Welcome to Gorilla Fighters, a feature where I profile some of the lesser-known entities of WWE and NXT. Not so much lesser-known as in terribly obscure or superstars who barely wrestle, but people that though we see them on TV and have become a little familiar with them, we really don’t know that much about. We pretty much know the life stories of guys like John Cena, Randy Orton, Kane, Undertaker, Triple H… they’ve been around for decades and have been profiled and had their stories told to us by JR, King, JBL, Michael Cole, and countless backstage interviewers. In this feature, I’ll try to research the same information about wrestlers that I find highly interesting and want to know more about, and I’ll definitely take suggestions on who to feature in these posts. I’ll also discuss each wrestler’s potential, where they are now, and where I hope they’ll end up.

Today we look at a former amateur wrestler, aspiring dentist, supposed biracial son of the patriarch of this blog, and public enemy number two in WWE, Jason Jordan.

Who is Jason Jordan?

Nathan Everhart began amateur wrestling at seven years old because he thought it was the same as professional wrestling. In an interview, he was asked about his earliest wrestling memories:

“I was the youngest of four boys, so my brothers were already watching wrestling for as long as I can remember. I loved the Ultimate Warrior growing up, Mr. Perfect. Probably my biggest memories, or at least my first was because wrestling was such a big deal between me and my brothers, was seeing Bret Hart versus Owen Hart, brother versus brother match. It was something that definitely stood out to me for my memories of wrestling. It’s just funny how starting enjoying professional wrestling at such a young age, that’s actually what got me into amateur wrestling and it kind of came full circle because all the years of amateur wrestling wound up starting off my professional wrestling career here in WWE. It’s always been a part of my life. It’s definitely helped mold me into where I am today.”

He revealed on an episode of the WWE Netowrk show WWE Breaking Ground in 2015 that two of his older brothers are incarcerated, and one of them is in prison for life, and says that this is something that motivates him.

“My motivation comes from a negative place. I’ve seen my brothers hit rock bottom. I know what that place is. And all that’s done is motivate me to pursue my dream.”

Playing every sport imaginable during his childhood, Jordan eventually narrowed his focus to football, baseball and wrestling during his high school years. He received a scholarship to wrestle at Indiana University with the added option to play baseball. He put all of his efforts into wrestling and was ranked top 15 in the nation for three years in a row. In his senior year, Everhart was undefeated in the regular season going 35-0 and at one point was ranked as high as 2nd in the nation. During his fourth year of wrestling, he worked as a student coach at his university and helped two All-Americans at 197 lbs and a heavyweight. He graduated in biology with minors in chemistry, social science, and medicine. He put attending dental school on hold to pursue his dream of being a professional wrestler, though had he conferred with Isaac Yankem he would have learned that he coudl do both. Due to his legendary accolades at Indiana University, he had his face painted onto the wall of the campus’ University Gymnasium in 2010, allowing future students to boo him mercilessly for years to come.

Being a successful college wrestler means being scouted by legendary McMahon stooge Gerald Brisco. Everhart was recruited to participate in a WWE tryout in 2010 and was subsequently offered a WWE contract, but he held off from signing it until finishing his college degree. In July 2011, he signed a developmental contract with WWE and was sent to FCW, which later became NXT, and became the wrestler we know today as Jason Jordan. For his first match he teamed with some jabroni named Abraham Washington against Big E Langston and some tool named Calvin Raines. He did eventually win the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship with teammate CJ Parker, who some of you might remember as the obnoxious dreadlocked hippie dude on NXT.

 

Jordan later teamed with pre-perfect 10 Tye Tillinger before the two broke up in 2015, which led Jordan down the path that would bring him the greatest success of his career. While looking for a new tag team partner, he began to be hounded by unknown newcomer Chad Gable, who was trying to convince Jordan to let him be his partner.

 

After almost two months, Jordan relented, and the duo was successful in their tag team debut against Elias Samson and Steve Cutler.

Elias Samson                                                    Steve Cutler

 

Jordan was the power half of the duo eventually named American Alpha, usually getting the hot tags, taking down the straps of his singlet, and tossing his opponents with a variety of suplexes. Despite never becoming tag team champions, the team was wildly popular and had a successful run in NXT, eventually being drafted to SmackDown in July of 2016. On the December 27 episode of SmackDown, American Alpha defeated The Wyatt Family to capture the SmackDown Tag Team Championship, holding the titles for 84 days before losing them to The Usos.

 

Where is he now?

As we all know, following weeks of Kurt Angle teasing a life-altering announcement, Jordan was revealed to be Kurt’s illegitimate son, which is apparently a rib on Kurt’s fondness for black chicks. The crowd turned on Jordan almost immediately, because, of course, the only people who deserve pushes are Daniel Bryan and maybe Stone Cold Steve Austin. Having foreseen this response, WWE still allied Jordan with other face wrestlers but gave him more heelish characteristics, like cockiness and not being Daniel Bryan. He and Seth Rollins won the Raw Tag Team Championships on Christmas Day, 2017, before dropping them a month later at the Royal Rumble. He was working a program with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns before suffering a neck injury and being sent home, where he is still recovering but is reportedly nearing his return.

 

How far will he go?

I can picture Jason Jordan as a world champion. When he returns, let him be a heel for a little while and play the spoiled GM’s kid. Have him take shortcuts to win. Not resorting to weapons or backstage attacks, but use the ropes illegally, pull some shortcuts, do what it takes to get wins. Kurt then has to decide whether to reward those kinds of wins, if it will look like nepotism to give him opportunities, if he should chide him, etc. Ultimately he gives Jordan some opportunities at mid-card titles and he fails. Continuously gets opportunities and continuously comes up short, getting more and more frustrated. The heels start to make comments to Kurt and to Jason about his failures. I’d start with someone like Shelton Benjamin, a very similar wrestler who can put over a younger talent. Almost have Jordan start from the bottom of the heel roster. Slowly get away from him being Kurt’s son, or don’t highlight it as much. At least don’t have him or Kurt address it as much, let the heels bring it up and get bitch slapped for it. Change his music. Don’t have him cut any promos for a while. Just have him go take care of business in the ring, which is what made him so popular as part of American Alpha. Start a slow build to the top and get the fans behind him again. It could take a year or two, but on that path I could definitely see him becoming a face world champion. If they keep the path they’re on now, sure, I could see him being a heel world champion as well, but I think it’ll go about as well as Jinder Mahal’s reign did.

Here’s hoping Jordan returns soon, because the fans need someone else besides Reigns to boo for not being Daniel Bryan.