Jinder Mahal's push to the WWE Championship seemingly came out of nowhere, but The Modern-Day Maharaja has come into his own as SmackDown's top champion in recent weeks, and it's all thanks to a few small changes.
When Mahal first started his reign, his gimmick was as stereotypical as it got. He was a foreign heel who labelled Americans as ungrateful cowards. It's something we have seen from countless heels in the same position.
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The Iron Shiek perfected the gimmick in the '80s while feuding with Hulk Hogan, and it has continued to be a mainstay in the wrestling industry ever since. It doesn't matter what country someone is from. If they are not from The United States, chances are Vince McMahon will have them play this role, especially if they are from Canada.
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The reason we have seen it so many times is that it works. Many Americans take their patriotism very seriously, so when someone from another country beats one of our heroes and calls us lazy at the same time, we get angry.
It's almost guaranteed to get a strong reaction no matter what U.S. city WWE is visiting, but it's especially effective in places where military bases happen to be close by. The problem is the WWE Universe grows tired of seeing the same thing repeated year after year.
Considering the current political climate in the United States, it was actually a smart idea to put the title on a foreigner. Vince McMahon's politics are well-known, but he is also someone who recognises the value of a good story, even if it doesn't match up with his own views.
Mahal wasn't getting the kind of heat management would expect from a villain, but he was able to turn things around with a few small changes. Instead of just telling Americans how bad they are, Mahal began saying he was the cure for all our problems.
Telling someone you are better than they are is one thing, but saying you are the one who can fix them when they don't think there is anything wrong is a whole different ballgame.
This is an interesting take on the foreign heel gimmick, and it helps to differentiate him from Kevin Owens and his New Face of America character. Having two people with the same shtick on the same brand would hurt both men, so it's good Mahal was able to separate himself.
Another way Mahal has improved as a WWE champion in a short time is by focusing more on heel tactics and less on trying to win clean. Bad guys aren't supposed to fight fair, and Mahal has quickly figured out how to fight dirty.
Having the Singhs by his side certainly helps him skirt the rules, but he also does a lot of little things some people might not notice unless they look closely. Mick Foley once said a heel doesn't rake the eyes because he has to, he does it because he wants to.
Mahal doesn't wait until he is in trouble to cheat. He does it every chance he gets. Certain people would prefer to see a fair fight between two competitors, but that's not what pro wrestling is all about.
We watch WWE because it tells stories, and most of those stories involve someone who wants to stay at the top no matter what the cost is to anyone else. In Mahal's case, that means putting the Singhs in danger every week.
He knows Randy Orton will run through them with no problem, but The Maharaja still keeps them around because they can distract Orton long enough for Mahal to get the advantage. The last two WWE title matches saw Samir and Sunil cost Oton the victory despite The Viper throwing them around like rag dolls.
Orton was the perfect choice to put Mahal over because he has so much credibility. He can make any competitor look better just by being in the ring with them, but Mahal has made noticeable improvements on his own.
He has worked hard to improve in the ring since he departed WWE after his first run. He went to the Indies and honed his skills, but he also put in a lot of time in the gym to create a more intimidating physique.
The conspiracy theorists out there will tell you he is using steroids, but until he fails a WWE wellness test, we have to assume he is dieting and working out like any professional athlete would in his position.
People who don't understand the human body seem to think you can't look the way he does without some extra help from an illegal substance, but that simply isn't true. The right routine combined with a healthy diet can get you the results you want.
Between working on his body, becoming a better wrestler, getting better on the mic and making a few small changes to his gimmick, Mahal went from being a jobber to someone who is worthy of holding the WWE Championship. If he keeps improving as he has been, this won't be his last reign with the title.
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