Tiffany Stratton has at long last cashed in her Money in the Bank contract and waited until the first three-hour edition of WWE SmackDown to do so. Stratton toppled Nia Jax to capture the WWE Women’s Championship but is hardly the first Superstar to cash in on the Blue Brand:

2007: Edge (May 8, 2007)

Mr. Kennedy claimed he’d wait a whole year to cash in Money in the Bank, but would in fact lose the briefcase to Edge in May 2007. Not wanting to make the same mistake as Kennedy, Edge cashed in days after winning the briefcase to win the World Heavyweight Title from The Undertaker.

2010: Jack Swagger (April 2, 2010)

After winning the Money in the Bank contract at WrestleMania 26, Jack Swagger attempted to cash in on the following Raw. When that didn’t work out, Swagger took advantage of a downed Chris Jericho, who had just taken a spear by Edge, to win the World Heavyweight Championship on SmackDown.

2017: Baron Corbin (August 15, 2017)

The only failed cash-in to take place on SmackDown, Baron Corbin tried to claim the WWE Championship that was held by Jinder Mahal at the time. The interference of John Cena (ironically the first man to fail a Money in the Bank cash-in) ended the match in a DQ and Corbin would never hold World Championship gold in WWE.

2018: Carmella (April 10, 2018)

The first-ever Miss. Money in the Bank, Carmella had to win her briefcase a second time on the June 27 episode of SmackDown, due to James Ellsworth’s interference. After waiting 287 days, the Staten Island Princess cashed in on April 10, 2018, SmackDown to win the SmackDown Women’s Title from Charlotte Flair.

2025: Tiffany Stratton (January 3, 2025)

After months of being dismissed and put down by her ‘friend,’ Tiffany Stratton got her revenge by cashing in Money in the Bank on Nia Jax. This win marks Stratton’s first title on the main roster, and the end of Jax’s reign as Women’s Champion that had begun at SummerSlam 2024.

Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Tiffany Stratton and her reign as the brand-new WWE Women’s Champion.

Jake Hager spent years as part of AEW, despite the company’s owner Tony Khan allegedly not wanting him in the promotion in the first place. Speaking to Going Ringside, Hager alleged that it was only due to Chris Jericho that he was a part of the promotion.

“Chris Jericho is the greatest of all time… Tony didn’t want me there, but Chris said he wanted me there, and it was awesome.”

Hager debuted in AEW on the inaugural episode of Dynamite in October 2019, immediately aligning with Jericho as part of the Inner Circle. Hager stayed with the company until May of this year when he opted not to re-sign with the company. His final TV appearance was on the February 21, 2024, edition of Rampage, where he lost to Roderick Strong.

Jake Hager Exits AEW After Declining New Contract

Hager’s claim that Khan didn’t want him is not the first bold claim made by the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Last month, Hager claimed that Khan had threatened his job over his support for Donald Trump. Hager, who has also called Khan a communist, has yet to provide hard evidence for any of his claims against the AEW President.

Hager has competed a handful of times since parting ways with AEW, and fans shouldn’t expect him to work with Tony Khan again. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Jake Hager as the All-Elite alum continues to make his views clear out of the ring.

AEW’s locker room was getting crowded, but there have been a few departures in recent memory. Now we can add Jake Hager’s name to the list. Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net reports that Hager’s contract has recently expired, and he did not re-sign with All Elite Wrestling, making him a free agent. The decision is believed to have been mutual.

The former Jack Swagger in WWE debuted with AEW on October 2, 2019, during the premiere episode of Dynamite, where he joined The Inner Circle. He made his in-ring debut for AEW on February 29, 2020, at AEW’s Revolution pay-per-view, where he defeated Dustin Rhodes. Following the disbanding of The Inner Circle, Hager became part of the Jericho Appreciation Society. However, he had not been used much since the stable’s breakup in late 2023.

WWE Hall of Famers Mark Henry and Arn Anderson have also announced their departures from AEW. While Jake Hager’s exit is notable, it is worth mentioning that the company had not used him frequently in recent times.

Hager’s last match in AEW took place on February 21, 2024, when he was defeated by Roderick Strong on AEW Rampage in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Was CM Punk right with what he said and did following AEW All Out 2022?

Since the infamous September Pay-Per-View, Punk has not been seen on AEW programming, due to his comments on the post-show media scrum.

After lashing out at several roster members, including The Elite, ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, and Colt Cabana, Punk was involved in a fight backstage that led to several suspensions.

Jake Hager Weighs In

Punk is now the only person suspended at the time to still be suspended from AEW, and many believe his days with the company are through.

While Tony Khan refuses to speak about Punk when asked in interviews, Jake Hager weighed in when speaking on Story Time with Dutch Mantell.

