AEW: Is Jake Hager in line with All Elite Wrestling’s values?

AEW had an incredible debut on TNT.

The show had its hits and misses, as any new television show is bound do to. In a society with a dwindling attention span the challenge of finding your voice on a national platform is not easy. AEW succeeded in providing fans an alternative wrestling option.

When AEW was laying the foundation for what the company would become, Cody and Brandi Rhodes would come out vocally with their expectations for AEW.

The goal was to make AEW a safe and inclusive company where people from all backgrounds would be welcome.

This was met with applause from fans due to wrestling’s unfortunate history with racism, transphobia, and homophobia.  To deny wrestling’s checkered past with hate would be misguided. There are pockets of fans that believe they can say whatever they want to a wrestler because they’re talking to the wrestler’s character, not the actual person. There are fans that will get on social media and believe because a wrestler tweets, they can respond with hateful messages.

Wrestling hasn’t always been a safe space for everyone. In 2019, it can be argued that it still isn’t.

One of the bigger surprises on AEW’s debut Dynamite episode was the debut of Jake Hager, formally known as Jack Swagger from WWE. Hager had previously left pro wrestling to concentrate on a MMA career with Bellator. His return to wrestling last Wednesday was met with mixed emotions.

Fans were excited to see an ex-WWE talent debuting on AEW television. Fans wanted the nostalgic feeling of when Lex Lugar appeared on the first edition of Nitro. There were also fans who saw this as a letdown because it wasn’t the CM Punk debut they unfairly expected. Regardless of your opinion on Hager debuting, it helped bring more eyes to the AEW show.

Nyla Rose is an openly transgender professional wrestler. She is also the first transgender professional wrestler to sign with a major wrestling company. Rose was on the debut AEW show against Riho to determine the inaugural AEW Women’s Champion. Although she did not win the match, Rose still was viewed highly enough as a wrestler within the company to be on the opening show.

Rose has performed on shows where she has had to endure transphobic chants from fans. Since signing with AEW, such comments have been amplified in the cesspool known as the comments section of social media. There is no need to give those attackers the attention they deserve by sharing photos of the tweets. If you have a desire to validate the claim that she has been harassed at shows or online, you can search for this on your own time.

Rose has endured hatred from fans that has no place in society or professional wrestling.

One of the faces of AEW, Cody Rhodes has stated that AEW wants fans to feel safe at these events.

Wrestling fans can be conservatives. Professional wrestlers can be conservative. You can be conservative without being a bigot.

Wrestling fans can be liberal. Professional wrestlers can be liberal. You can be liberal without agreeing with every piece of liberal ideology.

Jake Hager has stated that he is a conservative who voted for Donald Trump. With that said, Hager’s political views should not exclude him from making a living either in AEW or anywhere. Where the challenge lies is, on social media, Hager has openly liked tweets that can be viewed as transphobic.

If pro wrestling fans wanted to “cancel” every pro wrestler that voted for Donald Trump, a great deal of performers that we cherish would be out the door. That isn’t realistic. Tony Khan’s father made a significant donation to Donald Trump’s campaign. Linda McMahon was working for Donald Trump’s staff. The goal of this is NOT to say that every wrestler who supports Trump is a bad person.

Liking tweets that are transphobic isn’t in line with being a conservative. There are plenty of fans inside and outside of wrestling that will frame themselves as liberal, but carry transphobic beliefs.

AEW has promoted a message of equality and have stated that they are not willing to tolerate fan behavior promoting hatred. Even going so far as to ban fans that have been openly transphobic or bigoted to AEW wrestlers.

If AEW wants to stay in line with its message of promoting a safe space for people of all backgrounds then AEW has to explain the reason for bringing in Jake Hager. Hager consigning a blatantly transphobic tweet from Candace Owens is the opposite of how AEW is looking to portray their company.

There will come a time when Nyla Rose and Jack Swagger have to interact backstage. Will Hager’s beliefs cause Rose to not feel safe at work? Will transgender fans and wrestlers be able to look past the Jake Hager tweets? Does Hager being in AEW make transgender fans feel unsafe to support a wrestler who does not support them?

These are questions that AEW needs to address.

AEW has promoted itself as a company that is looking to provide a safe space for everyone. With that expectation, questions will arise of the character of their performers from all backgrounds. It will be interesting to see how AEW maintains their standard of providing a safe environment for everyone. Should AEW have the right to police the social media likes or retweets of their employees? It can spark a ferocious debate of who determines what a safe space is or isn’t.

If AEW continues to keep Hager on the roster, AEW will have to explain if Hager’s presence is worth making wrestlers like Nyla Rose potentially uncomfortable?

AEW needs to show is their message of a safe space is an honest attempt to change the landscape of pro wrestling or it will be another empty platitude.