The Crowd Was Hot for Jack Swagger
The crowd was hot for Jack Swagger. That was the inescapable thought. It was a thought that said it all. His given name is Donald Jacob Hager. He goes by Jake now. He is almost the prototype -- tall, young (by modern pro wrestling standards), athletic, attractive. He is a former WWE Champion. His WWE title reign lasted fourteen weeks, then the ripcord was pulled. His run was ten years ago. He's had several wrestling reincarnations, and he's 2-0 in Bellator. Why go nuts for Jake Hager? The fundamental reason is the same reason AEW exists: wrestling fans hate WWE. As they see it, fifteen years of their fandom was stolen by Vince McMahon. Vince offered an ambitiously produced product whose meat was overcooked. It has been the ultimate frustration: loyally watching a show in the hopes it gets better, and it never does. The appearance of Hager, like the appearance of fellow former WWE midcarder Dean Ambrose before him, was the crowd's chance to give a middl