As the road to the Royal Rumble heats up and speculation runs wild, one name can already be crossed off the list of potential surprise entrants. Jake Hager, who recently announced his retirement from in-ring competition, has made it clear he doesn’t expect an invitation from his former employer anytime soon.
In an interview with Dr. Chris Featherstone of Sportskeeda, the former Jack Swagger was asked about a possible one-off appearance in the match. “I sincerely doubt it,” Hager said bluntly, adding, “I don’t think they like me very much.”
When pressed on who specifically felt that way, Hager aimed his response at the top of the creative ladder: “Whoever books the Royal Rumble.”
Hager’s last appearance in the Royal Rumble came in 2016, nearly a decade ago, in a match ultimately won by the man who is now WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Triple H. To even enter that Rumble, Hager and Mark Henry had to win a qualifying match on the kickoff show.
His comments come at a time when he has been openly critical of his career path, recently stating that Tony Khan didn’t want him in AEW and recalling that John Cena once refused to put him over during his WWE run. By his own admission, the door to a WWE return appears firmly shut, with Hager convinced that the man in charge has no interest in reopening it.