Bellator MMA Favorite & All Elite Wrestling Star Jake Hager On “Bellator 231,” MMA Goals & More
Bellator is a leading global mixed martial arts and kickboxing promotion featuring many of the best athletes in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries.
As seen on both the Paramount Network and DAZN — the world’s first truly dedicated LIVE sports streaming service — Bellator is presenting two major events this weekend, Bellator 231 and Bellator 232. Taking place at the famed Mohegan Sun Arena on October 25th (Bellator 231) and October 26th (Bellator 232), many of Bellator’s top stars will be fighting in Uncasville, Connecticut.
One of those stars is Jake Hager, an undefeated MMA fighter who is also currently working with the popular new company All Elite Wrestling. Hager is notably pulling double duty these days as both an AEW star within the Inner Circle stable — partaking in such alongside AEW World Champion Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz — and an undefeated major attraction for Bellator.
I had the pleasure of speaking with the All-American collegiate athlete — also a former World Champion during his WWE tenure — by phone on October 22, 2019. While audio of the full interview is embedded below, part of the conversation has been transcribed exclusively for The Hype Magazine; more of this chat was previously transcribed for acclaimed international sports website Sportskeeda.
On what he wishes more people knew about Jake Hager:
Jake Hager: It’s funny that a lot of people know Jake Hager as “Jack Swagger,” so they’re kind of surprised when they see me in the MMA cage because all they know is the pro-wrestler. Jake Hager has been wrestling all his life, longer than Jack Swagger has ever existed. So it’s surprising to me because this is actually who I am and what I’ve done. This is what got me to the dance. Really in some instance it’s nothing new to me, even though it is a brand new thing and sport. Other than that, Jake Hager is a family man. I get all my strength from my kids and my wife.
On his last words for the kids:
Jake Hager: Kids, just know that Jake Hager was never the best athlete. I was never the fastest. I wasn’t the strongest. I was very lucky to get great coaches around me and believe them and trust them. They showed me, through my hard work, that you can get better. Put yourself in a situation where your hard work directly relates to your success and you will succeed. And then don’t stop working hard.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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