One Moment WWE Wants You To Forget From Every Year (1985 to 2026)

Jesse Ventura was excellent at his job in the 1980s, but never was his heel shtick more convincing than when he was directing his vitriol at Hulk Hogan. As it turned out, some very real - and very significant - beef lay at the heart of the hate. During WrestleMania 2 season in 1986, 'The Body' had attempted to at long last drum up some collectivism in the underpaid and over-worked wrestlers, suggesting unionisation once and for all.

Per his and other accounts, he almost got everybody together enough to make the stand...until Hogan himself got wind, and grassed to Vince McMahon. The truth about 'The Hulkster's betrayal cropped up in - of all things - another legal battle between Ventura and WWE years later. Discussing the whole as a guest on Stone Cold Steve Austin's podcast, Ventura commented;

"I gave a speech to the boys and...I said, ‘if we go together and simply tell the media we are not wrestling unless union negotiators by federal law come in and give us the opportunity to unionise.’ The next night, I got a phone call from Vince who basically threatened to fire me if I ever brought it up again and read me the riot act...When I sued Vince, we had to depose him. My attorney...said, ‘Mr. McMahon,’ he said, ‘has there ever been a union in wrestling?’ Vince [replies], ‘no.’ [The lawyer asks] ‘Anyone ever try to form one?’ Vince sat a minute, he says, ‘well, yeah, as a matter of fact, Jesse Ventura spouted his mouth off about it once years ago.’ And my attorney goes, ‘well, how do you know that? Did you hear him? No? Well, how did you know he spouted his mouth off?’ He didn’t even hesitate. ‘Hulk Hogan told me’."

Ventura stayed with WWE until 1990 but knew his value in the aftermath, going on to negotiate future rights fees for his work on video in the aforementioned landmark lawsuit. Despite his best effort to help others, he realised the only way to truly financially thrive in wrestling was to look after number one.