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Why Jack Swagger's World Heavyweight Title Reign Is One Of The Worst In WWE History

Why Jack Swagger's World Heavyweight Title Reign Is One Of The Worst In WWE History

Posted: May 29th 2022 By: Ibrahim Awadalla - TheSportster.com

Jack Swagger's forgotten World Heavyweight Championship reign was one of the worst due to poor booking.

Jack Swagger, also known by his real name Jake Hager in AEW, spent nearly a decade with WWE before departing in 2017. Despite never reaching his fullest potential in WWE, Jack Swagger won numerous championships, including the World Heavyweight Championship in 2010 when he cashed in his Money in the Bank suitcase on Chris Jericho. However, Jack Swagger's World Heavyweight Championship reign was not only considered a flop, but it also did nothing to elevate his career as a singles star. Though some could argue that Jack Swagger was too green to be put in a position as world champion, his World Heavyweight Championship reign falls on WWE's poor creative booking from the start.

No Build-Up Before Championship Win

Jack Swagger arrived at the ECW brand in 2008 and received a push to win the ECW Championship not too long after his debut. Considering Jack Swagger's legitimate athletic background and the size he possesses, one would believe that at least WWE would protect Jack Swagger regarding his credibility throughout being featured on WWE television.

It wasn't the case, as his ECW Championship was forgettable and, at best, mediocre. Once moving up to the Raw brand in 2009, Jack Swagger became just another superstar on the roster with no proper build-up. Even with Jack Swagger winning the world championship within a year after that, WWE made no effort to build him up for fans to take seriously before his big championship win.

Difficult Beginnings As World Heavyweight Champion

Jack Swagger won the Money in the Bank ladder match at Wrestlemania 26 in a shocking victory, considering that upcoming superstars like Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler were also in the ladder match. Just two days later, at a taping of Friday Night Smackdown, Jack Swagger successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank suitcase on World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho to win his first world title in WWE. While his sudden rise to the top was unexpected, Jack Swagger had the opportunity to establish himself as a main-event level superstar now that he's obtained the World Heavyweight Champion.

The first match Jack Swagger had as World Heavyweight Champion was a losing effort to Randy Orton on an episode of Monday Night Raw, as this was his last match before moving to the Smackdown. That should've been an indicator that Jack Swagger's world title reign wasn't going to work. Even if the justification for losing to Randy Orton was he's leaving the Raw brand, why use it to risk Jack Swagger's potential to become an established star?

Within one month after winning the World Heavyweight Championship, Jack Swagger cleanly lost many free TV matches. Jack Swagger didn't just get defeated by Randy Orton on free TV but took losses to The Undertaker and even a mid-card talent like John Morrison.

It's worth noting that Jack Swagger did have some success as a world champion. Jack Swagger eventually got a clean victory in his first World Heavyweight Championship defense against Edge and Chris Jericho on Smackdown and a clean victory over Randy Orton at the Extreme Rules 2010 PPV. However, Jack Swagger becoming an established main event was arguably ruined at that point anyway.

Too Late To Save Jack Swagger's Title Reign

One must not forget that one of the reasons why Jack Swagger's title reign was horrible was that WWE made him out to appear like a joke. Whether it'd be wrestlers cutting jokes about the way he talks or anything else about his personality, it was clear that WWE did not take him seriously, even when putting him in a position of holding a world title.

It isn't to say that wrestlers can't crack jokes on each other, but Jack Swagger's title reign was already not working from the start. Jack Swagger getting ridiculed constantly and repeatedly losing is doing nothing but increase the damage to his credibility.

As Jack Swagger continued his World Heavyweight Championship reign, WWE didn't do much to improve his credibility as a world champion. After only two months of holding the belt, Jack Swagger lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Rey Mysterio at the Fatal 4-Way PPV event. Any chance that there was hope for Jack Swagger's horrible title reign, the fact that he dropped the belt so soon after two months was the nail in the coffin. And because his title reign was disappointing, Jack Swagger was removed from the main-event scene not too long after.

WWE Should Learn Their Lesson

Jack Swagger is a talented individual, but WWE did him no favors by booking a ridiculous World Heavyweight Championship reign. Along with former World Heavyweight Champions like The Great Khali and Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger's title reign was awful to where it took him out of the main-event scene for a long time.

