Ventura's return is a full-circle moment in his career, symbolizing closure to a chapter that ended prematurely. He was previously uncontrollable and didn't allow WWE to market him without negotiation, leading to his firing. Now, WWE believes they can control him again, but Ventura remains skeptical.
Ventura considers the match between Ricky Steamboat and Macho Man Randy Savage at WrestleMania 3 as the greatest match he ever saw or broadcasted.
Ventura's broadcasting career was sparked by an interview he did with Cindy Lauper, which caught Vince McMahon's attention. McMahon saw potential in Ventura as the first villain announcer, pairing him with Gorilla Monsoon, leading to a successful broadcasting career.
Ventura's defining line is 'I ain't got time to bleed,' from the movie Predator, which became iconic and was printed on T-shirts by 20th Century Fox.
Ventura left WWE because he was fired by Vince McMahon after trying to unionize the wrestlers and negotiating his own marketing deals, which McMahon couldn't control.
Ventura believes his biggest contribution was being the first wrestler to make Vince McMahon deal with a manager or agent, setting a precedent for future wrestlers' contracts and negotiations.
Ventura's political career, including becoming the governor of Minnesota, was pursued after his wrestling career. His success in politics, especially with minimal funding, demonstrated his ability to connect with voters and manage a large organization, skills he honed in wrestling.
Ventura believes the U.S. Constitution has been violated and that the country is under a two-party dictatorship. He views the events of January 6th as an attempted coup and treasonous, criticizing the lack of accountability and the continued power of those involved.
The Ringer's Bill Simmons is joined by Joe House to discuss the Lions surviving the Packers on 'TNF,' talk through the NFL weekend slate, and make the Million-Dollar Picks for Week 14 (2:35), before looking at the updated NBA win totals, "make the playoffs" bets, likely trade teams, and more (44:44). Then, Bill talks with Jesse "The Body" Ventura about his return to WWE broadcasting, his rocky exit from pro wrestling, filming 'Predator' and 'Running Man,' his political career as a mayor and later governor of Minnesota, and much more (1:11:36).
Host: Bill Simmons
Guests: Joe House and Jesse Ventura
Producer: Kyle Crichton
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