JINDER MAHAL IS NOW AT 35+ DAYS AND COUNTING AS WWE CHAMPION AND EVERY FAN IS SCREAMING THE SAME QUESTIONS. “HOW DID HE EVER GET THE BELT?”, “WHEN WILL THIS REIGN END?” AND IMPORTANTLY, “WHO WILL TAKE THE BELT FROM HIM?”
Jinder Mahal debuted on April 29, 2011 and didn’t really make an impression. People will likely remember him from his time when he was part of the lacklustre trio that was 3MB, alongside Heath Slater and Drew McIntyre. They held no real presence and were a sinking ship from the get-go. Similar to the Social Outcasts or the League of Nations. WWE doing what they do best with no plans for the majority of the roster, lumping superstars together and hoping for the best. Mahal left the WWE back in June 12th, 2014.
On December 19th 2016, Mahal returned to RAW for the first time and it was clear to see he was in significantly better shape. He has since been surrounded by allegations of steroids which he continues to deny and has done several Q&As and podcasts regarding his fitness regime and new lifestyle approach.
The real push for Jinder began when he competed in the Andre the Giant memorial battle. Finishing runner up to Mojo Rawley after interference from Rob Gronkowski, a real life friend of Mojo Rawley. Mahal was then drafted to SmackDown Live where he continued to feud with Mojo, again losing thanks to help from Gronkowski. On the April 18th episode of SmackDown Live, Mahal won a six-pack challenge against Mojo Rawley, Sami Zayn, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan and Dolph Ziggler to become the number one contender for the WWE Championship. With help from the newly aligned Singh Brothers, doing his dirty work which feels like a recurring theme but I’ll get to that later.
Thrusting Mahal into the title scene took everybody by surprise and not one person could say they saw it coming. It’s caused a lot of controversy and not many agree with it but one thing we can all agree with, it’s new and it’s fresh. I think the United States title would have been a better look with the heat he has and the way he works the crowd. It just makes more sense. Albeit, we’ve seen this angle with Rusev and a push for the main title is exactly the kind of controversy and shock WWE were looking for. Whether you like him or hate him, all eyes are on Jinder right now.
Mahal captured the title from Orton at Backlash on May 21st. His first ever championship in the WWE and it made him the 50th recognized WWE champion and the first of Indian descent. Now I want to talk about the reasoning behind this monster push.
This isn’t a Roman Reigns push. They haven’t identified him as the next big thing. Jinder was pushed because the WWE plan to do a tour of India and who better to have as the face of SmackDown Live than the ‘Modern Day Maharaja’? No matter what Jinder does or where he goes from here, nobody can take this moment away from him. WWE have given him a golden opportunity and he must take it with both hands. People talk about the “modern era” and making way for new stars. Admittedly, Jinder isn’t a top guy and there are plenty of other people deserving of an opportunity but Vince McMahon knows what’s best for business..
Jinder must improve if he’s going to have any hope of making it in the WWE. He needs to be able to hold his own. Randy carried the match at Money in the Bank and it’s just not good enough. To me, it feels like Mahal is thinking too much about what’s going to happen during the match and is going through the motions. He needs to let go and enjoy himself. They are currently pitting him against lower tier stars in order to protect the “top guys” such as AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura. Mahal faced off against Luke Harper on Smackdown Live in the latest episode. Don’t get me wrong, Harper isn’t a bad worker but neither of them have the talent to carry the match and that’s a problem. There has to be something exciting about the WWE Champion and it’s simply not there right now. Mahal needs to find a different way of winning his matches. I understand he’s a heel and he’s doing a good job but the Singh brothers get involved too much and it’s stale. I’d like to see Mahal winning in a different fashion. We need to see that desperation in him that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win. Shades of The Authority with Seth Rollins perhaps?
When will it end and who could take the belt from him? Likely Summerslam. I think a feud with Rusev is most likely the case. With Rusev still yet to debut and their history of being a former tag team. Fans would welcome Rusev and love to see him in the title scene. His debut is imminent. However, with Captain America in the form John Cena set to return on 4th July. Its possible the ‘Face That Runs The Place’ may be in line for his 17th title.