Jake Hager used to be known as Jack Swagger in WWE. He had successfully won the Money In The Bank briefcase at WrestleMania 26 and was going to cash it in on John Cena to win the WWE Title. However, it seems Cena had no intention of dropping the title to Hager. Hager eventually cashed in on Jericho and won the World Heavyweight Championship.
Hager spoke to Talk Is Jericho, where he and Jericho discussed that story. Jericho revealed that he had no problem in Vince McMahon changing plans so that he would have to drop the title to Hager. Then Jake Hager revealed that it was John Cena who had a problem with it.
Cena simply did not want to drop the WWE Title and then Hager recalled how quickly the plan came together after the initial change.
“I had a little inclination, but I had no idea wAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. THE NIGHT BEFORE, I TEASED IT ON RAW WHERE I WOULD ALMOST HIT CENA WITH THE BRIEFCASE. I SNUCK UP ON HIM AND THEN WE HAD ONE OF HIS BRILLIANT PROMO SEGMENTS. LATER COME FIND OUT HE REFUSED TO DO THE JOB FOR ME FOR THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, BUT WE WON’T TALK ABOUT THAT. THAT WAS IN PHOENIX. I GET A CALL THAT NIGHT SAYING, ‘HEY COME TO VEGAS.’ CATALINA AND I WERE ALREADY PLANNING ON COMING THERE TO KIND OF CELEBRATE IN VEGAS AND WHATNOT. WE GET TO THE BUILDING.”
“OF COURSE, I GET THERE 30 MINUTES EARLIER THAN I’M SUPPOSED TO, SO I’M WAITING OUT IN THE HALLWAY. AND THEN I SEE JOHNNY (JOHN LAURANITIS) GO IN THE OFFICE. HERE YOU COME [AND] EDGE COMES, AND I’M LIKE, ‘OKAY, THIS IS MY TURN. I’LL COME IN RIGHT BEHIND YOU GUYS,’ AND THEN THE DOOR SHUTS. IT WAS ABOUT FIVE MINUTES OUT THERE AND WHO KNOWS, YOU GUYS WERE PROBABLY JUST ALL IN THERE LAUGHING AND JOKING LIKE, ‘HEY, THIS ROOKIE’S OUT HERE SWEATING HIS ASS OFF,’ AND THEN I GO IN THERE. AND HONESTLY CHRIS, THIS IS WHY I ALWAYS LOOK TO YOU AS SOMEONE I COULD TRUST, SOMEONE THAT ACTUALLY CARED IS BECAUSE WHEN WE SAT IN THERE, AND IT WAS LAID OUT WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, YOU TURN TO ME AND VERY STOICALLY, YOU TOLD ME, ‘YOU BETTER NOT F*CK THIS UP.’ AND YOU WERE DEAD SERIOUS, AND YOU WERE VERY SINCERE WITH IT.”
“AND IT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS, IT ALWAYS REMINDED ME OF MY BEST WRESTLING COACH. HE WOULD ALWAYS YELL AT US. HE’D ALWAYS KICK OUR ASS. HE WAS LIKE, ‘GUYS, IF I’M NOT YELLING AT YOU, I DON’T CARE,’ AND SO IMMEDIATELY ONCE YOU SAID THAT, I ALREADY LOOKED AT YOU VERY FONDLY. WE WERE FRIENDS [AND] HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP, BUT FROM THAT MOMENT ON, I LOOKED UP TO YOU. I KNEW THAT I COULD ALMOST TRUST YOU. IT WAS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS OF MY CAREER THAT I WILL ALWAYS ALWAYS REMEMBER.”
John Cena is no longer an active WWE Superstar due to having a busy career in Hollywood. He was the top Superstar in WWE for over a decade. Jake Hager is now working in AEW as part of The Inner Circle with Chris Jericho.
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