Jordan Oliver Aims To Change Pro Wrestling
The 20-year-old MLW star is leading a youth movement.
Jordan Oliver isn’t old enough to buy a drink, but he’s been water cooler conversation since 2020 started.
The 20-year-old high flying sensation is making people talk about his actions inside, as well as outside the ring. A 52-second clip of his bout with Blake Christian at GCW’s Jimmy All The Way went viral, sparking outrage from traditionalists over the acrobatics on display. As par for the course on Twitter, Oliver and Christian were defended by ardent supports of independent wrestling who argued that the young athletes were pushing boundaries and revolutionizing the sport.
“People keep talking about what’s wrestling because there’s never going to be a right answer,” Oliver told The Wrestling Estate. “What’s wrestling to me may not be what’s wrestling to you. It’s opinionated so there’s no right or wrong. People will argue about that until the end of time. Some people don’t realize that, though. They just want to spread hate.”
Fans of MLW Fusion may consider that last line hypocritical. After all, Oliver and his Injustice brethren Myron Reed and Kotto Brazil would fit in just fine at the Player Haters’ Ball. Every week they’re airing grievances about some kind of slight, either from fellow members of the MLW roster, “blind” referees or allegedly corrupt MLW management. Meanwhile, the rebellious trio constantly interferes in each other’s matches and tried to prevent Brian Pillman Jr. from participating in the Opera Cup. That’s on top of Reed wearing a chest protector for an injury that’s taken longer to heal than Bob Orton’s arm.
“Injustice is a group of wrestlers who feel we’re overlooked,” Oliver says. “There is definitely some sort of discrimination there, whether it be race or size or age. Look at somebody like Low Ki. He’s not a very huge person and obviously he can beat somebody’s ass. But because he’s been wrestling for 20 years, people say he can go in the main event. You look at one of us and fans don’t really see us as main eventers. But we are. Every time we’re out there, the crowd is jumping whether they’re booing or cheering.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2UhONI3PDU
Regardless if you agree with Injustice’s views, you can’t deny their success. Reed currently holds the MLW Middleweight Championship and the trio has racked up victories for months, including at the company’s inaugural pay-per-view MLW Saturday Night SuperFight. While all three members are talented in their own right, they truly shine when teaming together. Perhaps that’s because Oliver and Reed go way back to backyard wrestling – they’ve known each other since they were 12. As for Brazil, he was Oliver’s first opponent in MLW last April.
“We really connected on a personal level,” Oliver says. “The chemistry came natural to us. Injustice is not phony or fake. Everything we say, I really feel this stuff.”
Growing up in Newburgh – arguably the murder capital of New York – will give you a chip on your shoulder. Oliver says he mostly hung out on the streets, smoking and drinking on the bus in 5th grade. Always competitive, he did amateur wrestling and boxing before breaking into pro wrestling at only 15 years old, weaseling his way onto independent shows. After a match in CZW against Andrew Everett, in which Oliver caught Everett mid-air with an RKO…while the latter was doing a shooting star press, Oliver says MLW founder and CEO Court Bauer contacted him.
At just 19 years old, Oliver was in the major leagues.
“I believe I can be a true motivator for the young guys,” Oliver says. “There’s nobody in the business pushing as much as I am for the young guys. It’s not about how long you’ve been wrestling – it’s about how good you are. Lio Rush and Will Ospreay are in their early 20s. A lot of guys that age are not getting those opportunities.”
Inspired by Ospreay, Tiger Mask and Dynamite Kid, Oliver’s dream is to compete in Japan. In 2019, MLW formed a strategic alliance with Pro Wrestling NOAH to exchange talent, collaborate on content and partner on a variety of business opportunities. MLW National Openweight Champion Alexander Hammerstone benefitted from the international excursion, so maybe Oliver will get his wish this year.
“I love Japanese strong style, that’s my favorite wrestling in the world,” Oliver says. “I love cruiserweight wrestling, hardcore wrestling, technical wrestling. There’s a huge misconception of what I am. They see this one spot in a match, which yes, is new age high flyery, but they’re judging me off that when they haven’t seen me go out there and grasp a crowd. They take this one 50-second clip of me and say I’m a spot monkey, but they don’t really know me. They think I’m just this one thing, but really I’m a hybrid of all the wrestling I love.”
People who certainly do know Oliver are the fans in Philadelphia. He’s made a name for himself competing in various local promotions, and even lived in the City of Brotherly Love with fellow up-and-comer Ellis Taylor for two years. He returns to the historic 2300 Arena this Saturday as MLW hosts Fightland – its first show in Philly in a year. Oliver and Brazil are scheduled to take on familiar foes Puma King and Gringo Loco.
“Guys I look up to outside of wrestling like XXXTentacion and Juice Wrld, they passed away at 20 and 21,” Oliver says. “I wouldn’t be surprised if I don’t make it past 21. I’m reckless. You don’t get opportunities without being a little reckless. Let’s just go out there and kill it and live while we’re still young.”
MLW: Fightland takes place Feb. 1 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.
For the list of scheduled matches, visit MLW.com.
Tickets start at $15 at MLW2300.com. Tickets will also be available day of show at the box office unless the event sales out in advance.
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