Jake Hager said another bad knockout would make him question whether he should keep competing in Power Slap. He may now have another difficult decision to make after his latest appearance ended with a gruesome injury and a doctor stepping in to stop the fight.
Hager returned to action at Power Slap 23 on September 18 in Lubbock, Texas, where he faced Johnny Magna in a heavyweight matchup. Instead of getting the comeback he was hoping for, the fight ended in frightening fashion after Hager absorbed a devastating slap that left him seriously hurt.
Footage from the event showed Hager immediately becoming disoriented after taking the shot. Blood could be seen coming from his left eye and ear, forcing medical personnel to rush into the competition before the bout was officially stopped by the cageside doctor in the third round. As officials checked on him, Hager could be heard explaining where the slap landed.
“He hit me right in the eye.”
The scary ending comes just weeks after Hager admitted he had already thought about how much punishment his body could realistically take. Speaking on the Off the Rails podcast with Jasmin St. Claire, the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion said one more serious knockout would force him to reconsider his future in the sport.
“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.”
This setback wasn’t another knockout, but it may prove just as concerning given how quickly the fight had to be stopped and the condition Hager was left in afterwards. There’s no word yet on the full extent of the injury or how long he could be sidelined following the doctor’s stoppage.
After seeing what happened at Power Slap 23, do you think Jake Hager should continue competing in the sport or call it a career? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
