Former AEW and WWE star Jake Hager appeared on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, where he discussed several topics, including how he pitched a Groot-like persona in AEW centered around his catchphrase, “I like this hat.”
Hager said, “That’s really what I (had) come to realize, too, with pro wrestling, which I love it. I had a great career. I was very blessed to have the opportunities that I had in it. But in pro wrestling, your hard work doesn’t always determine your success, right?”
He continued, “This is why I kind of wish I would have stayed with MMA because my hard work would have a hundred percent directly contributed to my success. There’s politics (in wrestling), the audience of one. I feel like the hat could have been way bigger. But he (Tony Khan) didn’t like me. Like I pitched an idea. I think this is great. I wanted to turn into Groot from Guardians Of The Galaxy where I would say, ‘I like this hat’, and everybody in JAS would know what I’m saying. I’m not saying I like this hat.”
Hager added, “I’m not saying I am Groot. You know, they would just play off of it.”
Hager left AEW when his contract expired in May 2024. He has since retired from wrestling and now owns a trucking company.
You can check out the complete podcast in the video below.
(H/T to Fightful for transcribing the above quotes)
