Jake Hager (Jack Swagger) Replay Interview

In 2019 we had the pleasure of chatting with Jake Hager, aka professional wrestler Jack Swagger, as he prepared to make his MMA debut.  Due to popular demand we're proud to prove the replay, check it out! 

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hey, it's Travis, host of the Side Stage Show. Make sure to join me every Thursday from noon to 3 p.m. Central Standard Time on 95.9 KRFF, right here in the Fargo Moorhead area. Or you can tune in online from anywhere to radiofreefargo.org. Now, recently I got to chat with wrestling superstar Jake Hager, or aka Jack Swagger, about his upcoming professional MMA debut under Bellator. Plus, did you know he was born right here in Fargo? Yeah, we talked about that and a whole heck of a lot more. Check out the interview and enjoy. 95.9 KRFF. I tell you what, I have been looking forward to chatting with this gentleman all week, especially when I found out a little fun fact about him. Of course, wrestling fans everywhere know him as Jack Swagger, and next weekend he's going to embark on a new journey as he makes his professional MMA debut under Bellator. Welcome to the show, Jake Hager. How are you, man?

SPEAKER_01 0:58

Hey, I'm great. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00 1:00

Now, I did not know this about you, but something you told me when we were emailing earlier this week is that you were born here in Fargo. Do tell.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

Yes, yes. Uh my mom and my dad uh are from North Dakota. My dad is from a small town called Wapaton, about 500 people, and my mom actually uh grew up in Fargo. She went to Fargo West High School. So I was born in '82 at uh Fargo Hospital, and then we moved to Oklahoma when I was four years old. But it's uh it's always home. Uh when I come up there, I uh I convert back to that beautiful accent you guys have.

SPEAKER_00 1:39

Well, I gotta ask, of course, when was the last time you were back here in Fargo?

SPEAKER_01 1:43

Uh I was up I was there a couple years ago um for uh family get together, uh went to my Uncle Blake house and had a good time.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

You just mentioned our accents, but I wanted to ask you what's something about Fargo that you miss?

SPEAKER_01 1:58

Uh I think uh I will always have a special place for the summertime there. Uh it's always so beautiful. Like once you get over the mosquitoes there's the times in the summer where I haven't been able to go outside because those skeeters are getcha. But uh the summertime and the lakes and you know, your grass is so soft, I just like taking my shoes off and walking around in it. I don't think we get a lot of that in Florida for some reason. But honestly, you know, it it's really the people. Um everyone is so friendly and so outgoing, and you don't really see that in a lot of places of the world.

SPEAKER_00 2:33

You know, and and summer is such a short-lived season here in Fargo that if you do come up during the summer, you're gonna see some really happy people because we get that little window of summer to enjoy.

SPEAKER_01 2:45

Well, that would make sense. That'd make me happy too.

SPEAKER_00 2:49

No, I want to touch base real quick. Obviously, you were a star athlete in high school and in college, so the transition into professional wrestling made sense. Who were some of your heroes growing up?

SPEAKER_01 3:01

Uh well, when I first uh got into wrestling, my cousins uh were big time wrestlers in Bismarck. Uh they went on to, you know, uh achieve multiple state championships, ace extreme teams, and that's when I first got the bug was from them. And so I I looked up to Kelly and Ryan Kringley uh out of Bismarck, like they were my big brothers, and uh they gave me the bug. And then once we moved to Oklahoma, names like Danny Hodge and Dr. Death Steve Williams were household men, so I quickly, quickly learned about those guys, and been very, very fortunate to have special people like that in my life throughout my wrestling career.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

All right, before we get into your MMA debut here, who do you feel gave you some of your best professional wrestling matches?

SPEAKER_01 3:50

Oh man, uh too many to count. Um any matches I've had with Grey Mysterio, uh Christian, um, you know, the big feud I had with Rusef back in 2013 will go down as one of my favorite. Uh the Alberto de Rio, we the people, WrestleMania feud has to be in there. Um that roster is filled with so much great talent and great guys that everyone's working together and to put on a great show, and it's really refreshing to find that.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

And now here you are about to embark on a new journey, make your pro MMA debut next weekend under Bellator. How has training been different for this versus wrestling training?

