8 Mistakes WWE Have Already Made With Jason Jordan's Push

Jason Jordan has often been referred to as an underutilised player since his arrival on WWE's main roster. Before it happened, if you had informed the fanbase that Jordan was on the verge of receiving a significant push, you would mostly have been met with positive reactions, so it might be to the bewilderment of some that his elevation has been so poorly received.

Pushes are delicate things to handle. Countless Vince McMahon experiments have fallen by the wayside, never escaping the midcard (or lower) despite clear care and attention from those running the show. Billy Gunn's exit from the main event scene was as quick as his ascent. Jinder Mahal is mostly only tolerated as champion due to frustration and ironic, detached enjoyment. Baron Corbin has been supposedly the next big thing on SmackDown for months, but he hasn't won a singles PPV match in 2017.

Attempting to push Jordan by revealing him as Kurt Angle's secret illegitimate son was a bold move, to say the least. It's a storyline that feels out of touch with modern sensibilities, but given his popularity and widely acknowledged untapped potential, it could equally be seen that any vehicle designed to get him over is a welcome one.

Given the lukewarm reaction he's received so far, it's clear to see that there's already been a whole host of issues with how WWE have attempted to boost Jordan's standing in the company.

Jason Jordan had been making televised appearances on NXT for nearly three years before the formation of American Alpha and their eventual breakout success. Jordan might have many of the most desirable tools looked for in a professional grappler, but despite his talents, Jordan teaming with Chad Gable was vital to any popularity that he managed to achieve.

The excellence of both men's combined in-ring work was more than the sum of their parts, and the two gelled together in a way that served to highlight their skills and elevate their standings with the fans.

Cutting Jordan off from his partner both weakens his appeal and reduces how impressive he can look in the ring. Much of American Alpha's playbook consisted of tandem manoeuvres, so the recognisable aspects of his moveset have instantly been cut in half by the split.

Additionally, it's easier to frame the imposing-looking Jordan as a figure of sympathy when he's working with a smaller, more natural underdog like Gable. Now that he's no longer the hot tag who charges in to rescue his partner from peril, even if he's performing the same moves, the change in context makes him seem much less heroic.