- Tyson Fury will be a huge draw in WWE, former superstar Jake Hager told Business Insider.
- Hager, once known as Jack Swagger, says having a natural ability on the mic and making the crowd feel something is one of the toughest skills to learn in professional wrestling.
- But Fury already has this. "He can pick up a microphone, entertain you, and tell you a story," Hager said.
- Fury takes on Braun Strowman in WWE's "Crown Jewel" show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
- After, he will likely focus on the rematch against Deontay Wilder - a fight Hager expects Fury to win.
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Tyson Fury has already mastered one of the hardest things in professional wrestling, according to the former WWE superstar Jake Hager.
Hager, formerly known as Jack Swagger, left WWE in 2017 as a two-time world champion. Shortly after, he signed with Bellator MMA, and has had three fights (two wins against one no contest) in a cage, but still wrestles and performs for the recently-founded promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Meanwhile, the former unified heavyweight boxing champion Fury is about to make his pro wrestling debut in WWE's "Crown Jewel" event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he takes on the bearded former strongman Braun Strowman in a singles match on Thursday.
Fury already has a clear advantage when it comes to success in sports entertainment, Hager told Business Insider, as the 31-year-old is so charismatic and so good on the mic that he can make the crowd feel whatever he wants them to.
Wrestling moves can be learned but it is confidence and ability on the mic that can prove to be tough skills to develop, according to Hager.
"I know he can pick up a microphone, entertain you, and tell you a story," he said.
Hager told Business Insider that Fury, an incredible boxer, will be a huge draw in WWE. And even though he does not know what he will be like in an actual professional wrestling ring, he is looking forward to seeing the character within it.
"In pro wrestling that was the hardest thing for me to learn, the entertainment aspect of it," Hager said. "Being a character and having something that the people can feel.
"Because, in pro wrestling, you can do all the moves in the world, everybody can, but if you don't make the people feel a certain way, they're not going to remember you and you're not going to get over.
"He definitely has that ability. He speaks intelligently about his own battles, his own journey, and I think that's great."
The lines between sports entertainment and combat sports are blurred
Photo by Chris Ryan/Corbis via Getty Images
Hager, as Jack Swagger, performing with John Cena in WWE.
There is much cross-pollination between boxing, professional wrestling, and mixed martial arts.
The 5-foot-8 boxer Floyd Mayweather bloodied the nose of the 7-foot giant Big Show in a WWE event in 2008 and the WWE superstar CM Punk attempted to fight in the UFC but was conclusively beaten both times, while Brock Lesnar has enjoyed great success in WWE and UFC as a champion in both firms.
Then there is the obvious influence when it comes to the showmanship and flashiness of promoting a legitimate fight or an event in boxing, MMA, and WWE.
Wrestlers like The Rock are still inspiring today's talent in Bellator MMA. Michael "Venom" Page, for example, previously told Business Insider that he spent a lot of time studying the way "The People's Champ" interacted with the crowd.
Hager said: "You'll see the lines blurred, crossed over, in combat sports and sports entertainment."
The American added that there was something quite WWE about the way Fury rose from the brink of a knockout defeat in the 12th round of his classic heavyweight fight with Deontay Wilder in 2018, only to grind out a draw. Hager said the way he got up from the canvas was like how The Undertaker came back to life in WWE.
"In that fight, Fury hit The Undetaker set-up. He was knocked down to the canvas then all of a sudden he sits up, stands up, and I wonder if The Undertaker is getting any royalties for that."
Once he has finished his stint in WWE this week, attention will likely return to the anticipated rematch between Fury and Wilder, who must first defeat Luis Ortiz in Las Vegas on November 23.
But Hager only sees one winner should they fight again. "I got Tyson over Wilder, for sure!"
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