“Who knows how animosity builds and how lack of communication leads to certain things. I think it all stems from how you view things, and obviously one person in that party was viewing things so negatively. And I don’t think he was correct.”

Jake Hager on CM Punk.

AEW has not revealed the results of the investigation into the backstage fight that was conducted by a third party.

Given that the Elite are back on TV and AEW Trios Champions again, while Punk is still suspended and his ally Ace Steel fired, the results have seemingly damned the former AEW World Champion.

What’s next?

Today is day 155 since the All Out altercation, and Punk’s future in AEW, and wrestling as a whole, remains uncertain.

It has been reported that Punk is seeking a buyout of his AEW deal, something that Tony Khan is in no hurry to grant.

Some speculate that Punk wants out of AEW in order to return to WWE, the promotion he walked out of in 2014.

It has also been reported that people from both companies believe Punk returning to AEW or WWE is a bad idea and that he will only cause more trouble.

h/t – eWrestlingNews

Following the June 8 episode of AEW Dynamite, Rampage was taped.

The show was taped inside Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, MO. Fans got to witness a grudge match between Eddie Kingston and Jake Hager.

Also on the card was a tag team match featuring Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh taking on Davey Vega and Mat Fitchett.

Red Velvet went one-on-one with former ally Kris Statlander.

Also featured was a six-man tag team match. Will Ospreay, Mark Davis, and Kyle Flecther of United Empire took on FTR and Trent Beretta.

AEW Rampage Spoilers (6/10/22)

Here are spoilers for the June 10 episode of AEW Rampage.

• Eddie Kingston def. Jake Hager
• Jay Lethal & Satnam Singh def. Davey Vega & Mat Fitchett
• Kris Statlander def. Red Velvet
• FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) & Trent Beretta def. United Empire (Will Ospreay, Mark Davis, & Kyle Fletcher)

There was also a segment with both HOOK and Danhausen that was said to be humorous.

AEW had been teasing tensions between Chris Jericho and Inner Circle’s Santana and Ortiz for a while. This storyline came to an unexpected conclusion on tonight’s episode of Dynamite.

Sunday’s Revolution PPV saw Eddie Kingston picking up a victory over the former AEW champion. Y2J opened tonight’s show right from where he left things during the PPV.

Jericho called out Kingston to the ring. He offered to shake the hand of The Mad King and Eddie took the offer. Though 2point0 and Daniel Garcia jumped the two men immediately afterward.

Santana and Ortiz hit the ring to make the save. They brought a bat with them to get the upper hand. The duo handed the bat to Jericho as they held Garcia.

• AEW Dynamite Results (3/9): Jeff Hardy Debuts, Regal Speaks, Paige VanZant, New Champion

However, Chris Jericho attacked his Inner Circle teammates instead. Both 2point0 and Garcia joined him in the attack.

Jake Hager came down the ring next and he first questioned the Inner Circle leader. He then blasted Santana and Ortiz as well. He smashed Kingston with the bat and power bombed him through a table.

Chris Jericho finally took the mic and dubbed this new alliance the Jericho Appreciation Society. You can check out videos of the segment below:

Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson recently responded to some comments from AEW’s Jake Hager on Twitter. Hager put out a Tweet saying he’d bet $20K that Steveson couldn’t take him down. Steveson eventually responded that he has never heard of Hager.

Jake Hager was recently angling for a fight with Fedor Emelianenko. Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett spoke out about this, saying Hager was not good enough to be lobbying for such a fight.

Gable Steveson On WWE Ambitions

In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Steveson spoke about his WWE ambitions.

“If I ever go to WWE, I’d be a ‘Paul Heyman Guy,’ ” said Steveson. “Heyman is a legend. We’d be two people doing great things, and that would be a tough team to beat.”

“And I’ve known Brock since I was in high school. He’s been there for me for a long time, making sure I do things the right way and put my best foot forward.”

“So many great organizations and teams have reached out. A scout from the Bills, there is a connection with the Ravens. The Olympic gold medal is helping me see the world, so my next step is going to be a big decision. I’m going to decompress now and think about it.”

Inner Circle member Jake Hager has described the past year in All Elite Wrestling as the “greatest year in my career.”

Hager shared his feelings on his AEW tenure while appearing on Chris Jericho’s podcast, Talk is Jericho. From a pro wrestling perspective, he believes signing with AEW has allowed him to experience some memorable moments over the past year.

“I look back at this year with AEW as the greatest year in my career pro wrestling wise. Moments like that were really cool,” Hager said. “14,000 people, the debut episode – I was nervous as s–t and I had the easiest thing to do. All I had to do was run out to the ring without tripping and then slide in the ring and do a couple things. You look back at some of the uncut footage that they have formatted, it’s so cool, and the crowd was going so crazy.”

