What’s the story?
WWE Champion Jinder Mahal was at the Philips Arena in Atlanta for a dark match after Smackdown LIVE went off the air. The Maharajah stepped into the ring against Randy Orton in a rematch of their WWE Backlash encounter.
In case you didn’t know...
This week on Smackdown, Randy Orton came down to the ring and addressed the WWE Universe for the first time since his loss to Jinder Mahal at WWE Backlash. Randy said that he was a third-generation Superstar and he would redeem himself at Money in the Bank.
He emphasised on the fact that winning was the only option at Money in the Bank.
The heart of the matter
The match had plenty of action with the two men trading shots. Randy Orton emerged as the better man when he managed to hit Mahal with an RKO out of nowhere.
However, Randy was unable to pick up the pinfall. Samir and Sunil Singh entered the ring and broke the cover. The Singh brothers continued their assault on the Viper as the match was called in Randy’s favor due to a disqualification.
There was another dark segment before Smackdown LIVE where the team of Luke Harper, Tye Dillinger, and Mojo Rawley defeated the trio of Aiden English and the Ascension
What’s next?
Jinder Mahal and Randy Orton are set to collide at Money in the Bank for the WWE Championship. Orton will have a chip on his shoulder as the PPV will be held in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri.
Author's take
A recent trend has emerged in the WWE where the Superstars competing in front of their home crowd generally end up on the losing side. It happened with Enzo and Cass at Summerslam, with Sasha Banks at Hell in a Cell, with Bayley at Payback and most recently with AJ Styles this week on Smackdown.
This is another jinx that may haunt Randy as he faces Mahal in three weeks. The presence of the Singh Brothers at ringside will be another factor against him. The odds are certainly stacked against the Apex Predator in his journey to reclaim the WWE Championship for the fourteenth time in his career.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
How did Ric Flair spend $1500 at a pizza place? More details here
