Shortly before the July 29 episode of Raw broadcast in Minnesota, WWE Hall of Famer and former governor Jesse Ventura was spotted at the venue where he met with Triple H. This meeting was particularly notable because Venturas previous issues with Vince McMahon stemming from his attempts to form a union for wrestlers, Ventura’s presence backstage was another sign that WWE was truly entering a new era marked by significant changes within the company.
In May, Ventura revealed that talks were underway about his potential return to WWE. He attributed these talks to what he described as a “change in direction” within the organization. More updates on these negotiations emerged throughout the year.
Speaking to Chris Van Vliet just hours before his backstage appearance on Raw, Ventura gave an update on his relationship with WWE, explaining that it had improved significantly and a contract was almost finalized: “My relationship with them has improved a lot now. We are just about to do it. All I can say is that the contracts have been written and agreed. And all that is needed is two signatures, one from them and one from me. And I will come back with the legendary (deal).” When asked about the timeline for this deal, Ventura indicated that it would be completed quickly: “Pretty quickly, because time is money.”

Ventura also confirmed that Vince McMahon’s departure was a key factor in his return, noting that the recent merger with the UFC made negotiations smoother: “Yeah, very much so. I think since they merged with Ultimate Fighting (UFC) and are now under one roof, they’re much more of a mainstream company that’s easier to deal with because they’re more open. There’s no need to hark back to the old days of wrestling, for lack of a better word, slavery. Because, you know, in the old days of wrestling, you really were slaves.”
Ventura then recounted a compliment he had recently heard that highlighted the impact his efforts had on modern wrestling contracts: “I got a great compliment the other day. Barry Bloom, my former agent, who I introduced to Vince, I was the first wrestler to get Vince an agent contract. And I heard Barry was on a podcast and said that all these contracts that these guys are getting today, they owe Jesse Ventura a thank you. Because if it weren’t for him, they wouldn’t get them.”

CM Punk shares his thoughts on Jesse Ventura’s return

Although history has shown that virtually anyone can make a comeback to WWE, regardless of the circumstances of their exit, there was a time when many believed that CM Punk and Jesse Ventura were among those who would never return to WWE. However, Punk himself returned at Survivor Series and Jesse Ventura surprised fans by appearing backstage at a Raw taping in Minnesota on July 29. Reflecting back on his time, the Hall of Famer shared a photo of himself and Punk in the arena on social media and expressed that moments like these motivated him to consider a return.
During an appearance on the SI Media podcast with Jimmy Traina, Punk discussed his recent encounter with the former Minnesota governor and how his own return may have influenced the situation: “I saw Governor Ventura the other day. I was 100 percent blown away. One of the coolest things that’s ever happened to me in my life is he told me he saw me come back – and he said, ‘The place must have changed. If Punk comes back, I’m going back.’ I can’t take credit for it, but I think the return of a guy like me speaks volumes. Obviously it does.” In April, Ventura mentioned that he was in talks about a possible return to WWE, noting that the company was heading in a “new direction.”