WWE Hall of Famer Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura has opened up about the medical emergency that cost him the opportunity to be WWF Champion.
During an appearance at “Steel City Con,” Ventura recalled plans for him to win the title from Hulk Hogan in September 1984, nine months after Hogan’s first title reign began and Hulkamania was ‘born’ in January.
Ventura explained that he was on the road to a title run before blood clots effectively ended his chances of winning ‘the big one.’ He said.
“I’m a great believer sometimes in fate and destiny,” he said. “And I think fate and destiny play somewhat a role, for whatever reason that might be. Like the night before I was to wrestle Hulk Hogan for the World Heavyweight Title in Los Angeles, I ended up in critical condition in the San Diego hospital with massive blood clots from 28 days of flying in a row.
“Many times in life when something dastardly happens to you, it leads to something good as a result of it, and I never got my shot at Hogan … but what did I get to do? While I was convalescing, Vince McMahon called me and he said ‘Jesse, I have an idea.’ And I said, ‘What is it Vince?’ He said, ‘We’ve never had a villain on the microphone before, you think you could do color commentating and broadcast matches?'”
Ventura would pave the way for heel commentators in the company such as Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan and Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler.
