Jack Swagger

[2.0] "I'll give him a 2, purely because he did have some legitimately good matches in his career, especially against Christian and Rey Mysterio. But that's where it ends. Jack Swagger might be among the worst talkers in the history of wrestling and just lacked any kind of physical charisma as well. By all accounts, he also seems like a very rude, hateful person so I can't say I'm disappointed that he's not in a promotion anymore. His biggest claim to fame for me is him being in the first Stadium Stampede, though just about everyone else in that match was more notable than him. Him vs Del Rio had to be one of the most lifeless/tasteless world title storylines in WM history."

[6.0] "Jack Swagger positives were that he looked legit as hell, had real amateur wrestling credentials, and his offence felt believable when he was throwing people around or locking in the ankle lock. He moved well for a big guy, could work a solid match with the right opponent, and early on especially you could see why WWE thought he might be a future main eventer. Negatives were that his promo work was stiff and awkward, he never really connected emotionally with the crowd, and his charisma just never caught up to his push. A lot of his matches blended together, and once the initial novelty wore off it felt like he needed a stronger character or edge that never quite arrived. I'm not gonna poop on him though considering how aggressive and weird other people have been toward him on the internet. He had his place, he was aiight."

[4.0] "Jack Swagger/Jake Hager might be one of the least charismatic wrestlers to ever step foot in a professional wrestling ring. While his "We The People" shtick wasn't bad, due to having Dutch Mantel doing the promos for him and having Cesaro as his tag team partner, I can't say the rest of his career was any good either. 1-2 decent years out of 18 is still bad. Awful promo, average in ring wrestler, no charisma, lacking in personality, boring as paint drying, his only good matches are with superior workers (Rey Mysterio) or in multimen matches (Anarchy in the Arena), might be the worst World Champion in professional wrestling history. How this man has been around as long as he has and still sucks is beyond me. What did Vince McMahon and Tony Khan see in him?"

[4.0] "There's a game I play with Swagger's career, where you replace him with any other wrestler in all of his matches with someone whose rated at least a 6 on Cagematch, and it's almost always an instant improvement. Just incredibly dull and derivative of much better wrestlers. He's the typical guy who works with the guy performer, Mysterio could make him look like a million bucks."

[2.0] "Inadequate is the perfect way to put it. Hager was never once a standout in his professional wrestling career. He was a fine midcard guy who repeatedly treated like a main event player despite there being no fan demand or enough skill for that spotlight. He was functionally fine as a wrestler, but I can't name a match where he actually added to my enjoyment of it. He's worked with many fantastic opponents, but even then his career is hard to point out matches within. At best he's always been okay."

[5.0] "No matter the gimmick or his role within the respective company I have never found Jack Swagger particularly noteworthy or charismatic whatsoever. Even during the Real Americans run which was the peak of his career for my liking he was still the weak link behind Cesaro and Dutch Mantell. While he has some decent amateur and mat wrestling elements to his moveset, there are a dozen guys or more that do that shtick to a much higher quality and in a much more likeable manner."

[7.0] "Vince / WWE definitely did try to push him - immediate undefeated steak and ECW Championship, followed by a MitB win at Mania and World Championship reign. He had the look and in-ring talent, but the character work and mic skills were not there. I don't care as much about that, because thats where a Paul Heyman (or in his case Zeb Colter) comes in, but without the right booking it falls flat"

[4.0] "Always solid in the ring, got a good look and size, but definitely more of a henchman than a boss. He was a slight charisma vaccuum in WWE but Zeb Colter and his partnership with Cesaro helped him out. No clue how he got a World Championship run though, Vince must have been a big fan. The reactions were never there, either positive or negative, and I can't remember ever being excited about him being on TV. Not awful though, there are definitely some worse!"

[1.0] "Honestly one of the worst wrestlers to ever win a world title, and one of the worst to ever make it in one of the big promotions. David Arquette even had more personality, charisma and at this point, in-ring ability. An absolute charisma vacuum, I don't think I ever felt anything for this man except go-away heat. Personally I think, if you exclude the stadium stampede matches, which were brimming with actually talented individuals, I don't believe he's ever been part of a good match, let alone great or a mildly interesting angle or feud."

