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When Jesse Ventura returned to WWE to call his first Saturday Night's Main Event in 40 years live at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, it felt like a real full-circle moment for professional wrestling.
One of the true greats of the WWF era, Ventura dazzled fans with his quick wit and incredible banter, but feuds with management – read: Vince McMahon – led to all sorts of pursuits outside of the squared circle, from accuracy to acting and even a stint as the governor of Minnesota.
How did it feel to be back in WWE all these years later under a new regime with all new Superstars in the ring? Well, Ventura took to his Substack to inform fans of his experience, using his platform to celebrate the company's new brass for forming a fantastic new environment from which performers can grow within.
“I made my return to Saturday Night’s Main Event this past weekend, and what an experience it was! Thought I would share some pictures and thoughts. First of all it was truly an honor to come back home to the WWE. First off, I have to thank my son, Tyrel Ventura, for putting the wheels in motion last summer. It’s been such an incredible feeling to return to the place where my career essentially began or, more accurately, really took off from. A few thoughts on the new regime at the WWE. The biggest thing I noticed was how different the energy and vibe is backstage. You don’t feel a battle of egos like you often did back in my day.
“From the executive level to the locker room level you instead feel a very strong sense of teamwork and creativity. Everyone is running in the same direction. Fueled by a desire to see everyone succeed, not just themselves. I think this speaks volumes about the leadership of Paul “HHH” Levesque. I think Paul, Nick Khan, and the team at WWE are creating a truly incredible and unique environment unlike any I have seen before in the world of wrestling. I loved being backstage and sharing stories, advice, and laughs with some of this generation's new talent.”
Pretty interesting stuff, right? Well wait, it gets better, as Ventura had some other interesting things to say on the SNME media tour, including whether he still holds any grudges from the 1980s.
Jesse Ventura doesn't hold any grudges from his WWE run
Discussing his WWE experiences past and present on WFAN, Ventura noted that while fans know that he didn't get along with many of his coworkers, he holds no grudges in 2024.
“Well, no, but you gotta remember, okay, the Hogan thing with me, I don’t hate him. I don’t hate anybody. But you gotta understand something, where I come from,” Ventura explained via Fightful. “During my most formative years, I was under an influence that created, for lack of better terms, in many ways, a monster, and that was when I was a Navy Seal. I never talked about it, I don’t talk about it. But we in that group, we live by a single premise, and this will answer your question, we don’t get mad. We get even. [Laughs] If you’re calling them in, your chances are, someone’s going to die. That’s just the way it is, and that’s the life I led for six years.”
Welp, there you go, folks; while WWE may still no longer have a union, Ventura has moved past Hogan's actions to feel better about himself in the end.
