Jake Hager has reacted to the possibility of appearing at the WWE Royal Rumble.
Hager, who rose to fame as Jack Swagger in WWE, was recently asked by Sportskeeda’s Dr. Chris Featherstone if he would rule out a Royal Rumble appearance.
“I sincerely doubt it,” Hager said. “I don’t think they like me very much.”
When asked to name the person who allegedly doesn’t like him, he replied: “Whoever books the Royal Rumble.”
Since Triple H is the current head booker, it is safe to assume Hager’s comments were directed at WWE’s Chief Content Officer.
Jake Hager has not competed in the WWE Royal Rumble since 2016. He and Mark Henry earned their spots in the match by winning a fatal four-Way during the kickoff show. However, neither man was successful in the Rumble itself, which was ultimately won by Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Saudi Arabia is set to host the 2026 Royal Rumble. On Friday, WWE also announced that WrestleMania 43 will take place in the country. However, that announcement has resulted in a less-than-favorable response from fans around the world.
Jake Hager returning to WWE isn’t likely
Hager has been outspoken in his recent criticism of his run in both WWE and AEW. Hager claimed that he knew Tony Khan didn’t want him in AEW, and also revealed that John Cena “refused” to put him over in WWE.
Another factor potentially getting in the way of Hager’s return to WWE is the fact that he recently announced his retirement from in-ring competition. However, while “never say never” is the popular phrase in pro wrestling, Hager doesn’t sound like he’s expecting a call from Stamford.
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