WWE Hall of Famer Jesse “The Body” Ventura spoke briefly to Dave Lagreca and Doug Mortman on Busted Open about the Jerry Lawler situation. You can hear Busted Open on Sirius 94, XM 208, and Sports Zone 860:
Ventura on Jerry Lawler: “I didn’t learn about Jerry Lawler until this morning. Somebody mentioned it to me on an earlier interview. I wish him well. Jerry is one of the guys out there that I know pretty good and he is a very good man. He always treated me fair. He was always an honorable guy to me, so “get well soon Jerry and get back there.”
On working with Lawler: “I’m the only guy who went to Memphis who beat Lawler and he never beat me back. But there is a side story to that. I had won the Central States title from Jerry and he would have beaten me eventually but there were some problems when my daughter was born and I had to stay in Minnesota. Lawler was flying me into Memphis 3 days a week, every week, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I had to stay with my daughter for a month when she was born because she was born with some complications. So I couldn’t come back and had to Fed Ex the belt to Jerry. That’s the reason he never beat me. I am probably the only wrestler in history that ever beat Jerry Lawler in Memphis and Jerry never beat me. Down the line however he certainly would have beaten me for that title.”
Was he surprised Lawler was still wrestling at 62: “A heart attack can hit anybody at anytime. You got to be in shape, that’s why I continue to work out. You got to keep yourself in shape. I personally don’t think anyone that age should be in the ring… not at all. It’s a young man’s game. I wouldn’t do it, I wouldn’t even consider it. I had my hip done. I wouldn’t even consider getting in the ring today. I wouldn’t have considered it ten years ago. When I left, I left. Notice I am the only wrestler who retired, who stayed retired. I never made a comeback. I hate to say this but I haven’t watched wrestling in 22 years. I watched a little bit before I was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and I watched it a little bit before Vince brought me back before that Monday Night Raw. I felt I should at least know who the wrestlers are.”
