Jake Hager has shed more light on his recent decision to step away from the ring, revealing in a new interview how years of constant travel and crucial advice from Dutch Mantell led him to his new career in the trucking business. Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, the former World Heavyweight Champion confirmed he is officially retired from pro wrestling.
When asked why it was the right time to hang up his boots after a career that started in 2006, Hager reaffirmed his decision with a simple declaration.
“Retired baby, Hall of Fame,” he stated. Hager explained that after nearly 18 years dedicated to the sport, he felt he had accomplished everything he set out to do and had wanted to move on for a long time. He then shared a pivotal piece of advice from Dutch Mantell that shaped his transition.
“He was always like ‘Jack, whatever you do from here, you gotta use what you did in pro wrestling at the WWE, the way they use you. You gotta use that background in whatever you venture into next,’” Hager recalled. He connected this directly to the grueling travel schedule inherent to the industry, noting that pro wrestlers are essentially professional drivers. “I told Vince this once, the wrestling I’ll do for free, you got to pay me for the driving. And so it kind of led me to where I’m at now, and I’m excited.”
Hager’s comments on Insight build upon his initial announcement from earlier this month. The 43-year-old first confirmed he was “getting out of wrestling” during an appearance on the Rulebreakers podcast, revealing he had started a Florida-based trucking company named “Haulin’ Oats.”
While the move to trucking marks a new chapter, Hager also recently opened up about the end of his tenure with All Elite Wrestling, which concluded when his contract expired in May 2024. In an interview published on August 25, he stated his passion for the business began to fade after the second “Blood and Guts” match and described the subsequent contract renewal process with Tony Khan as “one-sided.”
Hager’s retirement closes a career that saw him capture the World Heavyweight, United States, and ECW Championships in WWE as Jack Swagger, where he also won the 2010 Money in the Bank ladder match. After a stint in Bellator MMA, he joined AEW in 2019 as a founding member of The Inner Circle. His last televised match was on the February 23, 2024, episode of AEW Rampage, and his final documented match occurred in France on November 2, 2024.