The former AEW star criticizes backstage politics and last-minute planning
Summary
– Jake Hager questioned AEW leadership while criticizing the company’s backstage politics
– Hager claimed Dynamite was sometimes unfinished only two hours before airtime
– He praised the locker room but said the company lost its early organizational structure
Jake Hager has criticized AEW’s leadership, backstage politics and approach to producing weekly television.
During an appearance on the Off the Rails podcast, Hager compared the backstage environments in AEW and WWE.
He described AEW as having a younger, more accepting locker room, while making it clear that he generally enjoyed working with the talent.
Hager’s concerns focused on the political environment and the people responsible for running the company.
He said the backstage politics often left him questioning AEW’s direction and suggested that the problems reflected its leadership.
Hager also criticized the company’s lack of organization during the later stages of his run.
According to Hager, AEW originally provided wrestlers with several weeks of storyline plans when the promotion first launched.
That preparation allowed performers to improve their matches, promos, and overall presentation before appearing on television.
Hager claimed the planning eventually disappeared and was replaced by last-minute decisions.
He recalled occasions when the complete Dynamite lineup had not been distributed by 6:00 p.m. despite the show beginning live at 8:00 p.m.
Hager described that level of preparation as unacceptable for a weekly television production.
Despite his criticism, he spoke positively about the AEW locker room and his time working with the Inner Circle.
His complaints focused primarily on leadership, backstage politics, and the decline of the company’s early organizational structure.
