During a recent appearance on the Independent Americans podcast, Jesse Ventura shared his blunt thoughts on Donald Trump being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Ventura, himself a Hall of Famer, began by outlining what he believes should qualify someone for wrestling’s highest honor, pointing to the physical grind endured by performers who built the industry.
“Do you know how you get in the Hall of Fame? You do what I had to do. Do you know what I did one time? True story — I wrestled 63 consecutive nights in a row. Without a day off. And there are people who would destroy that. There are guys who did more than that. But that’s how you get into the Hall of Fame.”
Ventura then contrasted that standard with Trump’s induction, which he argued was based on business dealings rather than contributions inside the wrestling business itself.
“You know why he got in? Because he provided us two buildings where he probably made millions off renting us his buildings to hold WrestleMania. And for that, Vince McMahon puts him in the Hall of Fame? It’s a disgrace.”
The former Minnesota Governor went on to reveal just how strongly he feels about the situation, stating that Trump’s inclusion nearly prompted him to step away from the Hall of Fame altogether.
“I’ve almost resigned—gone public and said I’m resigning from the Hall of Fame because Trump is in it and he doesn’t qualify. Like everything he does, he’s not qualified.”
Trump was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013 under the Celebrity wing, largely due to his involvement with WrestleMania events held at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City during the late 1980s. Ventura’s comments add to the ongoing debate among wrestling veterans and fans over the criteria used for Hall of Fame inductions.
