Jesse Ventura in talks with WWE, cites ‘new direction’ as reason

Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura could be on his way back to wrestling. The WWE Hall of Famer and legendary color commentator recently revealed in an interview with The Vanguard podcast that he is in talks with the company now that the Vince McMahon regime is no more.

“It required them going in this new direction, and I hope you get what I’m saying about the new direction. The direction the company is now going was good enough for Jesse Ventura and the WWE to begin talking again,” said the ex-wrestler.

Following WrestleMania 40, Ventura, who doesn’t talk much about wrestling these days, was quick to go to social media and commend the company for a job well done on such an extravagant event.

“Congratulations to @CodyRhodes and @TripleH,” wrote Ventura. “Let the new era begin. Also, fantastic job to @WWERomanReigns and @TheRock. Without fantastic villains, there would be no outstanding heroes. Epic #WrestleManiaXL weekend.”

Ventura grew to global prominence in the 1980s as a performer for WWE, first as a wrestler. But when a medical condition cut short his in-ring career, Ventura was cast as a color commentator. His outspoken manner and full-fledged support of wrestling’s villains increased his popularity and placed him on a short list of great color commentators, which includes Bobby “The Brain” Heenan.

However, Ventura faced challenges during his time with McMahon’s growing empire. In the early ‘90s, he sued McMahon’s company and won royalties for the use of his likeness on videotapes produced by Titan Sports, the parent company of what was then the World Wrestling Federation. Yet, conflicts emerged even earlier when Ventura sought to improve the industry’s working conditions before WWE’s flagship event.

While speaking with The Vanguard, Ventura recounted a moment before WrestleMania 2 where he urged wrestlers to unionize, highlighting the potential benefits such as improved healthcare and retirement benefits. Despite his efforts, he says McMahon confronted him, leading to Ventura leaving WWE to pursue acting, ultimately joining the Screen Actors Guild for better benefits. Ventura expressed frustration at his colleagues’ reluctance to stand up for themselves, noting that he secured better conditions for himself through the guild while others continued to struggle.

When asked if he thought wrestlers, a notably exploited group, might see further improvements following the ouster of McMahon, Ventura emphasized that the performers need to make that happen.

“That will depend on the wrestlers. Are the wrestlers willing to put their careers on the line? That’s what I did. You saw what happened in my career. Even the great Jesse Ventura was cut loose because I tried.”

Ventura doubts that Paul “Triple H” Levesque, a former wrestler who serves as WWE’s Chief Content Officer, will lead efforts to organize performers since “he’s management now.” But in the case of Ventura, should he return to WWE, it’ll likely be because the terms and conditions are favorable to the former governor.