Jake Hager was last seen on a February 2024 episode of AEW Rampage. He has since left the company and done some work on the independent scene.
Hager’s time in AEW is best remembered for his role in the Jericho Appreciation Society. His purple hat gimmick quickly became a fan favorite, although it lost momentum quickly.
Unfortunately for Hager, it would appear he didn’t enjoy his time with AEW. He was part of the roster during one of the most difficult periods in the young company’s history. That period coincided with CM Punk’s departure from the company.
During an August 26 episode of the Chris Van Vliet podcast, Hager tore into Tony Khan’s leadership and how he handled the Punk situation.
“After all the Punk [stuff] that went down, the boys got together and we had a meeting… No office, right?,” Hager said. “…Who comes into the room, storming in, daddy’s little billionaire and he’s like yelling at us… We became his little playthings. We had to wait outside his office. His storylines were very good at debuting, but he could never carry anything through. …He couldn’t take criticism.”
Hager’s criticism isn’t the first time a former AEW talent has spoken ill of Khan. However, the company is currently gaining significant momentum, and his comments will certainly be unwelcome among the locker room and ownership.
Punk Previously Questioned AEW Business Model
In an April 1, 2024, interview with Ariel Helwani on “The MMA Hour,” Punk shared his frustrations with AEW’s business model and how they put their in-ring product above all else.
“Their business — and I know a lot of people are going to be upset — its not a real business,” Punk said. “It’s not about selling tickets, it’s not about drawing money, it’s not about making money, it’s just not. I don’t know. I think just having good matches, maybe? And there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Punk’s comments came shortly after his messy exit from the company. However, a lot of what he said has hung over Khan and AEW for the past 12 months. In fact, it’s only recently that those narratives have begun to change.
Khan Should Ignore Hager
A primary reason AEW has enjoyed a strong resurgence this year is that they’ve focused on their own product. They haven’t retaliated when WWE has counter-programmed, and Khan hasn’t taken shots at others on social media.
Instead, AEW has focused on doing what it does best. The results have been there for everyone to see. So, while Hager’s comments are undoubtedly personal and potentially destabilizing. Still, there’s no value in responding, either via social media or asking a talent to cut a promo at Dynamite or Collision.
Hager’s comments make it clear that his exit from AEW wasn’t amicable. With no plans to return to the company, he had nothing to lose by sharing his honest thoughts. Still, that shouldn’t stop AEW from continuing to build momentum, draw new fans and continue creating excellent programming.
After all, every company has disgruntled ex-workers, and that’s exactly what Hager is at this point.
Jake Hager Drops Savage Take on AEW’s Tony Khan