10 Wrestlers Who Could Leave AEW In 2022

5. Jake Hager

Debuting to great impact on AEW's first episode of Dynamite in October 2019, the former Jack Swagger was a solid addition to the company's broadly hoss-less ranks at the time. With its roster comprised primarily of wrestlers who'd be classed Cruiserweights in WWE, the company found a big, believable bruiser with name value and real-world credibility from his MMA run, who slotted nicely into Chris Jericho's Inner Circle stable.

Hager has played his role well enough. Though AEW is no longer short of big beefy boys, he is nonetheless the most physically imposing presence in the Inner Circle and while not the most outwardly charismatic, this hasn't mattered to him in AEW. Hager is presented in-line with his strengths. He isn't much of a talker, so he doesn't talk, and instead acts as muscle whenever Chris Jericho crew needs it.

But with The Inner Circle no longer attached at the hip the same way they used to be, his role is waning. Hager and Jericho, an underrated tag team, haven't worked a standard two-on-two since September. Jake's last singles bout was in June, and he hasn't worked a match of any kind since November.

He'd be a big-name cut and there's no express need to jettison him (or anyone, for that matter), but a believable departure nonetheless.