WWE Hall Of Famer Jesse Ventura's Wrestling Career Began By Chance

WWE Hall of Famer Jesse "The Body" Ventura has lived quite the life during his 75 years, from his time as a Navy SEAL, to starring in films like "Predator," to his political career that included a term as the governor of Minnesota. Ventura burst onto the wrestling scene in 1975 and eventually made his way to the then-WWF in 1981. In an interview with WWE Vault, Ventura said his foray into the business actually began by chance.

"I come home on leave right before I was going to get out [of the Navy] and wrestling was at the Minneapolis Auditorium and I had nothing to do, so I went down there by myself and I went and watched wrestling," Ventura explained. "I was about 23 years old then, 22. A gentleman by the name of 'Superstar' Billy Graham was on the card that night. I took one look at 'Superstar' Graham, his whole persona and I said to myself, 'Maybe this is a career.'"

Graham would be a big part in the beginnings of Ventura's career. Ventura said he trained at the 7th Street Gym with Eddie Sharkey for six months, then sent photos out to promoters. He worked for Bob Geigel in Kansas City as a surfer character, but "The Body" was created when he went back to Minneapolis to work for Verne Gagne.

"He said 'Can you do Superstar Billy Graham?' I said, 'I can do Superstar Billy Graham better than Billy Graham,'" Ventura said. "He said, 'That's what I want,' because he had lost Graham to New York... He goes, 'The Body. How about The Body?' ... It clicked right there, and so it was Verne Gagne and the AWA that gave me the full name."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit WWE Vault and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.