10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE In 1990

8. The WrestleMania Commentary End Of An Era

Vince McMahon the Undertaker
WWE

Jesse 'The Body' Ventura and Gorilla Monsoon had called all six WrestleManias together in some capacity, but 1990's "Ultimate Challenge" was the end of the road for the partnership on the 'Grandest Stage'.

Bringing charisma and gravitas to Monsoon's typically silky hosting, Ventura offered more respect to the former wrestler than he did to television partner and real life boss Vince McMahon. Monsoon in kind was more generous to Ventura's foibles than his best friend/worst enemy relationship with Bobby Heenan.

It wasn't just 'The Body's last 'Show Of Shows' with Gorilla either.

Ventura hadn't been shy about getting what he felt he was owed from McMahon, and after failing to create a wrestling union several years earlier, he'd managed to join the Screen Actors Guild by virtue of his burgeoning Hollywood career. He didn't need nor want to give his likeness up to WWE forever, and a dispute over royalties and future uses of the name for financial purposes resulted in a severing of the ties between both sides.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett