Despite the money and recognition factor, Jack Swagger doesn't regret leaving WWE.
He spoke to The Wreslting Estate, where he talked about what made him decide to ultimately leave WWE earlier this year. He said it was frustrating not getting a chance and being passed over repeatedly throughout the years. He's glad he left the promotion because he needed a fresh change of scenery:
I'm very grateful for the career I've had, but I've seen a lot of friends go and I had been passed over for opportunities. I don't want to blame anyone else for something that I didn't achieve because that's just not the way to go through life. But it did get frustrating not even being on the playing field, not being allowed to compete. So it was a combination of that and pro wrestling being as popular as it is now that I felt I could take advantage of 10 years of TV exposure. I want to move forward and see where that takes me.
I don't regret it. I'm very glad that I did it because I needed a change. I needed to find a way to push myself again. This is definitely doing it. Be careful what you ask for. (laughs) It's a lot less stressful, but at the same time, a lot more work. Now you're handling everything. We handled a bunch before, but now it seems like more. But it's been fun. I have 100% creative control over my character and merchandise.
Jake Hager, aka Swagger, left the promotion back in March. He hadn't been used as of late, even though he made a jump to Smackdown from Raw a few months before he left that was pushed heavily, but was quickly dropped just as it had started. Since then, he's focused on the independent scene.
