A couple of years ago, 2004 WWE Hall of Famer Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura was interviewed by multi-platform sports-journalist Graham Bensinger.
After Bensinger asked him what he thinks of Vince McMahon, Jesse replied the following:
“I think I have admiration for [Vince McMahon], he’s the P.T. Barnum of the generation. He took Wrestling and made it a household word and took it national, and made himself a billionaire.
Now, is Vince a ruthless billionaire businessman? Yes, but you probably have to be. I bear no grudge against Vince.
When I disagreed with him, I did the proper thing, you go to court. I took him to federal court and beat him, and I have a retirement now.
He has to pay me for every tape I’ve ever been on and as long as he sells them. So quarterly I get a check from him and have since 1991.
I call it my wrestling retirement, I’m the only wrestler in the world that has it, a retirement, even though technically it’s not.
Why do you think he won’t have me back? At the last WrestleMania on my show I got deluged, everybody ‘Jesse, how come they never bring you back to the WrestleManias? They bring back all the other old timers’.
And I told them why. I said, ‘If i go back and Vince tapes it and sells it, he’s gotta pay me royalties. He’s not going to invite me back and have to pay me royalties’. It’s that simple.
So I probably – you never say never – but I probably will never be at a WrestleMania.”
Jesse Ventura is most famously remembered by old school pro wrestling fans for his time as a color commentator in the World Wrestling Federation (1985-1990) alongside either Vince McMahon or Gorilla Monsoon, as well as his time in Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling (1992-1994), where he also provided color commentary next to either Jim Ross or Tony Schiavone.
As a a multifaceted personality, he had also a remarkable career as a colorful and influential Superstar outside professional wrestling as well, as he used to be a Navy SEAL, a Vietnam veteran, and even the Governor of Minnesota. His 1998 election was a major political news story, and during his 1999-2002 term he was one of the most talked about people in America.
Jesse was last seen on WWE TV as the guest host of the November 23rd 2009 episode of Monday Night RAW, where he provided color commentary alongside Vince McMahon, like he did back in the 80s.
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