Unfortunately, Jack Swagger had one of the worst world title reigns in WWE history for no fault of his own. And although WWE can't change history regarding bad world champions, they can learn from it for future booking preferences. A lesson like this is crucial for WWE to understand that booking must be up to par on their behalf if wanting to create potential stars.

 

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Spotlight in History

  • 1964 Karl Kox def. Louie Tillet for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 2004 Shane Morbid def. Dirty Harry Sanchez for the SRPW Hardcore Title
  • 2004 Codie Mullins def. Shane Morbid for the SRPW Hardcore Title
  • 2004 Dexter Hardaway def. Codie Mullins for the SRPW Hardcore Title
  • 2004 Pork Chop def. Dexter Hardaway for the SRPW Hardcore Title
  • 2004 Dexter Hardaway def. Pork Chop for the SRPW Hardcore Title
  • 2004 S.K. Fulton def. Dexter Hardaway for the SRPW Hardcore Title
  • 2004 Dirty Harry Sanchez def. S.K. Fulton for the SRPW Hardcore Title
  • 2006 Ryan Davidson def. Angel Williams for the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title
  • 2011 Michael Barry def. Kenny Campbell for the IZW Impact Division Title
  • 2016 Spyder became the SRPW United States Champion
  • 2016 Skylar Slice became the IZW Womens Champion
  • 2021 Lady Sensacion became the FIW Women’s Champion
  • 2021 Rodeo (Chandler Hopkins & Malico) def. Cam Cole & Johnny Bedlam for the TexPro Tag Team Titles
  • 2022 Duke Cornell def. Blue Bolt for the WFC Prime Title
  • 2022 Maddox Jones def. Striker for the EPW Heavyweight Title
  • 2022 Mike Gunns def. Jake Danielsson for the NAW Heavyweight Title