Hager reflected on how he immediately knew something special was happening as soon as he debuted. He recalled how the crowd was chanting, “We The People.” Hager noted how “[…] the second night is when you completely cut it off, and they haven’t said it since.”

He then stressed how it was essential to separate themselves from previous gimmicks. Hager expressed how “[…] we are different characters with AEW, so let’s be different.”

Jericho agreed with Jake Hager’s point. He explained how, although he appreciates fans still changing “Y2J,” it irks him as the character is 20 years old. Jericho also added how chanting for old WWE gimmicks and catchphrases is “demeaning” to AEW and that fans should embrace the fact they are new people with new characters.

Jake Hager Claims John Cena Refused To Lose WWE Title To Him In 2010

Jake Hager reflected on winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship while talking with Chris Jericho. 

Hager went by the name of Jack Swagger in WWE and in March 2010, he was the holder of the Money in the Bank briefcase. This allowed him to cash-in to challenge for the WWE Championship or the World Heavyweight Championship at any moment.

Ultimately, he won the World Heavyweight Title by beating Jericho. However, original plans called for him to win the WWE Title from John Cena. 

During an appearance on Talk Is Jericho, Hager talked about how things change. 

“I had a little inclination, but I had no idea what was going to happen. The night before, I teased it on Raw. I hit Cena with the briefcase, I snuck up on him when he had one of his brilliant promo segments. Later, come to find out, he refused to do the job for me for the [WWE] Championship. We won’t talk about that. Ugh. ‘The most unselfish top man in the business.”

Hager also recalled how his night to win the title came about as he was in Phoenix and got a call about coming to Vegas. He got to the arena early and he’s waiting around for a meeting to start. He saw John Laurinaitis go into an office room then Jericho and Edge. He entered the room to get more details. 

Hager recalled Jericho telling him to not screw up this chance and was being dead serious and very sincere. This made him think of his wrestling coach and that was the start of him looking up to Jericho while knowing that he knew he could trust him. 

The title change happened on an episode of SmackDown in less than a week after he won the Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania XXVI.

Jake Hager Says Jon Moxley Is A Natural For MMA

As expected, Jon Moxley vs. Jake Hager delivered. 

Moxley made his latest title defense as the AEW World Heavyweight Champion against Hager in an Empty Arena No Holds Barred Match on Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite on TNT.

Moxley went over in the contest to successfully retain the championship. It was a hard-hitting affair as both wrestlers used weapons and battled around the arena. The finish saw Moxley hit his DDT finisher to Hager on a chair. 

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross called the match on his own. It served as the headliner of the show. 

Moxley’s reign as the  AEW World Heavyweight Champion began when he dethroned Chris Jericho in the main event of the AEW Revolution pay-per-view event in Chicago, IL from the Sears Center back in February. 

Hager signed with the promotion when he made his on the October 2, 2019 episode of AEW Dynamite from Washington, D.C., at the famed Capital One Arena on TNT. 

Hager beat Dustin Rhodes in a singles match that marked his in-ring debut with All Elite Wrestling at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view event.

• Jon Moxley Discusses Being A ‘Different Person’ In AEW

As expected, Jon Moxley vs. Jake Hager has been confirmed by All Elite Wrestling. 

The promotion announced on Wednesday night that Moxley will make his next title defense as the AEW World Heavyweight Champion against Hager on the April 15th episode of Dynamite on TNT. 

News of this contest was first broken by WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross while doing an interview with Dave Meltzer and Jim Valley on Wrestling Observer Radio earlier this week. 

Also, the promotion has confirmed that this contest will be an Empty Arena No Holds Barred Match. The bout was taped last week. 

This was expected to happen not only due to Ross’ comments but also because Hager has been climbing up the men’s rankings. 

AEW Men’s Division

World Champion: Jon Moxley (8-0)

1. Chris Jericho (0-1)
2. Jake Hager (4-0) (+2)
3. Cody Rhodes (5-1)
4. Kenny Omega (2-0) (+1)
5. Darby Allin (4-2) (previously unranked)

Hager made his AEW in-ring debut against Dustin Rhodes which saw the enforcing for the Inner Circle go over at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view event in Chicago, IL back in February. 

As of this writing, no other matches have been announced for this show but that is expected to change as it gets closer. 

• Full Brackets For AEW TNT Title Tournament Confirmed

Jake Hager vs. Dustin Rhodes is in the books. 

As seen at Saturday’s AEW Revolution pay-per-view event in Chicago, IL, Hager beat Rhodes in this contest that marked his in-ring debut with All Elite Wrestling. 

