Jesse Ventura credits Vince McMahon for giving his career new life and doesn’t see the WWE owner slowing down — ever.
Sports Illustrated recently spoke with Jesse Ventura ahead of his appearance at ’80s Wrestling Con in New Jersey on May 7, where he will be appearing to raise money for Connor’s Cure. Ventura spoke about linking up with promoter Tommy Fierro for the convention, which is one of his first wrestling-related appearances in several years.
“We’re raising money for a good cause,” Ventura says. “I’m also grateful that I have made it this far. My generation has been disappearing, and doing so at a pretty rapid pace. So I’m grateful to be part of it and I’m excited to attend.”
Ventura also reflected on his days as a commentator with the then-WWF, a role he was pushed into by Vince McMahon after his in-ring days were over due to blood clots in his lungs.
“Vince deserves a little credit for that. I know some people will be shocked to hear me say that, but he does. When I had the health problem and couldn’t wrestle, Vince came up with the idea of putting me on the mic. He wanted to break down another barrier. At that time, Vince was breaking down all the barriers, and there had never been a heel or bad guy on the mic,” Ventura added. “I was out of commission, but Vince doesn’t want you not working, no matter what ails you. So he came up with the idea and asked if I could do color commentating, and I said sure. He deserves the credit for thinking it up—and I’ve always given the man credit, he’s the P.T. Barnum of this generation.”
Ventura noted that he doesn’t follow the current product and hasn’t been back in some time, and he’s at peace with wrestling being in his past.
“I have my share of fond memories,” Ventura says. “For me, it was a long time ago. When I left the wrestling business in the early, early, 1990s, I never looked back. Wrestling, in and of itself, became the past for me very quickly.
Despite that, Ventura says he’s not surprised that McMahon, now 76, is still running the company, and he envisions Vince running things until his last day.
“I had the good fortune of working with Larry King, and Vince is just like Larry King,” Ventura says. “Vince will work until he dies.”
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