SPEAKER_01 4:36

Uh, you know, there's a lot of similarities, but there's a lot of differences too. One is the conditioning. You have to be in really top-level shape to go out there and fight for three, five-minute rounds, five, five-minute rounds, to uh wrestle with the takedowns against the cage, and then stand back up and be able to move your hands, keep them up, and protect yourself, and then throw them at a at a nice speed. Um, it's really, really taxing on the body. Um professional wrestling is very taxive too as far as training with the physical bumps that you are taking and you know, essentially selling to your audience. Um it's it's it's very similar, but this MMA training, it kind of didn't take me by surprise, but I was like, oh yeah, I've wrestled in college, I wrestled at the Division I level, I know how to train hard. And then you start training for MMA, and you're like, oh shut up now, all right? This is a level above that.

SPEAKER_00 5:35

Brother, I can only imagine. Of course, JW Kaiser is gonna be your opponent, and of course, he's gonna be expecting your wrestling background to come into the match here, but something without giving it away, what is something that you think might surprise him? Would it be your speed, your strength, your toughness?

SPEAKER_01 5:53

Um, yeah, I think I'm I think uh my speed is gonna surprise a lot of people for a heavyweight. Um, you know, heavyweights are known to be heavy-handed, but uh how many heavyweights actually have great footwork? Um we've really been focusing on that because essentially that's what's gonna keep you protected and that's what's gonna keep you safe in there. If you've got good footwork and you're on balance and uh you're in position, then you're ready to defend yourself, and more importantly, you're attacking and uh keeping the other guy off balance. Um it's uh I think uh a lot of people will be surprised with my offense. They're not gonna expect a wrestler to do what I what I'm planning on showing. I don't want to give away too much, but of course I just want to say they used to call me shins in high school. I got very long legs and uh I plan on using them.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

All right, brother, let me ask you. You're in good company here. Your Lesnar's, your Batistas, Lashley, CM Punk, all wrestlers who have crossed over into MMA. Now it's your turn. What's gonna make you stand out amongst them?

SPEAKER_01 6:56

Well, one, I'm ridiculously good looking, and uh sadly to say those guys are not. So, I mean, you're gonna see me out there and be like, dang, that guy looks good. You know, there could be a lot of comparisons drawn between though uh between Lashley and Lesnar and myself, all division uh college wrestlers, um, you know, in the heavyweight division. So you can see a lot. Um I feel like my conditioning and my toughness is gonna set me apart, though.

SPEAKER_00 7:28

Now, obviously your match next weekend is your first and foremost concern, but looking just a little past that, is there anybody in Bellator you kind of have your eye on? Now, I say this because there was a gentleman who spent some years here in Fargo, and he went on to be in the UFC and just recently made his pro MMA debut under Bellator. Of course, I'm talking Timothy Johnson, so I'm just saying you're both heavyweights, you both have that Fargo connection.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

Man, what a small world it would be if that happened. That'd be very cool. Um right now, with this being my first professional fight, I'm not looking past it. There's there's no easy fight in this world. Um, I wish I could give you more of a cocky answer, but realistically, I'm focused on next Saturday, and uh that that and that's it.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

All right, so one last question I want to ask you here, and it comes from one of our listeners who's a big fan of yours. Obviously, this show is everything rock. We like to rock out here on the show. Who do you like to listen to, jam out to when you're training?

SPEAKER_01 8:34

Well, I mean, I I I enjoy a lot of classic rock. Uh I believe uh the 1970s was uh the best era for music. Um, you know, I like good music. So whether it's it's golden country, classic rock, or uh uh, you know, I I listen to a lot of hip hop too. Um but you know, I'm big Aerosmith guy, big Zeppelin guy, big Credence Clearwater, big pure prairie league, if I can go back that far. I don't know if they're considered rock, but I rock out to them.

SPEAKER_00 9:07

Well, is there anything you want to tell your fans here back in Fargo? Any shout-outs you want to make?

SPEAKER_01 9:12

Hey, follow me on Twitter, Instagram for all the updates. Uh they're gonna be following me all week uh on social media, so you know, tune in to see the behind the scenes uh life before the fight. And for all your construction needs, please check out Prairie Road Supplies right there, Fargo. Always a pleasure. I can't wait to come back up there and maybe we can do it uh in studio.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

Now that would be cool. I'm gonna hold you to it. Thanks again, man.

SPEAKER_01 9:39

All right, Fargo, stand up.