Week of Sun 06-14 to Sat: 06-20

  • 06-14 1970 Fritz Von Erich def. Boris Malenko for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
  • 06-14 1982 Fritz Von Erich def. King Kong Bundy for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
  • 06-14 2004 Team Shenanigans (Tyler Bateman & Kenny Campbell) def. Li'l Joe & Al Farat (substituting for Se7en) for the ACW Tag Team Titles
  • 06-14 2008 Kenny Campbell became the IZW Impact Division Champion
  • 06-14 2008 Nathan Sensation & Striker def. The New Age Syndicate (Shawn Sanders & Scott Sanders) for the IZW Tag Team Titles
  • 06-14 2008 Anarchy [2nd] def. The Enforcer for the SECW Tri-State Title
  • 06-14 2008 Dane Griffin def. Mo'Body Gillespie for the 3DW Violent Division Title
  • 06-14 2009 El Super Colibri became the TAP Adrenaline Champion
  • 06-14 2009 Reckless def. The Canadian Red Devil for the TAP Heavyweight Title
  • 06-14 2009 Shane Morbid def. Jon Cross for the TAP Oklahoma Heritage Title
  • 06-14 2013 Clint Cox became the BPPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-14 2014 The Rising (Justin Riker & Abel) def. Psycho Sawyer & Diamond for the SRPW Tag Team Titles
  • 06-14 2014 Omega X (Brett Stopp & X-Static) def. The K. C. Wolves (Graham Bell & Luke Langley) for the UWE Tag Team Titles
  • 06-14 2025 Pastor Brent def. Dr. Corvus for the WAH Living Hope Title
  • 06-14 2025 Skylar Slice became the WAH Womens Champion
  • 06-14 2025 Military Express (Sgt. Todd & Sgt. Hartman) def. Speeding Bullet (Mike Gunnz & Stephen Nitro) for the NAW Tag Team Titles
  • 06-14 2025 Scotty Rose def. Floyd Maystorm for the WAH Hunger Dojo Title
  • 06-14 2025 Floyd Maystorm def. Scotty Rose for the WAH Hunger Dojo Title
  • 06-15 1982 King Kong Bundy became the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-15 2003 Tyler Bateman def. Jef Tiger for the ACW Hardcore Title
  • 06-15 2003 John O'Malley def. Tyler Bateman for the ACW Hardcore Title
  • 06-15 2008 El Culo Intruso def. Dane Griffin for the 3DW Violent Division Title
  • 06-15 2018 Sam Stackhouse def. Abyss for the BCW Buzzsaw Title
  • 06-15 2019 Double D became the WFC Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-15 2019 Prince Mahalli def. Damon Windsor for the WCR Revolutionary Title
  • 06-15 2024 Cade Fite became the TIW No Pressure Champion
  • 06-15 2024 Ozzy Hendrix & Adrian Vega def. The Voiceless Society (Tyler Watts & E-Bone) for the CAPW Tag Team Titles
  • 06-15 2024 The Gatekeeper def. Rick Russo for the EPW All-American Title
  • 06-15 2024 Trench Blythe became the EPW International Champion
  • 06-15 2024 Malachi def. Kevin James Sanchez for the EPW Heavyweight Title
  • 06-16 1959 The Zebra Kid def. The Golden Giant for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 06-16 1970 Johnny Valentine def. Killer Kowalski for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 06-16 1984 Terry Taylor def. Krusher Khrushchev for the MSW Television Title
  • 06-16 1986 Buzz Sawyer def. Chris Adams for the WCCW Television Title
  • 06-16 2006 Bobby Burns def. Shane Morbid for the SRPW Heavyweight Title
  • 06-16 2006 Beau Dalton became the SRPW X Division Champion
  • 06-16 2006 Ray Martinez became the SRPW X Division Champion
  • 06-16 2012 Big Business (Kevin Morgan & Damon Windsor) def. The Old School Suckas (Gary Tool & Randy Price) for the IZW Tag Team Titles
  • 06-16 2017 Saints of Pro Wrestling (Scott Sanders & Shawn Sanders & Chaz Sharpe) def. Cursed (Kuda & Blade [2nd]) for the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Titles
  • 06-16 2017 Nytronis A'Teo def. Saints of Pro Wrestling (Scott Sanders, Shawn Sanders, & Chaz Sharpe) for the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Titles
  • 06-16 2023 Jason Simon became the MajCW Native American Champion
  • 06-16 2023 Dan Webber def. Cappuccino Jones for the UWE Heavyweight Title
  • 06-17 1957 Billy Raborn became the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 06-17 1958 Bull Curry def. Fritz Von Erich for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 06-17 1983 Jimmy Garvin def. David Von Erich for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Title
  • 06-17 1983 Kerry Von Erich & Bruiser Brody def. The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy & Michael Hayes) for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
  • 06-17 2005 Kenny Campbell def. Shane Morbid for the SRPW X Division Title
