Hall of Fame wrestling announcer Jim Ross had a chance to review Jesse Ventura's performance during his improbable return to the WWE announce desk. Ross admitted to being immersed in college football when Saturday Night's Main Event hit the airwaves, but said he made a point to bring himself up to speed afterward.
"Idid catch up on all the highlights because they were everywhere after the event,"Ross said on his "Grilling JR" podcast."It was good. It was a good touch."
For fans who grew up in the '80s and '90s, news that the former Minnesota governor had made amends with WWE triggered a flurry of nostalgic intrigue. Save for a few scant appearances in the last 30 years, Ventura has largely distanced himself from WWE, citing irreconcilable differences with its former chairman,Vince McMahon. But since becoming the head of creative, Paul "Triple H" Levesque has leveraged renewed goodwill to bring back several pariahed stars, such as Ventura and CM Punk. Ventura began teasing projects after signing a Legends deal in October,with WWE formally announcing his return to Saturday Night's Main Event on December 6.
Ross, Ventura's former WCW colleague, added: "Jesse is really the true voice of Saturday Night's MainEvent ... I didn't hear anything negative about it."
Aside from a few minor flubs, such as referring to Kevin Owens as "KevinOwen"and not playing to the hard camera as much, Ventura sounded much like "The Body" of old. His commentary during the main event, where he poked some holes in the psychology of the match, added a fresh sense of realism to what was unfolding on screen.
Ventura's deal includes future appearances, and he's expected to be on hand for the next installment of Saturday Night's Main Event in San Antonio on January 25.
