WWE star-turned-mayor issues challenge against Tim Walz
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Glenn Jacobs, known as WWE legend Kane and currently the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, challenged Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to a charity wrestling match. The challenge came after Walz claimed on Gavin Newsom’s podcast that he could “kick most [Trump supporters’] a**” and outrun them, referencing a potential WWE-style fight. Jacobs, a 7-foot, 300-pound former wrestler and Trump supporter, responded on X, proposing a match dubbed “Tennessee Walz,” with gate proceeds split 50/50 between their chosen charities and a $10,000 personal donation to kick it off. Walz has not yet replied.
Walz’s comments were made during a discussion with Newsom about the Democratic Party's struggles post-2024 election loss, where he suggested Trump supporters feared his masculinity as a former football coach and gun owner. Jacobs, a WWE Hall of Famer since 2021, mocked Walz online with memes, including an AI-generated image of Walz in a rainbow leotard, before issuing the formal challenge. The wrestling icon’s last WWE match was in 2021, but he’s leveraging his “Big Red Machine” persona to call out Walz, who stands at 6 feet and has no known combat experience beyond high school coaching.
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The proposed match has drawn attention from conservative circles, with OutKick’s Clay Travis offering $10,000 more for charity if Walz accepts. Jacobs and fellow WWE star The Undertaker previously backed Trump in 2024, contrasting with wrestler Dave Bautista’s support for Walz and Kamala Harris. Walz’s podcast remarks also included a jab at Trump’s team, portraying Democrats as weak, but his boast now faces a real test. No date or venue is set, and Walz’s silence leaves the challenge hanging as of March 21.