Jesse Ventura moved on from his long-standing beef with WWE last year, largely thanks to Triple H, who remains big on nostalgia. The outspoken wrestling legend has made several TV appearances since signing a new contract, but controversy always seems to find the U.S. Navy veteran, and that has reportedly caused another unfortunate situation for Ventura in the Stamford-based promotion.
After years of controversy due to a rocky relationship with Vince McMahon, Ventura returned to WWE in mid-2024 by signing a Legends contract. He attended a few events, praised the new direction in the media, and was friendly with Triple H. The former Governor of Minnesota’s big television comeback coincided with the return of Saturday Night’s Main Event in December 2024, hosting with Joe Tessitore and calling the main event with Michael Cole and Pat McAfee, which saw Cody Rhodes retain the Undisputed Championship over Kevin Owens.
The Body returned for the same roles at SNME 38 in January, this time calling the second match of the night, which saw Bron Breakker retain the Intercontinental Championship over Sheamus. SNME 39 in May saw Ventura help call the co-main event, where Damian Priest defeated Drew McIntyre in a Steel Cage. Unlike Cole and McAfee, Ventura spoke during Lilian Garcia’s introduction for the match, when he was not supposed to.
Jesse Ventura went viral for being critical of the Steel Cage format throughout the match, especially his anger at Priest winning by walking out of the cage. The 2004 WWE Hall of Famer also drew criticism for claiming Mike Tyson “took a dive” during his fight with Jake Paul, and for showing general confusion during the broadcast. Sources reported that no one backstage was really angry at Ventura, as people were laughing during his Priest vs. McIntyre rant. However, word now is that these unfortunate happenings led to a change in his on-screen status with the company.
Jesse Ventura “Fiasco” Reportedly Led To Lighter WWE SNME Role
WWE held its 40th edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 12 from State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The primetime special opened up on NBC and Peacock with Jesse Ventura and Joe Tessitore, as they have done on previous SNME episodes.
The Body was never seen again after delivering his signature delivery at SNME XL. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that officials have “toned way back” on Ventura’s role with the company.
Jesse Ventura’s aforementioned issues at the SNME special on May 24 were described as a “fiasco,” and it seems there is still heat on the 74-year-old stemming from his commentary, despite there being a barrel of laughs backstage that night at the Yuengling Center in Tampa. Sources now report that the call was made not to let Ventura do commentary because of that night.
Jesse Ventura’s WWE Legends contract opens him up to merchandise and other opportunities. 2K will release the SNME DLC Pack for WWE 2K25 in November, and Ventura is a part of the update, along with Paul Orndorff, Tito Santana, Sid Justice, and The Junkyard Dog.