Jack Swagger is an American-born mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with the WWE, the world’s leading wrestling promotion organization. Jack Swagger has won the ECW Championship, the World Heavyweight Championship, and the United States WWE Championship.
After 9 years as a WWE star, Jack Swagger was released from the company in March 2017. He currently participates in the Independent Wrestling Circuit under his real name Jake Hager. In November 2017, the former heavyweight world champion was also signed to Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion.
Early Life and Rise to Fame
The WWE star, better known under his stage name “Jack Swagger”, was born as Donald Jacob “Jake” Hager Jr. on March 24, 1982, in Perry, Oklahoma. He started wrestling at the tender age of 5 years. In high school, he competed as a two-sport athlete and took part in both wrestling and American football. Jake Hager continued his career as a two-sport athlete at the University of Oklahoma but finally decided to go into wrestling in his second year of college. In his senior year, he was accepted into the All-American Wrestling Team. He set a school record in the 129 kg (285 lb) weight category for the highest number of pins (30) in a single season. Jack Hager graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2006 with a major in Finance.
He joined WWE in 2006 after a successful trial period at WWE. In his first two seasons, he performed or trained in a number of WWE development areas, including Deep South Wrestling (DSW), Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), and Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). He also served as a security guard during a John Cena vs. Umaga match on WWE Raw. In March 2008, Jack Hager won the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship, his first professional title.
This guy took the stage name “Jack Swagger” when he made his debut for WWE’s ECW brand on September 9, 2008. He lost his FCW championship title after a defeat to Sheamus on 18 September 2008, and in January 2009 he defeated Matt Hardy to win his first WWE title, the ECW Championship. Jack successfully defended himself against Hardy at the Royal Rumble (2009), before he finally lost the ECW title on April 26 at Backlash (2009). All further attempts by Jack Swagger to retain the ECW title were unsuccessful.
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In June 2009, Jack Swagger switched from ECW to WWE Raw. On 1 March 2010, he won the “Money in the Bank” ranking at the WrestleMania XXVI event. At the end of the same month, he defeated Chris Jericho, the world heavyweight champion, and successfully defended the title against Jericho and other prominent wrestlers such as Edge, Randy Orton, and Big Show before finally losing to Rey Mysterio on June 20th.
Jack Swagger won the United States WWE Championship in January 2012 and his reign lasted 50 days. He lost the title to Santino Marella on 5 March and several attempts to regain it proved unsuccessful. His contract with the Raw brand expired in September 2016 and as a result, he was transferred to SmackDown Live. Swagger remained with WWE until he was released from his contract in March 2017.
After leaving WWE, the star joined the independent professional wrestling circus. In June 2017, he appeared on the House of Hardcore Australia Tour 2017. In February 2018 he won the heavyweight title under the Scotland-based professional wrestling promotion “5 Star Wrestling”. A few days later (in April) Swagger won the Imperial Wrestling Revolution Championship. He was also signed to the Major League Wrestling (MLW) and made his debut for the brand on 3 May 2018.
Jack Swagger Wife (Catalina White) and Kids
The former WWE star is currently married to a model, designer, entrepreneur, and former WWE diva Catalina White. The duo met during a training session at the FCW development area of WWE in Tampa, Florida, and entered into a marriage in December 2010.
Just like her husband, Catalina White is a former WWE women’s wrestler; she performed under the nickname, Saylor James. Her stint as a WWE star lasted from October 2008 to March 2009, and as a model, Catalina White has appeared in Maxim, Complex, and FHM.
The couple has two children, a son, and a daughter. On October 16, 2011, they welcomed their first child, a son named Knox Stribling after WWE star Mike Knox. On 20 May 2015, they welcomed their daughter, Presley Pearl.
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Height, Weight, and Other Body Measurements
Jack Swagger is charged at a height of 6 feet 7 inches. However, the actual height of the former WWE superstar is 196 cm (6 feet 5 inches). The professional wrestler weighs an amazing 120 kg (265 lbs). Despite his gigantic stature, the former heavyweight world champion is extremely athletic.
