Interview Highlights: Jake Hager (a/k/a Jack Swagger) talks about leaving WWE, timing of his first Bellator fight, wrestling for MLW

The following are highlights of Jake Hager (a/k/a Jack Swagger) speaking to CBS Sports about about whether he regrets leaving WWE, his progress in training for Bellator MMA, and now returning to pro wrestling for MLW. He has signed for five shows.

•It has been just over a year since you left WWE. Do you harbor any ill feelings about your time there? No. I look back at my career and I’m very thankful. Successful people don’t look back and waste energy on what could have been and all the stuff that didn’t happen. … If my fans want to see me back in the WWE, you know, never say never, but we got a big agenda ahead of us for 2018 that we’re pretty excited about.

•MLW hasn’t shied away from investing in putting on a show with high production value. Do you even consider this to be an independent promotion with the national TV deal? Personally, I hate the terms indies or independent promotion when it comes to professional wrestling. I feel like it’s a stigma that’s attached to it that no longer exists. Of course, there are the bad ones, but I think these promotions are just like self-run businesses now. I think a promotion like MLW which has really built a name and a brand and has a TV deal is definitely not an independent promotion. I look at them as a promotion with a television show with great opportunities. [If you look at who’s there], Tony Schiavone is just one, but the roster is incredible here and it’s just going to be so exciting to see the product.

•You announced late last year that you had signed with Bellator with a goal of fighting at some point this year. How’s training going? The hard work’s paying off and the hard training is only making my body feel better. It’s crazy. When I left [WWE] last year I was pretty banged up and not in that good of shape. And this crossing over into a new world has really forced me to focus on my body and I feel 24 again.

•Are you still on track to fight this year or are we looking at early 2019? We’re looking at end of 2018. I got really busy with pro wrestling so we pushed the date back, but at the end of 2018 I’m going to come out and I will make a statement.

In other topics in the full interview, he talks about C.M. Punk’s return to UFC for a second fight being schedule, whether his pairing with Col. Robert Parker in MLW will evolve into a Zen Colter type of relationship, and who he wants to wrestle in MLW. Full interview HERE.

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