10 Things WWE Is Still Awesome At
"Now you've heard it advertised, don't hesitate."
Criticism of WWE is at its fiercest in years.
2017 is probably best described as the Year of the Troll. The company has never prospered at fan service. They hate the very word "fans", let alone the fans themselves. But relations are almost antagonistic at this point.
The profoundly overexposed Randy Orton's involvement in the WWE Championship picture has occupied roughly 95% of top tier SmackDown programming. Just as John Cena's presence in WWE receded, Orton's became more pronounced. PG Era, New Era, it's irrelevant: it seems we'll never escape the shadow of Ruthless Aggression.
Fortnightly pay-per-views have bludgeoned those fans into barely caring about anything, with the tepid, drawn-out AJ Styles Vs. Kevin Owens rivalry proving a particular indictment of it. So much is held back for the next super-show, often via outdated, contrived tainted finishes, that the super prefix becomes meaningless. Jinder Mahal remains WWE Champion - the rich irony being that he's presented as an anti-American heel onscreen, but wears the belt for the benefit of a different demographic altogether. Americans don't seem to care that much about him, either way.
To WWE's credit, however, he is definitively no longer a jobber, at least...
10. Entrances
As distinctly opposed to entrance themes, which we'll get to.
Jinder Mahal's entrance on the June 6, 2017 SmackDown was phenomenal. Here was this genuine jobber - not a name talent thrust suddenly into the main event picture, but an actual enhancement talent - masquerading as a top star. It was impossible to believe in, at least until WWE masked the transparency of it all with their peerless use of smoke and mirrors. The Singh Brothers signalled his entrance with a custom introduction, instantly portraying him as something unique. The arena became cloaked in darkness. His awesome theme, at once modern and ethnic, blasted from the speakers. When Mahal emerged from the curtain, he did so with a headscarf designed to terrify. A red carpet graphic rolled out beneath his feet as he bowed to respect the title he was seen to disrespect. It was on the nose, but it worked: Mahal, against all odds, suddenly looked like he was a big deal.
Months into the role, Mahal remains a damp squib as WWE Heavyweight Champion. His matches have ranged from decent to tedious. He gets a reaction, but it's mild and or cheap.
It just be with a bored shrug, but months later, the idea of Jinder Mahal in that spot doesn't feel as incongruous as it should.