The former Jack Swagger was tired of being just another cog in the WWE wheel.
He spoke to HuffPost about his decision to leave the WWE. Although he had success as a main event level competitor at one point in his career, the last few years of his run in the WWE had him not achieving much beyond midcard status.
“After a while, you get really frustrated…especially if you’re away from your family as much as we are and putting our bodies through what we do” Swagger said.
Swagger, real name Jake Hager, sees wrestling, like others in this profession, as an art. But when creativity is stifled, it can have an affect on how you create that art.
“I like to think of pro wrestling as an art, so we’re artists” he stated. “Most artists I know put their love and heart into these things, and to repeatedly have that swept away or get crushed, it gets a little much to deal with.”
He left the WWE earlier last year for a run on the independent scene. He says that now that he is no longer under the WWE umbrella, it's tme to go out and explore what else is out there.
“There are so many styles out there I haven’t gotten to wrestle against or experience” he said. “I really want to take it all in and take the rollercoaster ride on a little journey and develop a pro wrestling character that can’t be stopped. If my mic skills aren’t it, let’s work on that. If I need to do more stuff in the ring, well, I can definitely work on that.”
Swagger just announced recently that he would be taking part in mixed martial arts as well. He has signed with Bellator MMA as a heavyweight. He'll be making his debut next year.
