Add as a preferred source on Google Jake Hager has no plans to rebuild his relationship with AEW. Appearing on Off the Rails with Jasmin St. Claire, the former Inner Circle member said he’s all but closed the door on a return to Tony Khan’s company.
“They always say never say never in pro wrestling, but I think I’ve kind of slammed that door shut.”
Asked whether Khan was a decent person away from the cameras, Hager was even more direct, tying his answer to how he believes he was treated backstage.
“I would say no. I never got to know the real Tony, and then once I saw his true colors, I would say no. He’s not a decent person, just based on how he treated me and my situation there.”
Despite the criticism, Hager didn’t disown his entire AEW run. He said he’s proud of the work he did with Chris Jericho in the Inner Circle and noted that the group was voted Faction of the Year in 2021. Hager debuted on the first episode of Dynamite, on October 2, 2019, and remained with the company until the summer of 2024.
The friction with Khan had already come out in August 2025. On Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Hager said he felt disrespected after receiving an offer of just 18 months following his original contract, and accused the AEW president of not taking criticism well and failing to properly wrap up the storylines he’d started.
Part of that account, though, was disputed. Hager claimed that Khan interrupted a wrestlers-only meeting following the issues involving CM Punk and complained that FTR had refused to show up for work. Dax Harwood denied both claims, while Cash Wheeler posted a conversation in which Hager apologized for the claim involving the tag team.
Hager’s final match in AEW came on the February 23, 2024 episode of Rampage, a loss to Roderick Strong. Though he announced his retirement in August 2025, he returned to the ring with WWC in June 2026, and he’s also currently competing in Power Slap.