During a recent episode of 83 Weeks, Eric Bischoff went into detail on Jesse Ventura’s dislike of Hulk Hogan and how he ultimately had to fire Ventura. He went on to state that despite those issues, he liked Ventura as a person and as a performer. Here’s what he had to say:
I know I’ve said things and have been pretty hard on Jesse but usually it’s only when we’re talking about my relationship with him within the context of having to fire him at the Disney MGM Studios and my disappointment in Jesse at that time. One or two things led up to that. Jesse did not like Hulk Hogan – did not like him on a personal level, professional level, or any other way. He was so so anti-Hogan. Prior to Hulk coming in, I got along great with Jesse. When Jesse would come in to do TV, we’d go out to dinner and have cocktails. He was a Minnesota guy. We had a lot in common – his relationship with AWA, we knew a lot of the same people and had a lot of mutual friends. I got along fine with Jesse until Hogan came in. And once we brought Hogan in and made that commitment there was a negativity or resentment or something in Jesse that made him kind of a downer and kind of miserable to be around.
I didn’t have to work with Jesse a lot of – I think I may have interviewed him once or twice or twice – but I didn’t have to work a show with him like Jim Ross or Tony Schiavone did. All that being said, as a person, I dig Jesse. I don’t like the way he handled his business in WCW. I think the way he reacted to us bringing Hogan in was counterproductive and unprofessional. His antics at the Disney MGM Studios – I think that was all really unprofessional, childish behavior to be frank. But set that aside, I dig Jesse and love that he speaks his mind. I don’t always agree with him, and often times, I don’t. But he’s a smart guy. He’s interesting to listen to even when you don’t agree with him – he brings a perspective to a conversation that I enjoy listening to, whether I agree with him or not. He fucking ran for governor for crying out loud and won. He did a horseshit job in a lot of people’s opinions, but it’s Minnesota politics. It’s a cesspool. I don’t think he’ll go down as one of the Mount Rushmore candidates in professional wrestling in anybody’s book, but he had a tremendous amount of success and a good career. I don’t dislike Jesse, I dislike what I had to go through with Jesse.
You can listen HERE.
Credit: 83 Weeks. H/T 411Mania.
