Jake Hager

Jake Hager

Donald Jacob Hager Jr. is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is a member of The Inner Circle alongside Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz. Hager is also known for his time in WWE under the ring name Jack Swagger. He became a two-time world champion, having held the WWE’s World Heavyweight Championship and the ECW Championship once each.

About Jake Hager in brief

Summary Jake HagerDonald Jacob Hager Jr. is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is a member of The Inner Circle alongside Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz. Hager is also known for his time in WWE under the ring name Jack Swagger. He became a two-time world champion, having held the WWE’s World Heavyweight Championship and the ECW Championship once each. He left the company in 2017 after he decided to pursue a professional mixed martial arts career. In 2017, Hager signed with Bellator MMA. As a wrestler, he kept working with various promotions before signing with AEW in 2019, including in Lucha Underground as Jake Strong, where he was the final Luchas Underground Champion. He started wrestling at the age of five. He wrestled in high school with Danny Hodge’s grandson and remains good friends with Hodge as he grew up living two blocks away from him in Perry, Oklahoma. He was the second-string defensive tackle behind eventual National Football League players Tommie Harris and Dusty Dvoracek. At the 2005 NCAA Division I championships, he lost to University of Pennsylvania’s Matt Feast in the second round, and did not place. In 2006, he was named an All-American at season’s end while setting the Oklahoma record for most pins in a single season with 30. In 2008, he began a feud with TJ Wilson and Ted DiBiase Jr. to become the undisputed heavyweight champion in FCW.

He later defended the championship against Curtis Miller, Heath Miller, TJ Wilson, James James, and Heath Richey in New Port Port, New York. On February 15, 2008, the Florida State Fair in Tampa, he defeated the final two men remaining in a 23-man battle royal to determine the true heavyweight champion. On March 22, 2008 he went against the FCW Southern Heavyweight Champion Heath Miller to become undisputed champion. In 2009, he became champion of FCW Florida Heavyweight. In 2011, he defended the title against the final man remaining in the battle royal, Curtis Miller. In 2012, he won the title. In 2013, he beat T. J. Jones via arm-triangle choke in the first round of Bellator 221. In 2014, he is currently undefeated with a record of 3–0. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling under his ring name Jake Hager. He competed in a dark match for DSW in September 2006, under his real name, and made his in-ring debut for Ohio Valley Wrestling in January 2007. He debuted for the promotion by defeating Atlas DaBone, and in the following months began his feud with K. C. James and his tag team partner Cassidy James. He appeared as a security guard during a brawl between John Cena and Umaga on Raw in August 2007. In 2010, he appeared in a match between John Johnaga and TJ Wilson on Raw. He has a Bachelor’s degree in finance.