donation. What do you say? #TennesseeWalz #LetsDance.”
Walz, who previously served as Kamala Harris‘s running mate in her presidential campaign, has also faced criticism from Republicans regarding his stance on transgender rights. In April 2023, he signed the ‘Trans Refuge’ bill protecting those seeking and providing gender-affirming care in Minnesota.
More recently, Minnesota has defied President Trump‘s executive order aimed at banning transgender women from women’s sports.
