Jesse Ventura Explains Why He Might Work With WWE Again
Jesse Ventura has opened up about why he is talking to WWE again after being away from the company for many years.
In the 1980s era of World Wrestling Entertainment, Jesse “The Body” Ventura was known for being a flamboyant wrestler until he retired and became one of the most memorable announcers ever. Ventura was known as the kind of announcer who sided with the heels while going against the babyfaces like Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior and “Macho Man” Randy Savage.
By the early 1990s, Ventura worked for WCW until he decided to leave the business entirely. That worked out well because he had a four-year run as the Governor of Minnesota starting in 1999.
At SummerSlam 1999, Jesse Ventura was a guest referee at the show that took place in Minnesota. Ventura returned as a guest host in 2009, but has mostly moved on from pro wrestling since then.
It was recently revealed that Jesse Ventura was talking to WWE again while stating in an interview that the “direction the company is now going was good enough for Jesse Ventura and the WWE to begin talking again.”
Those comments seemed to be a shot at former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, who was often paired up with Ventura as a commentary team. Vince is no longer a part of the TKO Group that runs WWE due to his reprehensible actions that led to a sex trafficking lawsuit against him, which followed multiple hush-money payments that Vince was involved in as well.
Jesse Ventura Talking To WWE While Admitting He Doesn’t Watch The Product
In an interview with Frank Morano on his podcast, Ventura confirmed talking to WWE while adding it would likely be a Legends Deal.
“I am back negotiating with them. We’re in talks right now. I have contracts with my attorney right now with the WWE.”
“They want to bring me back under their Legends [deal]. If you go back to WrestleMania 1, there aren’t too many of us alive anymore. It is true. Look, Roddy’s gone, Orndorff’s gone, Andre’s gone, John Studd’s gone. … Junkyard Dog’s gone. You have more gone. It goes on and on.”
As he continued, Ventura admitted he doesn’t watch WWE anymore.
“I’m getting older. I’m in my 70s now. I just want to open up the door at the end of the wrestling career and see what’s still left there. And it ain’t like I’m going to go back on the mic because, I’ll be honest with you, I don’t even know who wrestles there anymore.”
Regarding Vince McMahon, Ventura didn’t offer many comments about the allegations against his former WWE boss.
“People change, people who knows.”
The discussion continued by stating that the direction WWE is going in post-Vince McMahon are clearly a factor in terms of why he is talking to the company again.
“I can only say [negotiations] happened because of the change in direction of the company.”
Jesse Ventura was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004.