Former WWE And AEW Superstar Jake Hager Signs With Power Slap
Jake Hager is making another move in combat sports. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion and AEW veteran has signed a multi-appearance deal with Power Slap. His debut is set for April 17 in Las Vegas. That’s right in the middle of WrestleMania weekend, which is no coincidence.
Hager has a legitimate combat sports background as an NCAA Division I All-American wrestler, a Bellator MMA run, and years of professional wrestling at the highest level. Here’s everything you need to know about the signing, what it means for Hager, and why Power Slap just made a very smart business move.
Who Is Jake Hager?
Most wrestling fans know him as Jack Swagger in WWE, where he won the World Heavyweight Championship after cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania 26. He later rebranded as Jake Hager in AEW, where he competed until his retirement from full-time professional wrestling in 2025.
But Hager’s athletic credentials go well beyond the scripted world of pro wrestling. He was a legitimate NCAA Division I All-American in collegiate wrestling. He also tested himself in Bellator MMA, competing in actual sanctioned fights. That separates him from the majority of crossover names who enter combat-adjacent promotions without ever having competed in a real fight.
The Deal: What Was Announced
On March 2, 2026, Hager confirmed the signing on TMZ’s Inside the Ring. The key details:
- Six-appearance deal with UFC Power Slap
- Debut date: April 17, 2026, in Las Vegas
- Division: Heavyweight
- Event: Part of the WrestleMania weekend card
Hager said he was approached about the opportunity by Sinn Bodhi (Nick Cvjetkovich) and found the format appealing as a competitive outlet post-retirement. He framed it as an extension of his combat sports career, not a desperate grab for relevance. Whether fans believe that framing will partly depend on how he performs.
Why This Matters for Power Slap
Dana White’s Power Slap has been building its roster with recognizable names since launching, and the strategy is straightforward: attach known faces to big weekends and drive streaming numbers.
Signing Hager ahead of WrestleMania weekend is exactly that playbook executed well. Wrestling fans will already be flooded with combat sports content that week. A former WWE World Champion competing in Las Vegas on April 17 gives Power Slap a headline act with genuine crossover appeal.
There’s also a credibility argument here. He isn’t just a famous name, but a credentialed combat athlete. That matters in a format that has faced criticism over safety concerns and questions about competitive legitimacy. A competitor who has actually fought in Bellator and trained seriously as a wrestler adds weight to the promotion’s athletic claims.
What Hager Has to Figure Out
Slap fighting has a unique set of demands that don’t map cleanly onto wrestling or MMA. The timing is different. The conditioning requirements, specifically the ability to absorb and recover from full-power strikes, are specific to this format. The legal striking technique is narrowly defined.
Hager will need targeted preparation, not just general athletic conditioning. His wrestling base gives him physical toughness and competitive experience under pressure, but slap fighting rewards a specific kind of chin, reaction speed, and mental resilience that isn’t automatically transferable.
His April 17 debut will tell us a lot. If he performs well, the remaining five appearances in his deal become meaningful storyline material for the promotion. If he struggles, the conversation will shift toward whether Power Slap crossovers actually benefit from combat sports credibility or whether the format is its own isolated discipline.
What Comes Next
The April 17 Las Vegas debut is the first real test. From there, Power Slap will likely shape Hager’s remaining appearances based on fan response and whatever promotional direction fits best. A strong debut could fast-track him toward bigger matchups within the promotion, and potentially reignite interest in additional MMA bookings down the line.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many appearances did Jake Hager sign for with Power Slap?
Hager signed a six-appearance deal with Power Slap.
Has Jake Hager competed in combat sports outside of wrestling before?
Yes. Hager previously competed in Bellator MMA and was an NCAA Division I All-American wrestler before his professional career.
When and where is Jake Hager’s Power Slap debut?
His debut is scheduled for April 17, 2026, in Las Vegas, during WrestleMania weekend.
What division will Hager compete in?
He will compete in the heavyweight division.
The Bigger Picture
Combat sports and entertainment have been blurring together for years. Hager’s move to Power Slap is the latest example of that trend playing out in real time. For better or worse, the lines between sport, spectacle, and entertainment continue to shift. Whether this gamble pays off for Hager will become clear on April 17. For now, he’s put himself back in the spotlight at exactly the right moment.
