Easily the most bizarre storyline on WWE Raw this year, Jason Jordan had been floundering ever since being revealed as General Manager Kurt Angle’s son, even getting booed against a local talent. However, in a match with John Cena, Jordan managed to show the WWE Universe why the company may have been high on him in the first place.
When it was first announced that Jason Jordan would face John Cena to kick off last night’s episode of WWE Raw, you would be forgiven for being nervous. Cena is heading for a program with Roman Reigns at No Mercy, defeated Baron Corbin handily at SummerSlam, and would almost certainly win this matchup.
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That’s exactly what transpired, as Cena hit Jordan with an “Attitude Adjustment” to score the victory. However, even though Jordan lost this matchup in unsurprising fashion, he showed off his wrestling chops in a huge way in front of the Omaha crowd. Jordan, whose amateur wrestling background is incessantly brought up by the commentary team, has always been one of the elite in-ring performers. But this match showed exactly how good he can be in singles competition against a great opponent, even if he isn’t given a lengthy period of time to work with.
Jordan countered a pair of AAs, and he had a beautiful combination of Northern Lights suplexes that Cena sold perfectly, kicking out at the very last moment. The story-telling in this match painted Jordan as a beastly strong athlete with impeccable in-ring skills and even more determination. At the very beginning of the match, Jordan went right after Cena with a takedown, and Cena’s expression of shock (and mild admiration) made the moment bigger.
The best spot from the match for building Jordan’s character, especially since he’s Angle’s son, came when he was locked into the STF. Despite being locked into the hold for a length period of time in the middle of the ring, Jordan never tapped out. As a matter of fact, he countered into a submission hold of his own, so one moment showcased his toughness and in-ring prowess.
You could hear the crowd chanting “This is awesome!”, and that’s a huge step up from when Jordan worked his butt off with Finn Balor, only to hear the apathetic crowd put over a beach ball. Now, Jordan is the one who is over, and hopefully the WWE can use this momentum to continue to build a character. He’s been coming off of a string of losses, but this latest loss to Cena is a huge “win” as far as booking and character go.
I think a lot of fans, especially those who seem to only watch Raw (yes, they exist), forgot just how dynamic Jordan is in the ring. With Chad Gable on American Alpha, he was one of the best hot tags in the business. Jordan showed plenty of that ability against Cena, and it was the first time a singles match of his told a real story. Plenty of credit should go to Cena, who excels at telling stories in the ring, but Jason Jordan deserves most of the credit. He’s getting over on the strength of his talent in the ring, and I can only hope that translates into a better situation for him outside of the ring.
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Outside of kayfabe, Kurt Angle said that he advised Jordan to take more risks, which is advice that many legends, including Paul Heyman, give to others. After shining in the ring on Raw, let’s see if Jordan starts trying new things with his character to further his push. This match with Cena, though, was certainly a step in the right direction and a perfect way for him to kick off Raw. We know Cena’s opinion on working with superstars in the ring means a great deal to the folks backstage, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he came away impressed with Jordan’s work in this match.