Jake Hager’s night reportedly wasn’t over once the doctor waved off his fight. According to a new backstage report, the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion nearly found himself dealing with another situation after leaving the Power Slap stage.
Hager had already been through enough. The former WWE star returned at Power Slap 23 in Lubbock, Texas, hoping to bounce back, but instead suffered another loss after Johnny Magna landed a brutal slap that left Hager bleeding from his left eye and ear.
The cageside doctor stopped the fight in the third round, and medical personnel immediately rushed in to check on him. As he was being evaluated, Hager could be heard telling officials exactly where the shot landed.
“He hit me right in the eye.”
That wasn’t the end of the story. According to Fightful Select, Hager nearly became involved in an altercation with members of a college basketball team following the event. The report didn’t reveal what led to the confrontation, nor did it indicate that things ever became physical, but it added another bizarre chapter to what was already a rough evening.
The timing makes the report even more interesting. Just weeks before stepping back into Power Slap, Hager admitted he had already started thinking about how much damage his body could realistically take. After suffering a brutal knockout in his previous outing, he said another serious setback would make him question whether it was time to walk away.
“But like I said before, it was a hard knockout. If another one should happen—it won’t—but if it should, I would really have to ask myself, ‘Hey, what are we doing here?’ Your chin is like your bump card. You only have so many bumps in pro wrestling, and you only have so many hits in professional fighting. You just have to be honest with yourself.”
One bad loss is tough enough. A doctor’s stoppage followed by a reported confrontation before the night is even over makes for a much rougher evening. It’ll be interesting to see if Hager addresses either situation once he’s had time to recover.
What do you think of the latest report involving Jake Hager after Power Slap 23? Let us know in the comments below.