  • 06-17 2006 The Party Express (Mitch Carter & Cade Sydal) def. Impact Inc. (John Zorthos & Bernie Donderwitz) for the IZW Tag Team Titles
  • 06-17 2008 Kunna Keyoh def. El Culo Intruso for the 3DW Violent Division Title
  • 06-17 2017 Prince Mahalli def. Paul Puertorico for the WFC Hometown Heroes Title
  • 06-17 2017 Michael Wolf def. Aaron Anders for the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Title
  • 06-17 2017 Randy Price def. Double D for the IZW Impact Division Title
  • 06-17 2023 Alex Royal def. Justin Lee for the WFC Hometown Heroes Title
  • 06-18 1964 Karl Kox def. Louie Tillet for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 06-18 2004 Shane Morbid def. Dirty Harry Sanchez for the SRPW Hardcore Title
  • 06-18 2004 Codie Mullins def. Shane Morbid for the SRPW Hardcore Title
  • 06-18 2004 Dexter Hardaway def. Codie Mullins for the SRPW Hardcore Title
  • 06-18 2004 Pork Chop def. Dexter Hardaway for the SRPW Hardcore Title
  • 06-18 2004 Dexter Hardaway def. Pork Chop for the SRPW Hardcore Title
  • 06-18 2004 S.K. Fulton def. Dexter Hardaway for the SRPW Hardcore Title
  • 06-18 2004 Dirty Harry Sanchez def. S.K. Fulton for the SRPW Hardcore Title
  • 06-18 2006 Ryan Davidson def. Angel Williams for the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title
  • 06-18 2011 Michael Barry def. Kenny Campbell for the IZW Impact Division Title
  • 06-18 2016 Spyder became the SRPW United States Champion
  • 06-18 2016 Skylar Slice became the IZW Womens Champion
  • 06-18 2021 Lady Sensacion became the FIW Women’s Champion
  • 06-18 2021 Rodeo (Chandler Hopkins & Malico) def. Cam Cole & Johnny Bedlam for the TexPro Tag Team Titles
  • 06-18 2022 Duke Cornell def. Blue Bolt for the WFC Prime Title
  • 06-18 2022 Maddox Jones def. Striker for the EPW Heavyweight Title
  • 06-18 2022 Mike Gunns def. Jake Danielsson for the NAW Heavyweight Title
  • 06-19 1977 Fritz Von Erich def. Bruiser Brody for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 06-19 2010 Aaron Neil def. John O'Malley for the IZW Heavyweight Title
  • 06-19 2015 Bree Ann def. Claudia for the NWA-TXO Rose Title
  • 06-20 1972 The Continental Warriors (Bobby Hart & Lorenzo Parente) def. Tom Jones & Ivan Putski for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
  • 06-20 1977 Bill Watts became the TSW North American Champion
  • 06-20 1987 Barry Windham became the UWF Western States Heritage Champion
  • 06-20 2004 X-Cal def. John O'Malley for the ACW Heavyweight Title
  • 06-20 2009 Dustin Heritage def. Dane Griffin for the IZW Impact Division Title
  • 06-20 2009 BLK-OUT (Montego Seeka & Jermaine Johnson) def. Impact, Inc, (Johnny Z & Bernie D) for the IZW Tag Team Titles
  • 06-20 2014 Bree Ann def. Miss Diss Lexia for the NWA-TXO Rose Title
  • 06-20 2021 DNR (Drake Gallows & Revan) def. Malik Mayfield & Maui Mike for the ASP Tag Team Titles
06-18
  • Abe Jacobs Jun 18th Today!
  • Cam the CODA Jun 18th Today!
  • Johnny Angel Jun 18th Today!
  • Andy Dalton Jun 18th Today!
  • Bruiser Brody Jun 18th Today!
  • Sashimi Deluxe Jun 18th Today!
  • Bad Boy Jun 18th Today!
  • Wahoo McDaniel Jun 19th
  • Billy the Kid Jun 19th
  • Kodi Ocean Jun 19th
  • Top Dollar Bill Jun 19th
  • Miguel Padilla Jun 19th
  • Mike Two Jun 19th
  • Canadian Red Devil Jun 19th
  • Professor Ito Jun 20th
  • Koko B. Ware Jun 20th
  • Jon Cross Jun 20th
  • David Kyzer Jun 20th
  • Jeff the Ref Jun 21st
  • Super Star Jun 21st
  • Milton Winkelman Jun 21st
  • Phantom Star Jun 21st
  • Rick Russo Jun 21st
  • Athena Jun 23rd
  • Juan Sebastian Jun 24th
  • Gabe Wilder Jun 24th
  • Don Kent Jun 24th
  • X-Storms Jun 25th
  • Kody Lane Jun 25th
  • Sylvia Richmond Jun 26th
  • D. K. Bradley Jun 26th
  • Paul Rodriguez Jun 26th
  • Jax Samuel Jun 26th
  • Jason Kirby Jun 27th
  • Reckless Jun 27th
  • Dan Barnhart Jun 27th
  • Ignition Jun 27th
  • Kuda Jun 27th
  • Claire Jun 28th
  • Doc Hearon Jun 28th
  • John Tidwell Jun 28th
  • J. J. Blake Jun 28th
  • Malico Jun 28th
  • Kenny Mack Jun 28th
  • Damian Kincaid Jun 28th
  • Boris Malenko Jun 28th
  • Bill Dromo Jun 28th
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  • Barbara Galento Jun 29th
  • Kenneth Caine Jun 30th
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  • Ed Lewis Jun 30th
  • Sung Yung Kang Jul 1st
  • Jake Hollister Jul 1st
  • Li'l Joe Jul 1st
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