Only a few days ago, Jinder Mahal shocked the world by pinning 13-time WWE Champion Randy Orton and becoming the 50th man to hold the coveted championship title in the history of WWE.
The outcome of the match sent shock waves around the world, as certain sports entertainment fans praised WWE for taking chances and giving Mahal an opportunity to be the company’s top guy; while the remainder of the WWE Universe reacted with outrage at this shocking new development.
I believe that this was a good decision which can really help the company in the long run. Here is a glimpse of why we believe Mahal is ‘best for business’.
#5 Consolidating a brand new audience
India is a country with 1.3 billion people, as JBL keeps reminding us on commentary. While merchandise does not really sell, in very large quantities, in the country (when compared to other markets around the world), Indians are very active on WWE’s social media accounts, making their voices heard.
Jinder Mahal is the closest thing that WWE has to an Indian superstar, and unlike The Great Khali, he can actually work pretty decent matches.
With Jinder Mahal at the helm, WWE can conquer the Indian market where he can be hailed as a hero. The duality of him working as a heel in the US and a babyface in another market is something that WWE has done in the past with Canadian legend Bret Hart.
Jinder Mahal is an investment, and considering that SmackDown bounced back in the ratings with him as champion, seemingly a pretty good one.
#4 Garnering genuine heel heat
It is the oldest trick in the book. The foreign heel bashes the country that he’s wrestling in (most often, the United States), and is showered with boos in the process. In 2017, when the WWE Universe cheers for the bad guys and boos the good guys, WWE seems to have found a gold mine in Jinder Mahal.
By catapulting Jinder Mahal to the top of the food chain, WWE has created a genuine heel because of Jinder’s non-organic ascent.
Through the Backlash card, there was most heat for the Jinder Mahal vs. Randy Orton WWE Championship match. This is a significant departure from the Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton matches, to which the crowds were not reacting (across many months).
In Mahal, WWE has found a character that can be genuinely despised and therefore, his matches have an invested audience, eager to see him lose and drop the title to a more deserving opponent.
#3 Creating ‘the land of opportunity’
While SmackDown Live has always claimed to be ‘the land of opportunity’, this is genuinely the first time (except for Breezango's sudden, meteoric rise), that they have invested so heavily in someone from the lower card.
By creating a genuine ‘land of opportunity’ on SmackDown Live, it can emerge from the shadows as Raw’s overlooked cousin, and showcase a unique product to fans.
In doing so, new stars such as Sami Zayn and Luke Harper can be catapulted to the top, and become main event players. They certainly have the skills, but simply lack opportunities. Sami Zayn, as WWE recently teased on their website, could also win his first title on the main roster in the form of the WWE Championship. Zayn beating Mahal to win his 1st WWE title is best for business.
#2 The rugged, chiseled look
Much has been made of Jinder Mahal’s physique, in the recent past. Truth be told, with his two lackeys in tow, Mahal looks like a bad guy from an Indiana Jones movie, as Chris Jericho so aptly proclaimed in a recent podcast.
In an era when WWE superstars are smaller and lack the build to be seriously viewed as threats, Jinder Mahal stands out from the pack. Is it a surprise then that he caught Vince McMahon’s eye?
Jinder Mahal has worked hard to maintain his physique, working our vigorously in the gym and eating right. He can stand toe-to-toe with someone like Randy Orton, and seemingly take him on in a big match. WWE lacks big men and Jinder Mahal can effectively fill that void.
However, the main reason we are in support of Jinder Mahal as champion is on the next page.
#1 A genuine air of unpredictability
In 2017, when it is so easy to determine who will emerge victorious in any given contest, Jinder Mahal's win was a genuine surprise. It became a huge talking point for fans of the current product and revived interest for many fans who were either in favour of Jinder Mahal or opposed to his sudden ascent.
It led many more viewers to tune in and notably caused a spike in the ratings of the show.
At a time when WWE fans consider the product predictable, Jinder Mahal was the first surprise we’ve been blessed with, in a really long time. It has made fans hopeful for more surprises on both Raw and SmackDown Live, in the months that follow.
