Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion quitting AEW immediately due to poor booking needs to happen, Dutch Mantell says
A former WWE World Heavyweight Champion has been advised to quit AEW due to his poor booking.
Jake Hager, better known as Jack Swagger, has been in limbo since joining All Elite Wrestling. Though his alliance with Chris Jericho as part of The Inner Circle and then The Jericho Appreciation Society kept him in the spotlight, his run hasn't taken off, given his years of experience in the business.
Hager recently went solo and became an entertaining act on the flagship programming, courtesy of his purple bucket hat. However, his new persona didn't lead to anything meaningful, resulting in the former MMA star being taken off TV again.
Speaking on Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the ex-WWE manager advised Jake Hager to quit AEW and find another job.
Mantell also discussed the idea of a potential feud between Joe and Hager.
"The best thing you [Jake Hager] can do right now is get a job. Quit promotion! Well, Samoa Joe and [Jake] Hager, I don't see anything that's right off the bat. You got to look at chemistry, and you got to go on in. You got to take time with Jack and say I went in there with him, which I wouldn't do because I'm not in condition enough to even get in the ring anymore. But if you brought him back, and I think "We the People," a political gimmick would work," Mantell said. [4:44 - 5:42]
Interestingly, Dutch Mantell entertained the thought of Jake Hager reuniting with Claudio Castagnoli in AEW.
"I think it's a regression, but now teaming up with him [Claudio Castagnoli]; again, that would require some major, not restructuring a booking, but a mindset," he added. [10:24 - 10:37]
Jake Hager wanted to headline WrestleMania against current WWE champion
During the K&S WrestleFest signing, Jake Hager opened up about his plans to return to WWE to feud with Roman Reigns on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
"When I left WWE, my plan was to go to MMA, get really good, be undefeated, and then go back to WWE and wrestle Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. A little slight turn. A lot of that happened. We were close. He knows it, I know it. If you want to tell him that, tell him that," said Hager.
Jake Hager made his in-ring return to Rampage tapings last week, where he lost to Roderick Strong in a singles match. As of this writing, the former World Heavyweight Champion doesn't appear to be on the card for Revolution Pay-Per-View on March 3.
Should Jake Hager quit AEW and return to WWE for one last run? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
If you use quotes from this article, please give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling and credit the Story Time with Dutch Mantell podcast.