Former AEW star Jake Hager recently offered his take on former Inner Circle teammate Chris Jericho's WWE future, the timeless value of a great heel, and why wrestling companies should start using the internet as a tool rather than fighting it — all in a new interview on TMZ's Inside The Ring.
On Jericho's WWE Return: "Anything Is Possible"
With Chris Jericho's AEW contract having expired at the end of 2025, Hager was asked about the chances of seeing his former Inner Circle partner back in WWE. He didn't hesitate.
With Chris, anything is possible. I fully expected to see him at the Rumble — or in the Rumble. That guy loves wrestling. He loves to perform. It's who he is. He's not going to stop.
Hager also credited Jericho's work ethic and ring intelligence as the model for how a veteran should operate.
He's not going to have a bad storyline. Every segment is going to be ironed out and great because he's done it for so long. He knows what to look for," Hager said.
He also pointed to Jericho's willingness to put over younger talent during his AEW tenure.
He started off with the championship — he was the first ever AEW champion — but then after that he was constantly putting over Orange Cassidy, putting over the young guys, helping them grow.
The Case for a Great Villain
Hager also made a pointed argument about the current state of wrestling storytelling, centering it on the importance of heels.
A heel is more valuable than a baby face. In order to have the knight in shining armor, you've got to have that big nasty fire-breathing dragon. Otherwise everyone's the same. The nastier, the more evil the heel is, the bigger it's going to make the baby face.
Using the Internet Against Itself
Hager also proposed a strategy for recapturing some of what pro wrestling has lost in the social media era. Rather than lamenting that "smart" fans spoil angles, he suggested companies lean into it.
You don't have to tell all the wrestlers [a backstage argument] was a setup for a storyline — and then it can get leaked online that these two were fighting backstage. You can start working the fans again, having them believe stuff is real," he said.
Everyone says the internet is where you can just find out everything. Well, you can use the internet right back at them. I think that's an avenue that's going to be next for wrestling companies.
It's the kind of thinking that comes from being more than two decades in the business — and it's the lens through which Hager is watching whatever comes next for both himself and the industry.
