Former WWE and AEW wrestler Jake Hager has reportedly undergone a second surgery on his left eye following the serious injury he suffered during a Power Slap event in September.
Hager, who performed in WWE as Jack Swagger and later became a prominent part of AEW, was competing against Johnny Magna at Power Slap 23 in Lubbock, Texas when he took a damaging slap in the second round. The blow left Hager bleeding from his left eye and brought the contest to an end via referee stoppage, with Magna awarded the victory.
Initial reports indicated that Hager required emergency surgery after the incident. A subsequent update attributed to his fiancée, Patricia Blackburn, stated that follow-up examinations discovered a detached retina. Hager then reportedly underwent urgent surgery to repair the injury.
“He underwent urgent surgery to reattach it, which doctors said went better than expected.”
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The reported development is a concerning one for Hager, whose move into Dana White’s Power Slap promotion had represented a new chapter after an extensive career across professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. While the update indicates that the retina procedure went better than expected, there has been no confirmed timetable given for his recovery or any indication of when, or if, he may compete again.
What happened at Power Slap 23
The injury occurred during Hager’s match with Magna at Power Slap 23 at the end of September. Hager absorbed a second-round strike that landed dangerously close to his left eye. His team attempted to have the slap ruled a foul, maintaining that the contact was too near the eye area.
That argument did not alter the official result. The referee stopped the match because of Hager’s condition, and Magna was declared the winner. Footage and descriptions of the aftermath made clear that the former world champion had suffered a significant injury, as blood was visible around his left eye.
For Hager, the bout marked his third recorded appearance since joining Power Slap earlier in 2026. He made an emphatic debut at Power Slap 19 in April, knocking out Devin Jenkins in the third round. The victory gave him a strong start in the promotion, but his subsequent results have been more difficult. Following the loss to Magna, Hager’s Power Slap record stands at 1-2.
The immediate concern, however, is no longer his record. A detached retina is a serious medical issue, and the report that it was identified only during follow-up appointments illustrates why continued evaluation after the original emergency operation was necessary. Hager’s long-term vision and overall health will understandably be the central focus as he recovers from the procedures.
A new competitive direction after wrestling
Hager’s Power Slap run began after he publicly described himself as retired from professional wrestling. In August 2025, Hager announced that he was stepping away from wrestling and revealed that he was operating his own trucking company in Florida.
That announcement followed a lengthy and varied in-ring career. As Jack Swagger in WWE, Hager became a former world champion and was a notable figure throughout the company’s late-2000s and 2010s programming. His amateur wrestling credentials and presentation as a powerhouse made him a natural fit for a role built around physical credibility.
After leaving WWE, Hager also pursued MMA and competed under the Bellator banner. He later entered AEW, where he was aligned with Chris Jericho and The Inner Circle during the formative years of the promotion. Hager remained a recognizable part of AEW programming for several years, working in singles matches, tag team bouts, faction stories, and high-profile confrontations involving Jericho’s various groups.
His AEW run ended in 2024. Although Hager announced his retirement the following year, he has not been completely absent from wrestling competition. He has wrestled two matches since making that announcement. His most recent wrestling match came in June, when he lost to Alberto El Patron at a World Wrestling Council event.
Those appearances left open the possibility that Hager could still take selected wrestling bookings despite no longer pursuing a full-time role in the industry. The severe eye injury now creates a much more significant question around any future physical competition, whether it is in wrestling, Power Slap, or another combat-sports setting.
Hager’s unusual career path
Hager’s professional résumé has always extended beyond one ring or one company. Before becoming known to a national wrestling audience, he established a background in amateur wrestling. That foundation became a major part of his presentation in WWE, where his Jack Swagger character was frequently framed as an elite athlete with legitimate grappling credentials.
His later transition to MMA was a logical extension of that background. In AEW, the company regularly acknowledged Hager’s combat-sports experience as part of his identity, particularly when he was positioned as a physical enforcer within Jericho’s groups. His size, amateur pedigree, and MMA work made him a believable threat in stories built around factions and brawls.
Power Slap presented another very different kind of challenge. Unlike wrestling, where Hager’s opponents work cooperatively to execute a match, or MMA, where movement and defensive tactics are central elements, Power Slap requires athletes to stand in place and absorb open-handed strikes. Hager’s debut knockout of Jenkins showed that he could generate major power in that environment. The match with Magna, though, demonstrated the considerable risk involved when a strike lands near a vulnerable area.
The injury also comes at a moment when Hager appeared to be balancing several identities outside of regular wrestling. He had publicly discussed the trucking company he runs in Florida, maintained ties to combat sports, and still made occasional wrestling appearances. The reported second surgery interrupts that momentum and places the immediate emphasis squarely on recovery.
No timetable for a return
At present, there is no announced timetable for Hager to return to Power Slap. There is also no indication that he has made a decision on his longer-term future in either combat sports or professional wrestling.
The positive element in the latest update is the indication that doctors felt the retinal surgery went better than expected. Still, the need for a second operation after the initial emergency procedure underlines the severity of what happened in Lubbock. Any eventual decision about competing again would necessarily depend on his medical recovery and professional advice.
Hager’s match with Magna will therefore be remembered less as another entry in his Power Slap record and more as the event that led to a frightening medical situation. His team challenged the legality of the decisive strike in the moment, believing it had come too close to the eye, but the official result remains a second-round stoppage loss.
For now, Hager’s supporters will be hoping the reported success of the retinal repair is the most important outcome. His career has already included championship-level wrestling, MMA competition, a major AEW run, and a new venture in Power Slap. The next step is not about results or rankings. It is about ensuring that the former Jack Swagger can make a full recovery from a serious eye injury.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.