5 Reasons why Jack Swagger showed up on AEW Dynamite & joined Chris Jericho's faction
Now, the first episode of AEW Dynamite had its highlights and I've chronicled the best and worst of the show right here. If you were watching NXT instead and just want a run-down of exactly what went down, you can check it out right there.
Perhaps the biggest headline coming out of the show was the return of Jake Hager to professional wrestling. He had a great run at Lucha Underground, and in recent times had commenced on a very successful Mixed Martial Arts career with Bellator.
But this is certainly the best career move for the man. What could have been the reason why AEW lapped him up and gave him such a massive spot on what was their big debut show?
The answers have been chronicled in the pages to follow...
#5 Bringing crossover fans from Bellator
There is a big crossover of fans who watch both mixed martial arts and professional wrestling because, in essence, it is the very same thing. One of the combat sports is choreographed while the other is not, but both have a winner and a loser. Jake Hager is someone who has a legitimate MMA experience having been with Bellator, and his appearance certainly could bring Bellator fans to AEW.
In a sense, this is exactly what Vince McMahon did with Ronda Rousey and others like Ken Shamrock before him, because he knew that there was an opportunity to capitalize on a market that exists where the fans want to see these performers excel across fields. And this is what Dana White does by bringing performers like CM Punk in, because he knows that there's a pro wrestling audience that will tune in just to watch him perform.
This was a big coup for Tony Khan. And a pretty genius move!