It is cool to be a pro wrestler and that makes it so much better for us as pro wrestlers - who go out there and put our bodies on the line and give the fans the entertainment that they deserve.
— Jake Hager
Absolutely, it's awesome to be a pro wrestler.
I've been a competitor all my life.
The more you boo me the better I'm going to wrestle. You don't like me? So what. It's a lot of fun to work like that and wrestle with that mindset.
I love being a family man.
Going through life is always scary doing something new, at the same time it is very exciting.
I think 'We the People' is an example of why pro wrestling is so cool because it was a storyline that started out very political and very controversial and very nasty. It really evolved into a movement of the people, not just American people, but people everywhere.
Entertainment is a big part of MMA and it is unique.
When you step in front of a camera, and everybody is going to have their hyped-up personality, everyone is going to have the character they are trying to play.
You don't see a lot of fighters with no or little experience getting to be on the main card. I know that's an incredible honor, but at the same time, I know my worth, and I know my value.
If people want to compare me to Brock Lesnar - there's worse people to compare me to.
Your character has to be an extension of yourself, and you got to be comfortable in it. Otherwise, people are going to see right through it. They're going to see that you're acting or that you're playing wrestling.
People want to see fighters who can put on a little show and then back it up. Hopefully I can do both of those things.
To be successful in WWE, you have to love what you do. You have to want to steal the show every time you go out.
As far as the work in the ring, it's so much technique and spacing and timing, and that's what amateur wrestling is, too. So I felt like I learned very fast and a lot of things came naturally for me.
I've always been a big fan of Hollywood.
I want to grow my brand and help wrestling continue to grow, too.
I was young; I signed with the WWE when I was 24. I was up on the main roster when I was 26 and 10 years later that is a lot of learning and a lot of growth.
I think Bellator is the place for me to hone my craft and they have a great selection of heavyweights here. They put on a great card every time so it's really exciting to be a part of that.
I like to think of pro wrestling as an art, so we're artists.
Any time you can get Glenn Beck crying it's a good thing.
I love being a dad.
Jumping into something new is always challenging with the schedule and the routine and when you can train, and fit that into your life that you already have right now.
I would love to fight Fedor Emelianenko in Russia, maybe we can make that happen.
AEW loves what I'm doing with Bellator and Bellator loves what I'm doing with AEW.
Kofi Kingston has always been one of my favorite opponents to wrestle. He and I started back in McDonough, Georgia in 2006 in developmental at Deep South together. So, our careers have come along at the same time. He's incredible.
I want people to say that Jack Swagger/Jake Hager is a world champion in MMA and in pro wrestling.
Some people work their entire lives to become a professional fighter and see certain guys with exposure or just a name, hop into the professional ranks. It can rub people the wrong way and have them very doubtful of your skills because they see first-hand the hard work and how many years it takes to master this.
If I just keep my head down and I keep working hard, that's just what I do.
The level of difficulty in most areas of MMA is very high. It's a high learning curve. The footwork in boxing alone takes years to master. I will rely heavily on my amateur wrestling to get out of bad situations and take me from defense to offense. I'll try to dictate the fight on my terms.
To be able to change from being essentially a bad guy into a really hot babyface overnight is very hard to do.
If you go back and look at WWE Magazine, they asked me when I was going to win my first world championship and I told them WrestleMania XXVI, so I was only a couple days off.
Wrestling for wrestling fans is an honor.
A lot of people want me to say negative things about WWE, but I'm very grateful for my career there.
Anyone that holds a championship you are on a list of a very few people that have had that special honor, and it is really incredible to say that no matter what you say about my wrestling career I was a World Heavyweight Champion and you can't take that away from me.
That's one thing I found out about myself when I left WWE: I'm that guy that needs to be pushed full throttle. That's when you're gonna get the best out of me.
Zeb Colter is unbelievable, he is priceless.
WWE really likes to keep its fans on the edge of their seats and on their toes.
I believe competition makes everyone better.
If I can make someone tap out with my ankle lock it would be Sasha Banks.
As cool as Jack Swagger was, he felt choreographed.
Really, my family is my strength and I realize that and I am leaning on it.
You know, there's not a lot of guys who don't like Jack Swagger. It's a good problem to have.
Big risk means big reward. I want that.
People think I look like a P.E. teacher or the principal.
If you speak pro wrestling or MMA, you almost speak any language.
A lot of great fighters were amateur wrestlers first and you can study them on film to see how they adapted the techniques.
I really like Bellator and them as a company and how they are run. It's a popular place for fighters to go to.
I look like a winner, I smell like a winner, so why not put it on the big screen?
When I look in the mirror, I'm a husband and a father first.
