Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Shockingly Retires At 43

A former WWE World Heavyweight Champion has shockingly announced retirement from wrestling.

Jake Hager, who wrestled under the name Jack Swagger, has called the curtains on his in-ring career, aged 43.

Hager confirmed this during a recent appearance on the Rule Breakers with Sayara podcast.

He also opened up about running a trucking company in Florida. When Saraya asked him about his activities these days, he said:

I’m getting out of wrestling. I pretty much—I could say I’m retired from it.

I started a trucking company and so… running routes through Tampa and Florida. I’m not driving—got people driving. But yeah, I’m excited. Something to stick my teeth into. Hard work always pays off. [H/T: Ringside News]

Hager signed with WWE in 2006 and debuted in 2008 on the ECW brand, where he won the ECW Championship.

He subsequently wrestled on the RAW and SmackDown brands, winning multiple titles, including the World Heavyweight Championship.

Hager requested his release from WWE in 2017. He joined AEW in 2019, where he was a regular until he left in 2024.

John Cena Refused To Lose To Jake Hager In WWE

John Cena recently confessed to having never chosen his opponents, saying, “They deal ’em, I play ’em.” Turns out this may not be true, at least in the past.

During an early appearance on Talk is Jericho, Jake Hager detailed how Cena refused a MITB cash-in title loss in 2010.

I hit Cena with the briefcase, I snuck up on him when he had one of his brilliant promo segments. Later, come to find out, he refused to do the job for me for the [WWE] Championship. [H/T: TheSportReview]

He sarcastically called Cena ‘the most unselfish top man in the business.’