Jesse “The Body” Ventura is set to return to WWE this Saturday for Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C., according to WrestleVotes.

The WWE Hall of Famer’s return comes as a surprise after he was absent from the November 1 edition of SNME. Reports indicated Ventura’s one-year contract had expired following a controversial moment during the May 2025 broadcast, where he criticized the finish of Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest’s steel cage match on live commentary.

“What kind of BS is that?” Ventura exclaimed when Priest won by walking out the cage door. WWE later edited his comments from the official YouTube upload, and backstage sources indicated the incident affected his standing with the company.

Despite the fallout, WWE has brought Ventura back for one of its most significant events of the year. Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII will feature John Cena’s retirement match against Gunther, who won the “Last Time Is Now” tournament to earn the opportunity.

The event airs December 13 at 8 PM ET on in the United States and YouTube internationally from the Capital One Arena.

Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII Card:

  • John Cena vs. Gunther (Cena’s Final Match)
  • Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Oba Femi (WWE Championship)
  • Bayley vs. Sol Ruca
  • AJ Styles & Dragon Lee (c) vs. Je’Von Evans & Leon Slater (WWE World Tag Team Championship)