Why did Jesse Ventura leave the WWE? Exploring his rift with Vince McMahon

Hardcore wrestling fan or not, Jesse Ventura is a name, not many fans will easily forget. After all, Ventura was the person who dragged former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon to court. However, before we get into that, for those unaware, here is a short reminder of who Ventura is.

Back in the 1980s when WWE was known as World Wrestling Federation, Jesse Ventura was one of the most prominent color commentators in the promotion. While everything seemed to be going smoothly between Ventura and the company, the year 1987 saw tension between the two parties.

When the now 72-year-old wrestling personality was negotiating a contract with Vince McMahon back in the day, he desired royalties on videotape sales. But, Ventura was denied his request and told only feature performers in the promotion were entitled to the same.

However, four years later, Ventura discovered that several nonfeature performers received royalties, and this discovery prompted Ventura to take McMahon to court. This case was eventually moved to the Federal Court where Ventura won a $801,333 jury verdict.

Apart from this, several other factors led to a strained relationship between Ventura and McMahon. Ventura's trying to push for unionization of the talent in the company was the beginning, and the above-mentioned court tussle followed.

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Jesse Ventura says he is in talks to return to WWE

While Jesse Ventura did make sporadic appearances in WWE even after he won his lawsuit against Vince McMahon, he never made a full-time return. However, now that Vince isn't part of the Stamford-based promotion, the doors for a possible return seem open.

During an episode of The Vanguard Podcast, Ventura revealed that he is in talks with WWE to make a possible return. He said that the company was now going in the right direction, and this direction was enough for both parties to talk about a potential return.

“It required them going in this new direction, and I hope you get what I’m saying about the new direction. The direction the company is now going was good enough for Jesse Ventura and the WWE to begin talking again," Ventura stated.

You can check out his comments in the video below:

If Ventura does end up returning to WWE, it will be interesting to see what role he takes up. From being a commentator to being a manager, there are endless things Ventura could do in the Stamford-based promotion.