Jinder Mahal curiously finds himself in the WWE SmackDown title mix after winning a six-pack challenge on the April 18 edition. He bested the likes of Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan and Mojo Rawley.
Mahal’s push comes a bit of a surprise considering he was under a lot of heat last week. There were reports that he was shipped to SmackDown after dealing Finn Balor with an injury. Seeing how the “Demon King” did come out to perform at the April 17 edition of WWE Raw, speculations on the severity of the injury seem to be less severe.
Mahal gets title opportunity
When Jinder Mahal won that no. 1 contender’s match, reigning champion Randy Orton came out to face his future foe. But before that, the “Viper” will have to contend with Bray Wyatt at WWE Payback happening on April 30.
It will technically be a cross-brand match with the “Eater of Worlds” now on the red brand. Wyatt has vowed to bring the title to WWE Raw, but the announced Mahal vs. Orton match at WWE Backlash may have hinted the fate of the heavyweight title.
With a set card for WWE Backlash, it seems more likely that Orton will keep the title of WWE Payback happening on May 21, 2017. Hence, the card will be nothing more than spooky storylines unless there are other plans over the horizon.
If Wyatt wins, seeing another cross-brand title match complicates the situation. If not, Orton vs. Mahal could still happen but without any title on the line. Somehow, the latter would not make any sense unless commissioner Shane McMahon or general manager Daniel Bryan announces a new heavyweight title on SmackDown.
Is this storyline going anywhere?
With all due respect to Jinder Mahal, he lacks the star power to carry on as one of the top stars on SmackDown. With most heels moving to Raw (i.e., Wyatt, The Miz), his push could be to become one of the top and most hated stars on the blue brand.
Kevin Owens has the inside track but shows apparently don’t move on with just a handful of offensive stars.
Ziggler has been showing some defiance, signaling a heel turn as well. Hence, the race may now be on as to who the second-best heel Shane and Bryan will have to deal with.
There will still be one WWE SmackDown show to see before WWE Payback. Some missing details should crop up so make sure to follow the next episode happening on April 25. Added twists are needed, and most of them are expected to crop up - including a possible role for Mahal at the upcoming WWE pay-per-view.
