LONDON: Middle East wrestling fans have been promised an event to remember when the brash, in-your-face, sport-cum-entertainment show piledrives its way into Abu Dhabi tomorrow and Friday.
That is the message from WWE’s Jason Jordan who is set to do battle with a host of other superstars in the UAE capital. Over two nights some of the biggest names in the organization will be dishing out clotheslines, double-leg takedowns and drop kicks. And Jordan is certain it will not disappoint.
“Everyone better come out to the show because it’s going to be an amazing time,” Jordan told Arab News.
“Bring the family, we have the most entertaining live events that you could ever imagine.
“Guaranteed excitement and everyone is coming to watch me, I am always one of the most talented performers in the WWE and I am here to show how truly talented I am and to follow in the footsteps of my father Kurt Angle.”
The sight of a wrestler not suffering from anything so human as humility and modesty is nothing new — these guys are in-your-face sports-entertainment stars who have one sole aim: To entertain both with their wrestling moves and their gobs — the plot lines surrounding the fights being as important as the actual battles themselves.
Jordan is joined in Abu Dhabi by fellow superstars Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Braun Strowman, Bray Wyatt, Finn Bálor, Samoa Joe, Cesaro and Sheamus, among others. With the highlight of the two-night extrazaganza set to be Roman Reigns taking on WWE royalty in Triple H in a much-anticipated mouthwatering clash on Friday. Jordan seems fairly open about the event being as much about providing “sports entertainment” as it is putting on a sporting spectacle in the traditional sense of the term. However, anyone thinking these guys are not seriously honed athletes had better think again.
Jordan was a three-sport star playing American football, wrestling and baseball at Indiana University, where he also wrestled and became a three-time NCAA national qualifier at the Division I level.
To excel in the WWE Raw ring he needs to be at the peak of physical fitness.
“I work out different body parts each day, I really enjoy back workouts, which could include anything from deadlifts to pull-ups. The back is probably one of my favorite body parts to work out,” he said. “I have been working up to 400 to 500 pounds for sets of three or five deadlifts. I’ll try and do three to five max sets of pull-ups, which is typically starting on at 15 then by my fifth set is usually around 10.”
That’s just a slight taste of the arduous daily routine Jordan puts himself through in order to put on a show for WWE fans. As you would expect he has the serious diet to match.
“The perfect day is waking up eating an omelette with four eggs and a bit of ham and cheese. Add in a bit of fruit there maybe some oatmeal. Then after that maybe around an hour or so after I like to hit the gym and have a protein shake after the gym.
“A couple of hours after that I’ll have lunch, chicken or salmon depending on what is easier for me to prepare at the time, but usually I like to have some vegetables and rice.
“At night I’ll definitely go for a nice juicy steak, maybe some potatoes or something along those lines. I usually try to stay healthy so try to get my vegetables in there and anytime in between would be shakes.”
So having got himself into great shape to take on the likes of Elias, who he is set to do battle with tomorrow, how does Jordan mentally prepare to get in the ring with the eyes of the world on him?
“I just try to get myself in the right mindset going into battle,” he revealed. I’ve competed my whole life with the amateur wrestling but also with the other sports such as baseball and football. It’s a sense of calm before the storm. I don’t have any pre-fight rituals anymore. Usually I just listen to a bit of music, depending on the day and what mood I am feeling. So I try to get my mindset right and go out and perform at the best of my ability.”