[3.0] "(I'm rating only based on what I have seen) Legit fucking boring. I can't name a single spectacular moment from him. He has always bored me. I have never thought much about him. His character is boring. He has never been that interesting. He is at best a bodyguard and at worst is a forgettable wrestler. 3/10"

[4.0] "Pretty average, boring mix of powerhouse and MMA guy. He was supposed to be new Kurt Angle, but didn't have charisma, promo or actual wrestling skills of Kurt. With right opponent and when he wants to he can put on a decent, if not great match. Was acceptable as Jericho's big bodyguard. His WWE run was decent to straight terrible. Jericho infamously buried We the people gimmick, but as someone once said, Swagger could put his hand over heart and people would chant We the people. He never got over like that in his career. His run in Mexico was unasked for. To this day he delivered worst promo in SmackDown history. YOu DoN'T knOW JaCK. We don't know Jack, and Jack doesn't know how to cut a promo"

[4.0] "How the formally known as Jack Swagger getting to the top prize in WWE was a good idea to anyone baffles me. Uninspired matches and poor mic work are the norm for this guy. I am part of the group that don't hate the guy, I just don't want to see him in my screen, let alone as champion."

[5.0] "Jack Swagger/Jake Hager is basically what you get if you order Kurt Angle off of DHGate; a cheaper carbon copy who's taller but not exactly as talented in the ring as Kurt is. I will say, Jake does have talent and has a unique in-ring style, but he has no charisma and his mic skills are as appealing as an 80s worn out car, not exactly something you'd care for. WWE tried to get this guy over by putting him as the World Heavyweight Champion in 2010 with the MITB contract cash-in but it backfired on them when nobody reacted to this guy and it was clear he had no personality fans could connect with, doesn't help that his WHC reign is viewed as a joke and a meme in the present day. I think Jake is fine as a midcarder but putting him as a world champion is just not it and never will be it."

[5.0] "I really wanted him to be a great underdog, but sadly he is kinda mid in everything he does. His powerhouse style is not really incredible, his mic skills aren't good. He still looks pretty sympathic, that what brings him some popularity ig."

[4.0] "So damn boring. I think in-ring he was actually alright, probably helped having an amateur wrestling background. But man this guy had ZERO charisma! Like he had absolutely nothing aside from a good theme and being decent in-ring. Couldn't even talk on the mic... not going to take into account his lisp because I think people can easily be good on the mic regardless of a lisp. WWE tried so hard to make him into something, but he just couldn't fill that role. Hard to believe this guy won the MITB and became WHC. Can't exactly blame WWE for trying because on paper (aside from the mic work) he was actually alright but he never really had the ability to be a huge star."

[4.0] "Never really liked him, since wwe i always thought he wasn't good and in aew i hate that purple hat himmick, but he had some good moments as a part of the J.A.S. Jack Hager is just not the type of wrestler that i likebut shout out to him for being arround all this years."

[6.0] "Everything about Jake Hager means I should dislike him intensely compared to my usual taste in pro wrestling but I can't help but quite like him. A perfectly fine big dumb jock sidekick."

[5.0] "He's got the size, the background and had plenty of time in the spotlight to shine, but consistently bores more than any comparable talent. Jack Swagger impressed me at times in WWE and his charisma seemed to bleed through the gimmick at times, but I can't think of a reason why he's paid by AEW at this point unless he works behind the scenes. His shoot fighting career, considering his age and size, are nothing to scoff at, but it doesn't make him a more interesting wrestler or performer. He consistently goes over on younger talent, enhances few, rarely performs and embodies that late 1990s NWO "friend-of-Hogan" other guy that collected a paycheck but never put butts in the seats or eyes on the TV. A hat is not a gimmick, but good for him for getting paid and managing to stay out of the ring and off his shoulders consistently"

[4.0] "A guy his size with the amateur and shoot-fight background should be portrayed as a legit beast, but he's just so bland. AEW tried to reinvent his character but he's just as boring as he was in the WWE, if not worse. There's not a single jack swagger moment I remember"

[4.0] "Never rated him highly, I think he's really below average in the ring, and had some bad bookings and gimmicks in his career. Just like Ronda, a guy that can do some shoot-style well but overall really boring most of the time. The hat thing was funny but that's it, nothing special."

[3.0] "Very lackluster in the ring and average at best on the mic. He has never been in any amazing feuds or matches, he could only ever be a midcarder at best. It's crazy he was ever a world champion. One thing he does have is the look, which is probably why he was pushed so far."

[3.0] "for the sheer amount of chances and tools at his disposal, adequate is actually maybe underselling it. Just an absolute boor somehow a legit athlete with no actually in-ring presence. When he couldn't even be an entertaining dominate champion it was over for him."

"Not the top guy, shouldn't be one, not the right person to win money in the Bank, I did not like him in the real Americans, a really bad gimmick, but he had a good powerbomb. Hasn't done anything in aew, but his I like his hat, and his hat stuff with the purple bucket was hilarious."

