The former wrestler and ex-governor of Minnesota is launching a new multimedia project with his son.
Jesse Ventura is returning.
And doing so with a fury.
The wrestling luminary-turned-politician has officially launched his Die First, Then Quit platform on Substack. This will exist as a forum for Ventura to share insight and opinions on a myriad of topics, including his glory days in pro wrestling.
During the World Wrestling Federation’s rise to prominence in the 1980s, Ventura was incredibly talented at highlighting the wrestlers in the ring, minimizing flaws and enhancing the qualities that made performers appear to be larger-than-life.
“When I made the transition to wrestling broadcasting, my job was to get people over,” Ventura says. “Plain and simple. Now if I’d put myself over, that would’ve been wrong. I wouldn’t have succeeded without an unselfish attitude. I learned that in the Navy. I was very much trained to accomplish the objective of being part of a team, and we had such a great broadcasting team. There was Gorilla Monsoon, and how about ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund? Those two were phenomenal.
“When I got behind the mike, my job was to make everybody a star. And it ended up having its perks for me, too—the more viewers the stars in the ring would draw, then I’d make more money, too. My agent would use ratings as a negotiating tactic with Vince McMahon.”
Last month, Ventura appeared at the ’80s Wrestling Con in New Jersey, reconnecting with fans and friends. The memory of Okerlund, who died three years ago, made him reminisce about how so many legends from his era have departed.
“I named him ‘Mean’ Gene, and I’m proud of that nickname,” Ventura says. “That stuck with him all the way to his grave. And I enjoyed seeing the guys, but it was haunting to think about how so many from WrestleMania I toVI, which was my era, are gone. That part hung over me a bit, but there were a lot of positives, too. Tito Santana gave me a copy of his book, which I highly recommend to all wrestling fans. The title is Don’t Call Me Chico, and it’s a terrific book.”
Still known as Governor Ventura after his time in office in Minnesota, wrestling projects have been sparse for him over the past two decades. Yet some of the fans at the ’80s convention found the magic formula to conjure up the signature bravado of “The Body” that helped define an entire era of pro wrestling.
“They had all these characters who dressed up like us [at the convention],” Ventura says. “I had this one impersonator, and with the clothing and persona, he was fantastic—but there was one problem. As I said to him, my middle name was ‘The Body.’ I told him to start working out so someday, like me, he can be 70 with a six-pack.”
That blend of humor, edge and willingness to critique—each a hallmark of Ventura’s work—will once again be present in those distinguished vocals on Die First, Then Quit.
“‘Die first, then quit,’ that’s an old slogan in basic underwater SEAL training,” says Ventura, who served in the United States Navy. “Having gone through that training, it applies to me. This might be my last hurrah, and I’m going to keep talking until I die—then I’ll quit.
“The two invasions might have cost me my job. The first invasion was when we invaded Iraq. I was signed with MSNBC, and I was never really put on the air because I opposed that invasion. Now the latest is having worked for RT America, a Russian television network, and this invasion [of Ukraine] caused our RT to cease production. Every time there is a war, I seem to lose my job. But Substack was there waiting for me. I get to work with my son, Tyrel, and we respect a platform where independent thought reigns supreme.”
Subscribers will receive at least three new pieces of content per week in the form of writing, podcasts and videos. In true Ventura fashion, no topic is off limits, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“I’m anti-war; let’s get that straight right now,” Ventura says. “I’m a Vietnam veteran; I did six years in the Navy. Today, I am extremely anti-war. I follow the teachings of General Smedley Butler, the two-time Congressional Medal of Honor winner who wrote the book War Is a Racket. I truly believe that’s all war is—a racket.
“War is money-making and profit-driven, and they don’t always appear on the surface to be what they are. Certainly, I’m not opposed to stopping Russia and Putin and what they’re doing. Absolutely not. But I am still going to speak out. And what’s the difference from when we went into Iraq? We invaded a sovereign nation who hadn’t done anything to us, and we invaded on lies. Weapons of mass destruction? There were none. Ties to Al Qaeda? There were none. And they didn’t attack us on 9/11. So the United States isn’t clean on all this stuff, either. That’s what I want to talk about, too. We are not holier than thou when it comes to waging war and aggression throughout the world. We’re the biggest seller of arms in the world. What are those used for? Killing people. Plain and simple.”
Ventura was also asked about the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which has reignited debates about gun control in the United States.
“I’ve always been a supporter of the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms,” Ventura says. “It’s there as a way to protect ourselves if our government becomes oppressive. But everything evolves with time and circumstances. Nothing is in stone. And today, my opinion on the Second Amendment is this: You have the right to own arms all you want. Buy all you want. Just keep them on your own private property, and the weapons should not be allowed to leave private property unless the person is licensed to carry them.
“Other than that, sit in your own backyard, dress up like Donald Trump and ramble all you want. But you should not be able to take that weapon, unless you are licensed, out into the public domain. That’s my position on the Second Amendment today. You still have the right to protect your home, but you do not have the right to carry that weapon out in public unless you are licensed to do so.”
If Ventura did not exist, as Voltaire may say, it would be necessary to invent him. He is planning on bringing his cynicism, willingness to question and nonstop pursuit of the truth to Substack, where he is also expecting subscribers to ask questions about his run in pro wrestling.
“It reminds me of when I started broadcasting for Vince McMahon, and he said, ‘Jesse, if you believe it, it’s going to be true,’” said Ventura. “That’s still the attitude I have. And I’m going to keep mouthing off about hypocrisy. I’ve done it for so long; I’m not going to stop now.”
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Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.