Jesse Ventura Reportedly Done With WWE Following Contract Expiration – Jesse Ventura is no longer under contract with WWE, according to a new report from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The WWE Hall of Famer’s deal is believed to have expired after the most recent Saturday Night’s Main Event broadcast, marking the apparent end of his brief return to the company.
Ventura was brought back in late 2024 to lend a nostalgic voice to the revived Saturday Night’s Main Event specials. However, fans quickly noticed his absence from the November 1 episode, which now appears to have coincided with the end of his one-year agreement.
In the Observer, Meltzer noted that Ventura’s status wasn’t heavily discussed backstage but that the decision to move on had likely been made months earlier. “The other notable thing on the show was no Jesse Ventura, who was brought back for the nostalgia aspect. Nothing has been officially said. We were under the impression he had signed a one-year deal for these shows, and that deal would have run out with the last show,” Meltzer wrote. He added that Ventura’s diminished role stemmed from his controversial commentary during a previous broadcast: “After the cage match fiasco performance in the McIntyre vs. Damian Priest match, we were told the die was cast as far as using him going forward. He was downplayed on the next show while still under contract and not on this show, nor ever referenced.”
The “cage match fiasco” took place on May 25, 2025, during a steel cage match between Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest. Ventura, who was on commentary, reacted poorly to the finish when Priest exited the cage to win. Caught off guard by the booking, Ventura blurted out live, “Wait a minute! … what kind of BS is that?” His critical remarks were later edited out of WWE’s official YouTube version of the match.
When Ventura’s return was announced in December 2024, he was expected to commentate on all four planned Saturday Night’s Main Event specials in 2025. But after the May incident, WWE reportedly reduced his on-air presence before phasing him out completely. With his contract now believed to have expired, there are no signs of WWE bringing him back for future events.
Jesse Ventura Reportedly Done With WWE
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