Oliver vs. Woods 2 - Run It Back At RAF05

Two of the slickest styles ever in their respective weight classes will meet again after a razor-thin match went Jordan Oliver’s way at RAF 3. Oliver may have walked away the new RAF Featherweight Champ following a criteria win but so little feels put to bed and we’re officially on trilogy watch.

Wrestling isn’t a sport that often sees immediate rematches. Should Jordan Oliver and Real Woods have met in college, a rematch would’ve likely taken a year to see. Should they have met in the Olympic trials, it would’ve likely taken four. The RAF wait-time will be less than two months.

Going into their RAF03 matchup we were looking at a potential “superfight” between generations. Oliver may have more hardware on paper but would his offensive style be able to get to Woods who rarely ever finds himself out of position and has footwork that erases most mistakes in scrambles? Was Oliver taking on Woods and father time?

After the 2-2 criteria win for Oliver, not one of those questions was answered.

Kudos to both men for being game enough to accept the rematch and this has all the makings of the fans being the real winners. There’s no bad blood between the two but we definitely have a new RAF rivalry.

Same Old Situation

Real Woods: Former RAF Champion, NCAA finalist and walking puzzle, Woods needs to focus on avoiding dangerous scrambles. While he has some of the most impressive foot-speed in the featherweight division, Oliver has made a career out of scoring where most people can’t. Not taking the bait and forcing Oliver to over-extend could get the belt back around his waist.

Jordan Oliver: Two-time NCAA Champion and four-time Big 12 winner known for being opportunistic and impossibly good at drawing reactions and opening opponents up with fakes. Oliver may be at an advanced age but his first move quickness following a fake makes him as dangerous now as he’s ever been.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Woods’ Defensive Wall: If Real Woods can keep the match clean, no danger points, no scrambles or broken stances, he can narrow Oliver’s offensive opportunities down to only a few.

Push For Scrambles: No match against Real Woods will ever be easy but Oliver can make it look easy if he can push Woods to bite on fakes and scramble.

Battle Within The Battle: Real Woods has to lay down one of his strongest weapons. His footspeed may save him in scramble situations against most people, he will not have success with it against Oliver. Inversely, Oliver is great in open spaces but will give up many push out points against the edge-wrestling skillset of Woods. There are many canceling factors that will lead to a physical chess match instead of impulsive offense from either man.

Can Jordan Oliver put a temporary end to the “does he still have it?” talk and put away Real Woods not once but twice? Can Real Woods reclaim his crown and push the series to the first RAF trilogy? Find out Saturday, January 10 ONLY on Fox Nation!