At the end of the day, business is business, and that philosophy for the WWE is what could land Jack Swagger from the hot seat back into the limelight.
Swagger, 30, made waves earlier this week when he was arrested for DUI charges while driving in Biloxi, Miss., from a WWE Smackdown event.
Due to the stringent WWE Wellness Policy, which allows the sports entertainment company to suspend or even fire their talent for any drug-related issues, this put Swagger--his real name being Jack Hager--in danger of losing his WrestleMania title shot against World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio.
Hager was even pulled from several events, according to reports, fueling speculation that Hager, a former world champion and United States Champion with the company, may even face suspension or termination, just barely a month after his return to WWE TV from a months-long hiatus.
However, he may have a saving grace in his favor--one in the form of political shock jock Glenn Beck.
Beck, a controversial conservative and TV/radio show host, blasted the WWE on his show Wednesday regarding Hager's current angle involving Del Rio. In the angle, in his Jack Swagger persona, Hager went on a rant against immigrants as he stood with his "kayfabe" manager Zeb Coulter and stood up in front of yellow flags that are commonly associated with the Tea Party.
The angle did not sit well with Beck, who accused the WWE of portraying Tea Party members as racists.
"I can take it from a lot of people. I can't take it from the stupid wrestling people," Beck said on his show.
Beck also took some scathing pot shots at Linda McMahon, a Republican and the former CEO of the company who ran for U.S. Senator in Connecticut and lost in November.
"You know, Linda McMahon, I'm sorry you didn't win. But we should have seen...your true colors early on," Beck said.
In response, WWE sent out an invitation for Beck to come to WWE Raw, which ranks in the Top 10 in Nielsen ratings on cable network television, and explain his displeasure with the angle.
However, Beck declined late Friday, saying, "Unfortunately, I am currently booked doing anything else."
While Beck's reluctance to appear in front of thousands of people of a show that he insulted may not be a surprise to some, the recent development could be a major turning point for Hager.
One WWE source told Wrestling Inc.com that no one should be surprised if the widespread publicity being fueled by Beck for this angle is what may ultimately keep Hager in the storyline.
"WWE will likely go hard on the angle this Monday night," the site reported.
That would likely be the way to go for the company as they head into WrestleMania 29, the biggest event of the year for the company, which will take place April 7 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. WWE has already gone to great lengths to book movie star/wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, currently the WWE Champion, for the event, as well as former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.
With a card that is supposed to net the biggest profit of the year for the company, WWE owner Vince McMahon will want all the attention that he can draw. And with an angle that is drawing national attention thanks to Beck's unintended free publicity for the company, that stacks the odds in Hager's favor to stay on the card as planned, and perhaps even receive a push afterwards for higher billing in the company.
Wrestling promoter Eric Bischoff once said it best that "Controversy creates cash." And with the added attention that the Swagger-Del Rio angle is certain to draw now, that could be a boon that will be too hard for the WWE to pass up on by keeping the Jack Swagger on the sidelines.
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