3 Reasons why Jack Swagger could be the next Brock Lesnar 

While the Royal Rumble may have been the talk of the wrestling world this past weekend, the night before also saw something momentous happen well away from any WWE ring. WWE alum Jack Swagger had his first professional MMA fight, working for Bellator, and was victorious via a first round submission.

Swagger’s decisive victory may have surprised some doubters who pegged him as just another pro wrestler trying out shoot fighting, and who might have stumbled like CM Punk did in his attempts to compete in UFC. Swagger has a real amateur pedigree behind him, though, and is known to be a legitimately big, tough guy, making him a more promising MMA prospect out of the gate.

What if Swagger elevated his career to the next level, though, and wound up coming back to WWE? This article takes a look at three reasons why as Swagger could be a much bigger deal the second time around—maybe even a Brock Lesnar like figure.

---

#3 The credibility factor

Jack Swagger could return to WWE with a new edge from his MMA credentials.

Jack Swagger entered the WWE roster originally with the background of having been a record-setting All American amateur wrestler. That alone was impressive, but if he can continue his winning ways against increasingly stiff competition in the world of mixed martial arts, in front of TV audiences, Swagger’s ethos will only climb.

Indeed, while Brock Lesnar was clearly a unique physical specimen in his original WWE run, when he returned in 2012, he carried with him a new edge as a man who had proven himself as legitimately dangerous in the Octagon. Swagger has a long way to go before he will carry anything like Lesnar’s aura, but he does have the chops to make a go of it. In shoot interviews, Swagger talked about having been the toughest guy in WWE for most of his tenure, and this MMA run may well back up his claim, and shore up his tough guy status with fight fans.

#2 The catchphrase

Swaggers' "We the people" chant is already over with fans.

Jack Swagger struggled through his WWE tenure for reasons that were never altogether clear. After all, he had real-world wrestling credibility, a great look, and rock solid fundamentals in the ring. Nonetheless, he often as not struggled to connect with fans, and WWE’s start-stop pushes didn’t exactly help matters.

Swagger did connect with the crowd to the extent that his “We the people!” catchphrase caught on. Indeed, even when Swagger was a heel and otherwise getting a tepid response from fans, the saying was distinctive and memorable enough to get live crowds chanting along all across the country. It functioned even better after Swagger turned face.

With that seed of appealing to fans, Swagger could capitalize on garnering a huge reaction from fans upon his WWE return. Pair that with an immediate big win and Swagger could be off to the races as the hottest thing going in WWE in very little time.

#1 The mouthpiece

A mouthpiece like Paul Heyman, in the current WWE climate, could go a long way in helping Swagger.

If there is one tangible factor that held back Jack Swagger during his time in WWE, it was his talking game, and particularly a mild speech impediment that reports have indicated WWE felt undermined him as a character.

Swagger spent significant time with Zeb Colter as his manager who did most of his talking for him. It was a bit of an awkward fit for Colter not being entirely over himself, and for a relative rarity of managers at the time that made Colter’s role feel a little out of left field.

In recent months, WWE has re-established the manager role to a fair degree, including Lio Rush backing Bobby Lashley and Drake Maverick working with the Authors of Pain. That’s in addition to Paul Heyman who has carried on as one of the best talkers in wrestling, representing Brock Lesnar. Heyman would be a natural choice to do Swagger’s talking for him and to help him get over to new heights in the world of wrestling.