Jake Hager

Jack Swagger, born Donald Jacob Hager Jr., is a retired American professional wrestler and former world champion. He’s best known for his run in WWE as Jack Swagger and later for working in AEW under his real name, Jake Hager.

He wrestled at the University of Oklahoma, where he became an All-American heavyweight and set school records for pins. After college, he entered WWE’s developmental system and spent time in Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), where he won the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship. His amateur background influenced his in-ring style, which was built around power, heavy grappling, and mat-based control.

Swagger debuted on WWE television in 2008 on the ECW brand. His early character presentation focused on an arrogant collegiate standout, and he soon won the ECW Championship. He later appeared across WWE’s main roster brands, including SmackDown and Raw.

In 2010, he won the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXVI and cashed in on SmackDown to win the World Heavyweight Championship. His matches during that stretch regularly featured the Patriot Lock and a gut wrench powerbomb, along with a generally physical and grounded approach.

Later in WWE, he was paired with Zeb Colter in The Real Americans, where “We the People!” became a recurring catchphrase associated with the act. He left WWE in 2017 and continued wrestling elsewhere.

In Lucha Underground (LU), he performed as Jake Strong and was presented as a dominant heel, winning the Gift of the Gods Championship and later the promotion’s final world title before the company closed.

He then signed with AEW as Jake Hager and aligned with Chris Jericho as part of The Inner Circle, later continuing with Jericho in the Jericho Appreciation Society. His AEW run featured a mix of multi-man faction matches and occasional singles bouts, and he was often positioned as the group’s physical enforcer.

After his AEW deal ended and he worked a short run on the independent scene, he stated in 2025 that he was effectively retired from wrestling and was focusing on his trucking business.