Current Top AEW Star Reveals That He Was Depressed in the WWE

Brush Stroke By: Rahul V Krishnan Image credit: WWE and Twitter

[{"selector":"#anim-e0fa3bd7-9a44-4481-aaf8-9d0a1c2b3514 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-37.38392845864837%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b208264f-7cef-4e0e-bbcc-1a3ebfb2a70e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-911f6a19-1259-49aa-acc5-8333c717625e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.66102%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9c37a8ef-e723-4b4d-8492-5761917694ea","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-57160f19-6a1d-43d9-ace3-498042b6a446","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-158.95197%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] AEW star Jake Hager in a recent interview with WWE veteran Dutch Mantell opened up about the mental state he was in while he was working in the WWE.

[{"selector":"#anim-dd108434-6e6e-4cfd-8823-dee1081c2e52 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-3.6810295175058876%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-59744dfa-e783-48fc-9290-fab64aadcae7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-98a85517-1e40-404d-8931-06da779d4e24","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-126.82927%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e47b64ce-eb00-458d-a225-92d3916d7091","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ffd831aa-d401-48a4-adbb-fc795409f462","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-73.9628%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Hager worked for the Stamford-based promotion under the ring name Jack Swagger and he was able to win the World Heavyweight Championship during his time there.

The 'All American American' after the title win was never utilized properly by the WWE therefore he requested his release back in 2017 and the request was granted soon after.

[{"selector":"#anim-9b85d7e1-3126-4170-a9c8-dc40f79238f0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e3ac27f0-b6de-455e-97b1-cb436754d318","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -385.35357%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6f73cf5b-7c86-4159-914b-a23ef5c8add9 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-36.00275725699687%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}]

[{"selector":"#anim-c33e8ca1-443b-4965-81c5-26d29a89fc84 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-2.45401967833725%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a7c1e5cf-61df-4d73-9112-c131c094df63","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f3e2c210-477a-47d6-b9be-a5f3e4ebe181","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -373.34549%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Speaking to Dutch Mantell who was his former onscreen manager, Hager revealed that he was burnt out during the later stages of his WWE career and he couldn't stop drinking during that time.

[{"selector":"#anim-d6e60b52-5a6e-4087-b739-6a689f63be36 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-23.015625023422725%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-551d95ff-4514-4f90-8f80-d4e376a2d950","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f7196271-84ad-49ee-a36b-97b004cdec43","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-22e49385-cd58-42cc-b1c0-fedc063fe3dc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-500b9d9e-4628-4de2-bfff-457b772b3123","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] “I was kind of burned out from the road, it was nine years at that time of pretty much non-stop. I was drinking way too much, drinking every day and I could not stop." He said. (h/t: TJRWrestling) Circled Dot

[{"selector":"#anim-9be7db7f-a528-47d2-84ac-99d54fe60c83 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-19.058823407767363%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e5294d91-2a94-434a-afaf-3ef4a9228da0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5223d368-0f6d-49ab-a454-af47d10eb8f9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.53399%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Following his exit from WWE Hager made the jump to MMA and signed with Bellator MMA in the heavyweight division. He is currently undefeated in his MMA career as he currently has a 3-0 (1) record.

Hager admitted that his time in Bellator MMA helped him "get back to the hard training" and gave him confidence in his life to get back to who he was.

[{"selector":"#anim-a80c9b47-59db-4b0b-a724-77b34708f83f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(40.71316949292022%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6e49f159-bae2-416b-9f2c-4159dad59165","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-80c82168-a1d9-414c-bd2f-f2fb6058d26c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-116.27119%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-469c1698-82c2-4263-a941-23575d0b5286","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-157229b6-67b0-43e4-853f-0606a2b11d78","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-158.51529%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

[{"selector":"#anim-27e4ea25-04cb-446f-a2ac-5e79a6cfda7f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(7.5959823625317044%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8739e8fe-cb77-49a7-b33f-67214f0f0495","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-abe47bbd-bec2-49c1-b9ae-39233c4f00fc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -373.34549%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Hager is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling and is part of the JAS (Jericho Appreciation Society). His last televised match came in January where he lost to Ricky Starks.

Current Top AEW Star Reveals That He Was Depressed in the WWE

The 'All American American' after the title win was never utilized properly by the WWE therefore he requested his release back in 2017 and the request was granted soon after.

Hager admitted that his time in Bellator MMA helped him "get back to the hard training" and gave him confidence in his life to get back to who he was.

More Stories.

THANKS FOR READING