Former WWE and AEW star Jake Hager received a devastating blow to the eye At last month’s Power Slap 23 event, he needed emergency surgery. According to a new report, he may face more surgeries in the future.
“After sustaining extensive damage to his left eye in a slap fight, Jake Hager, who suffered a torn eyeball, is beginning to regain vision,” Dave Meltzer wrote on his blog last week. Wrestling Observer Newsletter:. “He may need more operations, he had emergency surgery after the slap.”
At Power Slap 23 in Lubbock, Texas, Hager faced independent wrestler Johnny Magna in a slap fight, and the second round was particularly tough for the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Magna was hit so hard that Hager’s left eye began to bleed. Hager and his team then demanded that the contact be called a foul. Instead, the officials awarded Magna the win via stoppage, leaving Hager with both a torn eye and a loss.
After the horrific scene, Hager’s co-star Patricia Blackburn found out that the affected eye was operated on. Further details about Hager’s condition were unknown at the time, as the family wanted to keep the situation private.
Hager is no stranger to physical contact, with a background in pro wrestling, mixed martial arts, and now the Power Slap. He originally retired from wrestling in 2025; The former All-American later returned to the ring in June 2026 for a pair of shows with the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico. His aforementioned Power Slap bout marked the third of his career.
