Is Jack Swagger his own worst enemy?

On paper, Jacob Hager appears to be the perfect man to be a WWE Superstar. From his start in wrestling at age five, his sport recruitment by University of Oklahoma, his college friendship with Jim Ross, to his 30 pins as an All American Wrestler, the most in a single season, in 2006, Hager looked destined for wrestling greatness when right after college graduation he turned down a job in finance, his chosen field, to accept a contract with WWE.

Hager graduated from college in May of 2006 and debuted in the ring under his real name in DSW only four months later. In August 2007, Hager was moved to FCW. While he was there, he had a gimmick of being undefeated, which lasted quite a while before ending on August 18, 2008 in a RAW dark match to William Regal. He followed that up with a loss to D’Lo Brown at a Smackdown dark match, and then lost the FCW Championship to Sheamus on September 18^th, but by then had debuted with WWECW as Jack Swagger.

On September 9, 2008, Swagger debuted on ECW and beat a jobber, but then quickly proved himself to be a heel, feuding with Tommy Dreamer. Swagger started an undefeated streak in ECW. Only four months later, Swagger became #1 Contender for Matt Hardy’s ECW Championship, and defeated him for it. Swagger continued his winning streak until losing to Finlay in a non-title match on February 3, 2009. Swagger retained his ECW Championship against Hardy at the Royal Rumble, and against Finlay at No Way Out. Christian started coming after Swagger’s ECW Championship, finally ending Swagger’s 104-day reign at Backlash. Swagger tried to regain the ECW Championship twice, but was unable to do so before being traded to RAW on June 29, 2009. That was Swagger’s one ECW Championship reign.

Swagger’s debut on RAW was in a Three-On-One Gauntlet Match for Orton’s WWE Championship where he purposely got counted out to impress Orton. Swagger went on to feud with MVP, Kofi, and Miz, including being eliminated at the Royal Rumble by Kofi. Swagger went on to qualify and win the Money In The Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania XXVI for any WWE World Championship over the following year.

His first attempt was against Cena on RAW after WrestleMania for his WWE Championship, but that never got off the ground and so Swagger ended up cashing in on the March 30 taping of Smackdown against Chris Jericho, the World Heavyweight Championship, after Edge had speared him. Swagger successfully defended his WHC against Jericho, Edge, Orton and Big Show, until he lost it on June 20 at the Fatal 4 Way PPV in a Fatal 4 Way Match against Rey Mysterio, CM Punk and Big Show. Rey defeated Swagger for the Title, and even after Swagger kept attacking Rey and trying to get the Title back, he never did. That was Swagger’s only MITBLM win, and his only WHC reign.

Swagger moved on to working with Michael Cole in his feud against Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler, culminating in Cole’s WrestleMania match with King, and Swagger’s stunner from Stone Cold Steve Austin. Swagger continued to bounce around and dabble with various other Superstars, but nothing big came from it, right up to Swagger losing the next MITBLM to Alberto Del Rio. Swagger decided that Vickie Guerrero should manage him as well as Dolph Ziggler, but that didn’t mean the two of them got along very well.

Swagger went after Ziggler’s United States Championship, but was unable to beat him for it. Vickie them put them together as a tag team, but they were unable to defeat Air Boom for the Tag Team Championships. After Ziggler lost the US Championship, Swagger was able to win it from Zack Ryder on the January 16, 2012 episode of RAW. Swagger and Ziggler kept trying to win the TTC, but were unable to do so. Swagger lost the US Championship on March 5 to Santino Marrella. Swagger and Ziggler kept arguing and fighting until Vickie decided they would have to fight to see who would remain under her charge. Ziggler defeated Swagger, so Vickie released him to be on his own. From that point, Swagger had a serious losing streak until he told then RAW GM AJ Lee that he was going to take some time off. This was Swagger’s one US Championship reign.

Each and every time Swagger has been pushed, something has happened, and his ego and attitude rubs someone the wrong way; usually someone in control of his career. As I said before, on paper Hager looks great, but as can be seen through each push of his; they don’t last very long, and that’s because no one backstage can put up with his big head. His first undefeated streak in FCW was before being brought up to the big leagues, so his arrogance hadn’t hit full stride.

Swagger was WWECW Champion for 104 days, much shorter than his undefeated streak in FCW, but still not really the big leagues when it comes to WWE. His ego did rear its ugly head during his time as WWECW Champion, but not to the extent it did during his next reign. His reign as WHC lasted only 82 days, and he only remained Champion that long because there really wasn’t anyone suitable to strap at the time, even though many people were very unhappy with Swagger through much of his reign because his ego was running rampant.

Swagger acted like he was the king of the locker room, and could do no wrong. After that title reign, Swagger was told that his ego would not be put up with like that again even if he was strapped. Swagger then held the US Championship for 49 days. Are we seeing a pattern here?

This last time Swagger returned to the WWE, he was given a huge chance. Not only was Swagger given a great new storyline, and a much more vicious and driven character, but he was given one of the best in the business today to be his manager. Swagger re-debuted on February 1, 2013, his manager Zeb Colter debuted on February 11^th, Swagger won Elimination Chamber on February 17^th, and screwed it all up on February 19^th. I honestly think that has to be some sort of a record in the WWE.

Further, I was shocked that Swagger didn’t get slapped down for getting arrested for DUI and possession. The WWE has been stepping things up with their Wellness Policy these past couple of years, and yet Swagger was allowed to run rampant on TV, and even work WrestleMania while waiting to go to court.

Swagger might have fought at WrestleMania, but he sure didn’t win, and I will give the WWE props for that. Further, I have to give the WWE props for strapping Ziggler the following night on RAW. Ziggler has worked very hard to become WWE WHC, and many feared that Swagger was going to step right in and take that away from Ziggler, but Swagger took care of that a mere 19 days after his return to WWE TV. The big question weighing on many minds is if Swagger purposely set out to hurt Ziggler and end his WHC reign.

Personally, I believe that Swagger was out to get Ziggler for what Swagger perceives as taken from him. I’m not saying that I think Swagger went out there to concuss Ziggler, but I think he went out there working rough and figured if anyone got hurt, it could only benefit him in the long run, or even in the short run. And while Ziggler did lose his WHC, he’s back and Swagger isn’t.

I guess the big questions are if Swagger will return to WWE TV, and if he will be afforded another title shot of any sort, or even any major pushes. I’d like to think that the WWE has learned from its mistakes, but they kept bringing Orton back after all of his major blunders. Orton still has issues, but he’s really been proving himself of late, especially in the ring with Daniel Bryan.

I’m not saying I’d trust Swagger in the ring with Bryan at this point, but maybe putting Swagger in the ring with Brock would be an eye opener? I would never wish getting fired upon anyone, but I don’t think Swagger is stable enough to be in the ring with anyone, and he sure isn’t the type of person who should be leading the WWE as a Champion of any sort. Only time will tell what will happen with Swagger. He might look good on paper; but in reality, Jacob Hager does not have the mental stability to be a WWE Superstar.