Jesse Ventura Criticizes Today's Wrestling Style, Lack Of Creative Freedom

Other than becoming U.S. President, it'll take a minute to determine just what Jesse Ventura hasn't done in his lifetime. He served in the U.S. Navy, was a Hall-of-Fame wrestler, called many a classic match alongside Gorilla Monsoon, was elected Governor of Minnesota, hosted a conspiracy theory TV show, and even found some time to fight (and lose) to a galactic hunter in the iconic 1987 sci-fi/action film "Predator." But apparently, there is one thing Ventura wouldn't be able to do; wrestle in today's modern landscape. During an appearance at Steel City Comic-Con, video of which was captured by Fandom Spotlite, Ventura revealed why that was the case, while also taking a moment to bemoan certain aspects of modern wrestling.

"I couldn't participate today," Ventura said. "Because I watch it today and all it is is tumbling and street fighting. I don't know why it's called wrestling, because nobody takes a hold. In my day, all matches started, you circled each other and you locked up. Today, nobody locks up. And the other difference why I'd have a problem today is that in my day, we had the freedom to create for ourselves who we were going to be. You had that freedom of creativity."

"Today, you have a bunch of writers who pick out a Marvel Comics character, and then they pick out a body to make that guy this. 'You're going to become this.' And I don't think that does nothing for the creativity of the wrestler when you should be creating yourself who you are," Ventura continued. "It'll have much better translation and transfer to the people, I think. But that's just Jesse's antiquated old opinion today, as being someone over 70, and all the young people think you don't know s**t."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Fandom Spotlite and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.