[2.0] "Is a pro wrestler who while having a decent look to him and a couple of decent looking moves, has shown zero charisma and has never gotten over with the audience no matter where he has gone and has steadily been a background character to wrestling for the past few years. This guy has had multiple chances with belt reigns, hall of fame managers, and hall of fame stablemates... He just shows zero charisma and is one of those wrestlers who you watch on TV or in a PPV and question "Does this guy even want to be here? " Jake Hager / Jack Swagger has always been nothing more than a mid enforcer flunky type of guy, even on the biggest stages, and with the biggest titles in a company he always felt midcard or "B minus"."

[3.0] "Competent in-ring, and literally nothing else. Unexciting, terrible on the mic, an unthreatening boring heel, an unlikable boring face, and one of the worst world champions of all time."

[3.0] "Nothing much to say about Hager. He's been a good enforcer type in the JAS, but his awful WWE run overshadows any good work he's ever done."

[4.0] "Every once in a while Hager will have an okay match or do something during a promo that entertains me but for the most part the guy isn't that good. His matches are painfully mediocre and he somehow hasn't improved at all since his early days in WWE."

[3.0] "I wanted to like him for most of the time, it's just not possible for me. In-ring, promo, character and charisma are all just lacking in my opinion. I really don't care about the size of a wrestler, so that's not really a benefit either."

[2.0] "WWE tried so hard to make him the new Kurt Angle in 2010, but soon realized that he simply isn't that talented and the crowd simply didn't care about him. Making him win the MITB (instead of the Chosen One Drew McIntyre) and dethrone Chris Jericho as WHC was a crime against humanity."

[3.0] "Good size and can work a passable match when required thanks to a long stretch in WWE but he has no X-factor. Promo work is terrible, no charisma. Seems to be just robbing a living in AEW these days, getting paid Lord knows how much for goofing around in the background."

[3.0] "Haven't seen his AEW stuff, but going off what I have seen which is plenty of his WWE career, dude is not all that. And he won the MITB and main title for christ sake. He's just so boring, and terrible on the mic"

"A lot of people like to shit-talk Hager because he failed as a main-eventer in WWE years ago, but as a goon he's filled his role well in AEW. The man simply loves his hat! Let the man love his hat in peace!"

[4.0] "He had a good 2009 as a generic wrestler, he had a generic 2010, he had a generic 2011, he had a generic 2012, lol at WM 29, WE THE PEOPLE, he had a generic 2015, he had a generic 2016, he had a generic 2017, he had a generic 2018, he had a generic 2019, he had a generic 2020, he had a generic 2021, he had a generic 2022 and he's having a generic 2023. He's terrible in AEW, was there in WWE and was out of place in Lucha Underground."

"Jake Hager is an interesting one. While I enjoy the majority of his matches, he has never blown me away with anything he? s done. Decent ring work but sub-par promos, he works well in a stable & being with Chris Jericho has helped him a lot in AEW. Why WWE ever put the world championship on him idk."

[7.0] "Hager is as legit a fighter as you can find, and it shows in his work. In the ring his matches with high level talents are often rather good but he can have a bad match if the talent on the other side does not fit his style. Not the most charismatic and mic skills are below average but those can be covered up by a good manager or being part of the stable as more of an enforcer role."

"Would rate him below like Corbin or Strauman even though Hager has a way cooler moveset and Corbin and Strauman kinda suck. At least they have characters. Character. Shows very little personality or charm."

[7.0] "Jake Hager - A versatile technical wrestler who has everything to become a big star, but there is a nuance! He is always quickly written off and simply not allowed to open up as an individual, I think he should be given a chance to work solo again, only this time give him more freedom to express himself like they did with Claudio Castagnoli, also I like what he tried yourself in MMA is very cool!"

[4.0] "I don't really have an opinion on Jake Hager. I remember him when he was Jack Swagger in WWE and he looked promising (sorta) but that didn't really go anywhere. He hasn't been anything more than Chris Jericho's lapdog in AEW so he's technically been in interesting feuds, but nothing more than that."

[4.0] "Jack Swagger is a competent technical wrestler, but he isn't diversely prepared or talented enough to rely on it alone. Unfortunately, chain wrestling is all he has to give. He's boring and a bad talker, with no charm and little ability to elicit audience engagement in his bouts. He did well for himself when he had Zeb Colter advocate on his behalf, but now he's effectively stuck. I hate to tell it, but Swagger just doesn't have what it takes to make it in the big leagues. He's not bad, but he lacks "it factor.""

