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As WWE and AEW gear up for a full-on arms race to snatch up the best possible talent free agency has to offer, Jordan Oliver, one of the top indie stars in professional wrestling today, recently stopped by Fightful for an interview with Iridian Fierro to talk about his future in the game and recent comments he made regarding his lack of interest in signing a full-time contract.
While Oliver is still weighing his options, two rise to the top, albeit for very different reasons: Joining Nick Wayne in AEW or making the full-time jump to New Japan Pro Wrestling.
“So recently I said, ‘I’m not in a rush to sign any contract.’ But I will sign anywhere if I get to tag with my little brother, Nick Wayne,” Jordan Oliver told Fightful. “My main goal in wrestling is to wrestle for New Japan Pro Wrestling full time, but if I can tag with Nick Wayne, I will do it. It’s my favorite thing in professional wrestling. I have never felt so alive, so perfect in my place with my brother in my corner.”
Asked about making his debut for New Japan earlier this year, Oliver called it a dream come true, noting that working a match against El Desperado was a real full-circle experience after meeting the year prior.
“This was insane. So we had done a Japan tour in JCW, maybe a year ago. As for the last match, and [El Desperado] comes up to us, and he’s telling us very nice things and whatever, ‘Hopefully we can bring you to New Japan.’ Just nothing, really. Then for a year later, me and Nick Wayne wrestled against Desperado in a New Japan ring. This is a dream come true. It really is a dream come true.”
Asked what he would like to accomplish in New Japan, Oliver ripped off a pretty impressive list, which includes two of the top honors in all of professional wrestling.
“In New Japan, as far as things go, I really want to wrestle for the Best of the Super Juniors. I would love to, if I can wrestle against the Super Juniors, I want the Super Junior title. If I can’t wrestle with the Super Juniors, I want to wrestle in the G1. If I can wrestle in the G1, I want to be the World Heavyweight Champion. My goal in wrestling is to be the very best of all time. This is what I want. I’m gonna try. I’m gonna give it my best try.”
Will Oliver link up with Wayne again in AEW, follow his dreams in New Japan, or even give it a go in NXT, where he could try to take his profile up to a previously unimaginable level? Fans will have to keep tabs on the indie darling to find out.
Rocky Romero would love to see young NJPW stars work AEW/ROH.
Speaking of free agency movement in professional wrestling, one performer who works just about everywhere but firm footing as an American liaison for New Japan Pro Wrestling is none other than Rocky Romero, the man who helped to bridge the gap between Gedo and Tony Khan for Forbidden Door.
While Romero believes firmly that this is an incredible time to be in or a fan of the professional wrestling business, he does feel as though some members of the NJPW extended family, namely some of the Young Lions, would benefit from working in America for TK's promotions like Ring of Honor and even AEW, as such an excursion would allow them to not only improve in the ring but see the world while doing it.
“I think that would be cool,” Rocky Romero told WrestlePurists via Fightful. “What's cool about AEW's setup is – yeah, sending a Young Lion to the Ring of Honor show and starting them there. Building them up [to] Rampage, Collision, Dynamite. That could be cool and kind of give them that experience.”
Asked which young stars he thinks are particularly notable, Romero named off a few, including some who are really making a name for themselves for their incredible in-ring performances against some of the best stars in the world today.
“[Kosei] Fujita is a great standout, I mean, honestly, there's so many,” Romero noted. “[Ryohei] Oiwa is a great standout. I'm excited for this next batch of Young Lions to actually go out into the world and kind of see what happens because, obviously, the ones that just came back; Yuya [Uemura], Ren Narita, Shota [Umino], Shota vs. [Will] Ospreay was insane the other night. I think that New Japan's next generation is firing on all cylinders. I'm not even worried about the future at all. I think that we've really been blessed with a great batch of young guys.”
With Shota Umino coming off of a pretty incredible match with Will Ospreay, it's safe to say NJPW is in good hands moving forward, regardless of how they handle free agents like Jordan Oliver. Then again, adding the high flyer to the fray would only improve their odds and make the future all the more brighter.
