"I did something he didn't like" – AEW star reveals what The Undertaker told him backstage in WWE
Jake Hager, who recently appeared on the AEW Unrestricted podcast, was asked if he learned any lessons from his first world title reign.
Jake Hager, known as Jack Swagger in WWE, won his first world championship in 2010 on an episode of SmackDown. The current AEW star became the WWE World Heavyweight Champion after cashing in his Money in the Bank contract and beating Chris Jericho. His only world championship reign to date lasted for 79 days.
On the AEW Unrestricted podcast, Jake Hager recalled a moment when The Undertaker gave him some advice:
"The Undertaker pulled me aside. I did something he didn’t like so he made a point to tell me about it. He was, like. 'Look, this job is worth it if you’re on top financially. In the middle, and down at the bottom, there’s a lot of scrapping. You’re away on the road so much, if you don’t make it to the top, it isn't worth it."
"When you’re a pro-wrestler, you really have to know what your value is so you can know what to ask for and what not to ask for. That speech from him put that into perspective a little bit more."
Before The Undertaker retired, fans had little idea about the man behind the persona. Hager's anecdote is telling of Mark Calloway, the man everyone knew backstage. While Hager is yet to win a title in AEW, he has previously also held the ECW Championship and the WWE United States Championship.
Jake Hager needs to do something fresh in AEW
Jake Hager might be successful alongside The Inner Circle but has done little on his own. Hager needs to step up and do something without an Inner Circle member. A shot at Sammu Guevara's TNT Championship could bring conflict within the group. It would also be a good way for Hager to prove himself in AEW.
On AEW, Jake Hager was recently feuding with American Top Team. The Inner Circle faced American Top Team at Full Gear with Chris Jericho's side coming out victorious. Apart from pro-wrestling, Hager is also an MMA fighter signed with Bellator. He has never lost an MMA match, with his win-loss record being 3-0 out of four bouts. One ended in a no contest.