[4.0] "Jake Hager has been given opportunity after opportunity to prove himself, and everywhere he went he's flopped. The fact that he's a former World Heavyweight Championship in WWE is sort of insane. He was most over with "We The People", and will never reach those heights ever again. Despite his background being an All-American wrestler, he never really had it in the ring, and certainly never had it on the mic."

[3.0] "He's solid in a certain role where he is a supporting player and more of a muscle type. Putting him in a starring role though just hasn't worked out. His in-ring ability is ok, but nothing stands out as anything special or unique that separates him from others. He needs a manager as his mic work is below average at best and just overall isn't really charismatic. He's had some memorable moments, most notably with the We the People gimmick but those seem few and far between. I hate to say it, but he's had a long career and worked for big companies for someone that's so forgettable and below average."

[6.0] "He had his moment of charisma in WWE with the We The People gimmick, years ago he did not stand out much with his reigns, later he was in Tag Team with Cesaro and they did well enough. Now in AEW he is being wasted, it must be very nice to be part of the stable of one of the best wrestlers in history Chris Jericho, but he does not have the profile of being an stable guy."

[2.0] "In WWE he was a passable Angle-lite maybe, but I have no clue what his purpose is anymore. Knowing a little more than I probably should about the man does him no favors, but even setting it aside... he is the weakest link of any segment he's in on AEW TV, and I don't really think there's any saving. He also seemingly forgets the basics of wrestling, yet is portrayed as this MMA guy who's adept at everything. Not sure that gimmick fits him at all."

[3.0] "WWE Hager was a 7 - atleast he came off with size and swagger. In AEW I? m not exactly sure what his role Is but it? s doing registering."

[4.0] "What is this guy's purpose? And what does he even do? He's another of those many guys AEW signed back at their inception because they were simply desperate to fill the card with people with any sort of name value, no matter how minor it was, nor how mediocre their in-ring work was. Basically, he's only still with the company because he was an ex-WWE guy, and then he became so strongly associated with the Inner Circle that AEW then felt too awkward to let him go, so instead they've gifted him a pay cheque for the last 2 years while barely ever giving him meaningful screen time. AEW realised he wasn't going to be anything special after only a few months when he went a ridiculous 30 minutes in a title match with Moxley and couldn't produce anything worthwhile. That was the height of his push in the company, and his work ever since then has proven exactly why. Nothing about his offence is actually exciting or creative, since he just relies on his size and a handful of MMA-inspired moves to look "strong", but he lacks any real intensity. It doesn't help that he's usually played off as the "silent bodyguard" type in the Inner Circle, always with a straight face and hands behind his back to look "intimidating", which actually just makes him totally forgettable when compared to the far greater charisma (not to mention far better in-ring talent) of the other Inner Circle members. His performance record is an absolute joke. He's had literally less than TEN matches in the company's 2-year existence, half of which were against nobodies and the other half which featured him against actually pushed stars where he failed to leave any sort of positive impression. He's also of course been in the various Inner Circle multi-man gimmick matches, similarly leaving zero impression. There are plenty of far better "big men" that could have filled Hager's boots in the Inner Circle with far better character work and in-ring abilities, so I don't know why AEW/Jericho chose the most bland dude possible. Thankfully, with the Inner Circle seemingly (and hopefully) on the brink of breaking up, Hager will either miraculously find some motivation to now actually impress with his character/in-ring, or he will just fade out of the company entirely."

[6.0] "Swagger/Hager has the charisma of a wet blanket, but he's a very skilled legit wrestler and fighter in his own right. Keep a mic away from him, and just have him beat the hell out of people and he's good."

[3.0] "Hager's a big guy with legit wrestling skills yet he never comes off as a threat in any way. He's lack of personality wouldn't matter so much if he could actually go in the ring but even then he doesn't click."

[8.0] "Hager is an underrated wrestler who has the in-ring fundamentals and technical work down to a tee. He has the intimidating look, has a suitable entrance, and the intensity to boot. Unlike WWE, AEW actually figured out how to use him, and he's evidently best used in a stable since his mic skills are rather lacking."

[3.0] "Boring, forgettable, no charisma, no personality, nothing impressive about his inring skills. AEW tried to revive his career and found no success, to no ones surprise."

[5.0] "Hager can be good on occasion, this is evidenced by many great singles matches he had over the coarse of his WWE run, but it? s undeniable that he only ever manages to have a great match when working with someone much better that can bring out the best in him. He was also world champion at one point, which I completely forgot about, and I don? t think anyone can blame me considering how forgettable it is. Anyway, he really hasn? t done anything in AEW yet and I? m not sure he will. He? s alright, but not that good, and he? s no doubt gotten worse since leaving WWE."