American politician, actor, and retired professional wrestler Jesse Ventura recently reflected on his lengthy career at the Steel City Comic Con.
Ventura explained how his wrestling career prepared him for his politics.
After achieving fame in the WWF, Ventura served as the 38th governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003. He was elected governor with the Reform Party and is the party’s only candidate to win a major government office.
Ventura was also a member of the U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Team during the Vietnam War. He embarked on his professional wrestling career after leaving the military.
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On wrestling preparing him for politics: “Many people have asked me, how did I become governor? I can assure you, pro wrestling is a phenomenal practice field. I’m serious.”
On wrestling teaching him to develop connections with large amounts of people: “I used to get people so pissed off, they’d pay their hard-earned money to see me. When I run for political office, all I’m asking for is a vote — that’s free. And [for them to] show up. It worked well.”
