Times are strange. Just look around.
So it shouldn’t be that much of a shock that Ted Cruz — a sitting U.S. senator — is doing his best to win a pissing match about wrestling with the actor who played Hellboy.
But still… it’s pretty strange.
It all started with actor Ron Perlman tweeting out an insult of Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, basically calling him ugly.
Now, for those who need a refresher, here’s a quick one. Jordan was a standout wrestler in college and went on to coach at Ohio State, where — according to allegations from a half dozen former wrestlers — he knew about, and ignored, a sexually abusive doctor at the university. Jordan denies he knew about the widespread abuse.
So anyway, when Perlman called Jordan ugly, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz jumped in to challenge the actor to wrestle the former NCAA champion …. for some reason.
Listen Hellboy. You talk good game when you’ve got Hollywood makeup & stuntmen. But I’ll bet $10k—to the nonpolitical charity of your choice—that you couldn’t last 5 min in the wrestling ring w/ @Jim_Jordan w/o getting pinned. You up for it? Or does your publicist say too risky? https://t.co/eRerYVe5kj
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 15, 2020
Perlman was quick to shoot back at Cruz, alluding to the allegations against Jordan related to former OSU physician Richard Strauss, who was found to have abused at least 177 wrestlers over multiple decades.
“I tell you what teddy boy, since mentioning jim jordan and wrestling is… problematic, why don’t we say fuck him and just make it you & me,” Perlman wrote on Twitter. “I’ll give 50k to Black Lives Matter and you can keep all the tax payer money you were thinking of spending.”
He also reminded Cruz that the senator didn’t exactly push back against President Donald Trump for cruelly insulting his loved ones.
Wait, is this THEE Ted Cruz? Holy shit man! Is this the same guy let little Donnie call his wife A dog and his father an assassin and now kisses his ass? Yo, can I get your autograph man? https://t.co/6QDwCaEkpv
— Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) June 15, 2020
Amid the global coronavirus pandemic — while representing a state with a record number of new cases — and widespread protests, Cruz seemingly felt it a good use of time to continue this internet spat with an actor.
“I get it, you’re rich. But, apparently, soft,” he wrote to Perlman. “You sure seem scared to wrestle Jordan (whom you keep insulting). Can’t take the heat? Need to get a manicure?”
Predictably, the insults kept coming. Perlman didn’t hold back.
“Teddy, Teddy, what kind of a muthafucka offers to have another guy, probably asleep at the time, kick another guy’s ass?” he posted to Twitter.
At the time of this writing, it appeared Cruz finally walked away from the weird fight and had not responded, but we’ll update this post if he does.