WWE fans were shocked when Jinder Mahal, who has spent the better part of the last year doing enhancement work, became the number one contender for Randy Orton's WWE World Heavyweight Championship. But, it's likely that, in the end, we're going to see something far more shocking.
The match, which has been built up for about a month now, will take place at tonight's Backlash show, and the current betting odds, which tend to be pretty accurate on the day of the show, suggest that we're going to see a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion tonight.
Jinder winning the title at Backlash?
It's no secret that WWE wants to create an Indian superstar, which is why Jinder Mahal has gotten this push out of nowhere. But, it looks like the push won't end with just one main event title shot, as the current odds, courtesy of Five Dimes, have Mahal listed as a slight favorite over Orton.
Furthermore, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has said that he wouldn't be surprised if Mahal ends up winning the championship at tonight's show. He also said that expects the WWE Championship match to be a decent match, although he's not expecting it to be an all-time classic.
As of this writing, it's unclear if Mahal vs. Orton will be tonight's main event, as there are two other matches -- Nakamura vs.
Ziggler and AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens -- on the card that are capable of closing the show.
Jinder to feud with John Cena?
According to a recent report from The Inquisitr, Mahal might end up feuding with John Cena over the summer. Cena, who is currently off of WWE television, as his primary focus has become his movie career, is set to return to the company on July 4.
So, if the report turns out to be true, expect a Cena vs. Jinder feud to begin shortly following Cena's return to television.
During a recent interview with the Hindustan Times, Mahal commented on possibly working with John Cena in the future.
"I would like to face John Cena next," said Mahal. "Hopefully, I will be WWE Champion when the time to face Cena comes.”
Who will be next for Mahal?
As previously mentioned, John Cena won't return to SmackDown Live until July 4.
So, we have a little over a month and a half until the former 16-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion returns, which means that Jinder will have to feud with someone else in the meantime. As for who that could be, well, the obvious choice is Randy Orton, as former champions are typically granted an immediate rematch after losing the title.
Other possible contenders include AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura.
