Jake Hager no longer feels lost.
During his nearly ten-year run on the WWE main roster, Jake Hager (known as Jack Swagger in WWE) found plenty of success. Hager won the ECW and World Heavyweight Championships in the promotion, but became lost in the mix by the end of his run in 2017, leading to his release.
Hager believes being lost in the mix is all part of WWE's master plan.
“I was lost in the mix there [in WWE],” said Hager to Sports Illustrated. “When I look now at guys like Cesaro, guys like Bobby Lashley, they’re just lost. When I look at them, that whole cloud of doom comes right back over me. I’m so glad I’m not in that. It’s something you deal with within big companies, but it’s also about how they treat their talent. They know exactly what they’re doing, and I hate to say it, but it’s on purpose. They want you lost in there so they can control you. They don’t control me anymore. Now, I’m finally being portrayed in the way I always should have.”
Hager is currently part of the All Elite Wrestling roster, where he stands alongside Chris Jericho in the Inner Circle. Hager is also part of the Bellator MMA roster and is undefeated as a pro fighter at 2-0.
"I’ve worked very hard to get back to this point,” said Hager. “It took time for it to pay off, but I feel so vindicated that I left that job and bet on myself. [AEW owner] Tony Khan wants me to keep fighting and keep winning. As a fighter, I’m not one of those people that wants to prove I can go out and throw strikes. I’ve heard that I’m a wrestler and not a real fighter, but I have nothing to prove to anybody. All I want to do is go out there and win. That’s all that is important to me. Winning is a statement, and the rest will take care of itself.”
Due to his Bellator commitment, Hager was absent from Wednesday's episode of AEW Dynamite. Hager returns to the Bellator cage on Friday, Oct. 25 against Anthony Garrett. Fightful will have live coverage of Bellator 231 beginning at 6:45 p.m. ET on Friday.
