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Jesse “The Body” Ventura appeared on Howard Stern’s Sirius Satellite Radio Show on Tuesday to promote his book, “Don’t Start the Revolution Without Me”. First, Ventura’s appearance lasted nearly two hours, which may be the longest interview Stern has ever conducted.
Ventura touched on a few wrestling related topics, such as the reason he does not speak to Hulk Hogan. According to Ventura, “The Body” was trying to organize a union among the wrestlers prior to WrestleMania 2. Most of the boys wouldn’t go for it because they felt if Hogan didn’t participate, it wouldn’t work. Ventura’s argument was if Hogan didn’t have an opponent to wrestle, the union would work. Ventura claims he didn’t want to form a union to “screw” Vince McMahon, but rather to protect the wrestlers after their in-ring careers ended. It wasn’t until Ventura sued then WWF for not paying him video royalties that he found out that Hogan and King Kong Bundy went to McMahon to tip Vince off about the union discussions. The topic came up in the deposition and McMahon admitted that Hogan informed him that Ventura was trying to organize a union.
Ventura also talked about finding blood clots in his lungs that essentially ended his in-ring career. He, like many other wrestlers have said in the past, that Vince McMahon continued to pay him $1000.00 per week even when he could not work. It was then that McMahon proposed Jessie performing as a “Heel” announcer.
Ventura shared a story of going to dinner with fellow WWE Hall of Famer, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan in Indianapolis during their WWF runs. As they were entering the restaurant, a vagrant asked Heenan for a cigarette and Heenan gave the man the entire pack of cigarettes. Ventura said after an hour and a half of dining, they left the restaurant and the man was waiting for them at the door. The man handed Heenan the cigarettes back and said, “Thanks, but I don’t smoke menthols”.
Ventura told a story of “quitting” the WWF in the late 1980’s due to his role in the movie “Predator”. Ventura was offered the role in the movie and tried to contact McMahon to discuss going on location in Mexico for ten weeks, and McMahon wouldn’t return his phone call. McMahon instead delivered the message, “Vince McMahon doesn’t have time for Jesse Ventura’s personal issues”. At that moment, Ventura told the messenger on the phone call that he wanted Vince to know he quit, and he was going to act in a movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He then said McMahon called him back within five minutes to discuss his leaving the country for ten weeks.
In his last story, Ventura shared a story for an idea he had for WrestleMania 24. He met with McMahon in Connecticut in 2007 and proposed an “angle” that he felt was the best angle of all time. Ventura’s idea was that McMahon would go on television to talk of his dissatisfaction with the Political Nominees for President. McMahon would discuss his forming of a new Political Party and this party would have a candidate for President. McMahon would name himself the nominee and get his name on all 50 Primary Ballots. After the Royal Rumble, Ventura would appear on WWE television to say that Vince was in this for himself and not the country. Ventura would challenge McMahon for the Primary ballot spot in a match at WrestleMania with the winner getting his name on the ballot. Ventura would go over, and then legitimize the candidacy for President.
All in all, a good interview, with many other areas of Ventura’s life being discussed, including his days in the Military, his recent hip replacement, his conspiracy theories ranging from the Kennedy Assassination to the 9/11 Attacks, of course his 3-4 times per week sex life with his wife, and his political career.
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