Inspiration can come from anywhere, as former AEW wrestler Jake Hager (former Jack Swagger in WWE) showed, and he named Vin Diesel's Marvel character Groot from the Guardians of the Galaxy series as one.
During an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Hager wanted his storyline involving a hat to go further. Somehow, it was inspired by Groot, whose signature catchphrase is “I am Groot.”
“I pitched an idea — I think this is great — and I wanted to turn into Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, where I would say, ‘I like this hat,' and everybody in JAS [Jericho Appreciation Society] would know what I'm saying,” Hager revealed. “I'm not saying ‘I like this hat,' I'm not saying ‘I am Groot,' they would just like play off of it.”
Will former AEW star Jake Hager ever get to do his Groot idea?
Hager recently announced his retirement from professional wrestling on August 7, 2025. In the interview with Van Vliet, Hager did acknowledge it's a “never say never” business, though he'd be “driving up the price” of his booking fee to keep going.
So, it does not sound like he will ever get a chance to bring his Groot-inspired idea to life. That is a shame, but maybe some other promotion will pay the price and give him a shot.
He had a run in AEW that lasted nearly five years before his release in 2024. He had previously gained fame for his time in WWE, which lasted from 2006 until 2017.
Early in his WWE career, Hager won the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 26. He would later beat Chris Jericho to win the World Heavyweight Championship with his Money in the Bank contract. Hager's run lasted 79 days before he lost the title to Rey Mysterio.
Throughout the rest of his career, Hager won the ECW Championship and United States Championship once. He was released from WWE after asking for his release in March 2017.
