Jake Hager pulled no punches when reflecting on his time in AEW, opening up about backstage politics, the company's last minute creative process, why he chose to leave WWE, and what's next for his career.

Speaking on the Off the Rails podcast with Jasmine St. Claire, the former WWE and AEW star made it clear he enjoyed the people inside AEW's locker room, but had far less praise for the way the promotion was run.

While discussing the difference between WWE and AEW, Hager said the younger locker room created a different atmosphere, though he felt some issues were treated as far more serious than they needed to be.

"A lot of younger kids were in the AEW locker room, so it's going to be the newer culture, everything is more accepted. Things are scarier that aren't really scary. I really enjoyed the AEW locker room."

However, Hager said his frustrations began once he looked beyond the talent.

"You could just tell the overall politics of AEW were kind of like, 'What are we doing?' You see the writing on the wall when you see who's running it."

Hager also criticized what he described as a dramatic shift in AEW's creative process. According to him, the company originally planned storylines weeks in advance, allowing talent plenty of time to prepare.

"When we first started AEW, we knew a month ahead of time. We knew four weeks of storylines ahead of time. Imagine how much better you can make your performance when you know what you're doing."

He claimed that level of preparation disappeared over time, with episodes of Dynamite allegedly still coming together just hours before going live.

"Everything was last minute. There were so many times that it'd be six o'clock and we're going live at eight on Wednesday for Dynamite, and the show hadn't even been put out yet. It's not even out at six o'clock. What are you doing all week that you don't have a live television show written until six o'clock? That's just inexcusable."

Despite those criticisms, Hager stressed that he enjoyed his time alongside the AEW roster and spoke positively about his run with the Inner Circle.

The former World Heavyweight Champion also looked back on his WWE departure, revealing it came down to knowing his worth and believing there were bigger opportunities outside the company.

"I think it's just a classic tale of me knowing my value and seeing what I could do. We were in contract negotiations, and it really wasn't getting to the number that I wanted, the number that I had earned the previous year."

At the same time, Hager had already developed a passion for mixed martial arts and believed he could combine wrestling with an MMA career.

"I got the bug for MMA about three years before that, right after I'd signed that contract, so it was always in the back of my head."

He also pointed to the booming independent wrestling scene in 2017, watching stars like Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes prove that life after WWE could be successful.

"It was 2017, and the independents were exploding. Drew Galloway, Drew McIntyre, was number one. Cody had left a little bit before me. I kind of saw that I could go on the independents and support my family that way."

Hager's long term vision was to leave WWE, build his profile through MMA, and eventually return to wrestling as an even bigger attraction.

"While training for MMA, the whole idea was to leave WWE, go to MMA, make myself a bigger name in pro wrestling and then come back at the top in pro wrestling, which we could still do. It's not over yet."

Although he still considers himself "an MMA fighter at heart," Hager admitted his body is no longer capable of enduring the relentless training required to compete safely.

"Honestly, I feel like who I really am is an MMA fighter at heart. I love to compete. I love to have a purpose, work hard toward it and get better. I was never the best athlete, but I learned at a young age how to listen, take coaching and understand the value of hard work."

"I think my body is telling me I can't train like that anymore. To be successful in MMA, I really believe that you have to have your back against the wall. Blood has to be in the water. You have to be swinging for the fences."

"If you're not training like that every single day, you're going to go into that cage and you're going to get hurt. I definitely can't train like that anymore, which is why Power Slap is a great avenue for me."

He added:

"I can't train as hard as I need to train. You've really got to go 110 percent, seven days a week. You've got to eat, sleep and breathe it every day. That's a real commitment."

"I'm in great shape. My body feels good. But that type of commitment, I don't know if my body can cash that check right now."

While MMA may be behind him, Hager confirmed he is preparing for another run in professional wrestling.

He revealed that discussions are already underway with JCW, praising the promotion as one on the rise.

"I've definitely been talking with the guys at JCW and trying to lock down some dates coming up here. I know they have some big ones coming up. I'd love to be a part of it. I think they're a very good promotion that is really on the up and up."

Hager even admitted to having an unexpected connection with the promotion's roots.

"Deep down, 13-year-old Jake was a Juggalo. Don't tell anybody. Whoop whoop."

Outside of combat sports, Hager said he owns rental properties and a trucking company, believing it's important to have multiple income streams.

Still, wrestling remains firmly in his future.

"I am definitely getting back into pro wrestling. Hopefully, I'll be at JCW soon."

He also revealed coaching could become part of his long term plans.

"I'm just going to roll with the punches. I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty, whatever that means. I would love to get into coaching at some point, at some level. I feel like I would enjoy that."