In order to build up to this match, AEW had to lay some back story between Rhodes and Hager, formerly known as Jack Swagger from his time in WWE. 

During the build-up for the AEW World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho-Cody Rhodes match last year heading into Full Gear, Rhodes took a beat down from Hager. 

AEW did an angle where Rhodes’ arm was broken after Hager smashed it in a car door. 

It was revealed that Hager had signed with the promotion when he made his on the October 2, 2019 episode of AEW Dynamite from Washington, D.C., at the famed Capital One Arena on TNT. 

On this show, Jericho, Santana, and Ortiz beat The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega in a six-man tag team match. After the contest, Hager walked out and helped the heels beatdown the babyfaces. 

He’s been aligned with the heel group, named The Inner Circle, on television since then. 

• Jake Hager Feels “Cloud Of Doom” When Looking At Misused WWE Talent

All Elite Wrestling has announced a new match for their upcoming Revolution pay-per-view.

Jake Hager, formerly known as Jack Swagger from his time in WWE, is slated to take on Dustin Rhodes in a singles match at this show. This will mark Hager’s in-ring debut for the promotion. 

There is some history with Rhodes and Hager as during the build-up for the AEW World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho-Cody Rhodes match last year heading into Full Gear, Rhodes took a beat down from Hager. 

In fact, AEW did an angle where Rhodes’ arm was broken after Hager smashed it in a car door. 

AEW presents the Revolution pay-per-view event on Saturday, February 29, 2020 in Chicago, IL from the Sears Center.

The show will air at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, and is available for purchase via iN DEMAND cable operators, DirecTV, DISH Network and B/R Live. International fans can purchase the event at FITE.TV. The promotion will be announcing more matches for the show in the coming weeks.  

AEW Revolution Card

• AEW World Title Match: Chris Jericho © vs. Jon Moxley
• Jake Hager vs. Dustin Rhodes

What are your thoughts on this match being added to the card? Sound off in the comment section.

• Jake Hager Tells Rusev To Leave WWE (And Lana)

Jake Hager left WWE back in 2017 and the former World Champion is advising another star from the company to follow his path and quit the promotion.

Rusev has recently been involved in a cheating angle with his wife Lana and Bobby Lashley and a fan recently tweeted that he would be happy if WWE dropped this storyline.

The former US Champion noticed this tweet and he replied to the fan with a tweet of his own saying “Dear, guy …. Nobody cares what you are good with”:

Hager who was formally known as Jack Swagger in WWE then took his own twitter to address Rusev in a tweet which he has since deleted. In the tweet as seen below, he advised the WWE star to leave his wife and the company behind:

Rusev returned to WWE programming during the September 17th episode of Raw but the former champion returned alone and gave no answer when asked about Lana.

Lana then made her return to WWE programming during the September 30th episode of the show where she joined Bobby Lashley and caused Rusev’s Universal Championship match with Seth Rollins to end in a no contest.

These three have been involved in a storyline since then but there is no word yet on where the angle is headed or how long WWE plans to continue this storyline.

All Elite Wrestling’s Jake Hager has opened up about what he considers key differences between AEW and WWE. Speaking with Busted Open Radio, Hager talked about the creative freedoms in AEW compared to his time in WWE. He noted how Superstars would often begin a new storyline or angle, only for it be stopped dead.

“If it makes sense up there [in WWE], they are not going to do it. It has to not make sense for them to want to go forward with it,” Hager explained. “That part gets frustrating because you see so many times that I had really cool moments in my career and then the next day it gets stopped for no reason and who knows why.”

“Maybe I did something or maybe it’s the powers that be that chose it but it is really frustrating because you put your body on the line; you put your back on the line and your neck on the line and give your body to these people and you go out there and give your heart to these people and all of a sudden it is taken away. You don’t even have an explanation for it and then you are back at the bottom of the pile again. I don’t think you can sustain, that is not a good business model.”

He continued,” They say that talent is the biggest asset of the company but they don’t treat it as that, so it is so frustrating that you get storylines canceled day of, hours before the show is about to go on. That is one thing we know about AEW. We know the script a week out, even before we go out to TV so we are already thinking about what to do and how to entertain our great fans.”

Night And Day

When asked about the differences between AEW and WWE locker rooms, Hager said they are “night and day.” Part of that is the approachability of AEW President, Tony Khan. Hager noted that Khan’s friendly attitude has trickled down across the entire company. He explained that this has created a better working environment for everybody involved. He added that AEW is comprised of a bunch of hungry young talent, all of whom are trying to build a future “outside of the WWE.”

H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.