8 New Directions For WWE Champion Jinder Mahal
His coronation is complete, but where does 'The Maharaja' go from here?
At Backlash 2017, Jinder Mahal pinned Randy Orton to become WWE Champion. Had somebody pitched you this scenario a few months ago, there's a good chance you'd have laughed in their face, but the unthinkable has become a reality, and WWE have produced one of the most surprising title changes in years.
A career-long enhancement talent, Mahal was only drafted to SmackDown on April 11th, and earned his shocking number one contendership the following week. Sunil and Samir Singh have since helped Jinder cheat his way to victory over some of SD's biggest stars, and it culminated at Backlash.
Mahal's stock has never been higher, but he has a mountain of problems to overcome. His in-ring credibility is non-existent, and his rise from complete obscurity to WWE Champion was jarringly sudden. The internet is awash with criticism, but while Jinder faces an uphill battle to prove his doubters wrong, his reign need not be the disaster it's being portrayed as.
The possibility of Jinder becoming another Jack Swagger shouldn't be dismissed, but on the plus side, Mahal's coronation opens up plenty of fresh scenarios at the top of the card. What next for 'The Maharaja?' Let's take a look.
8. Develop His Character
WWE’s over-reliance on stereotypical anti-USA gimmicks has resulted in some of the company’s laziest writing, but it works for Mahal. His promos are rough and unrefined, but he conveys his message with a great deal of intensity, and accusing the crowd of xenophobia is starting to draw genuine heat for a performer most of the audience couldn’t have cared less about a few months ago.
It’s a flimsy gimmick, however, and one that can’t last forever. Rusev and Lana really started to excel on the main roster when their characters expanded beyond the anti-American blueprint, and the same must happen with Jinder. They need to find new ways of tapping into his “me against the world” mentality using personality traits rather than basic viewpoints, and amplifying his self-entitlement, arrogance, and rage should help prevent his heat from plateauing.
WWE tend to book characters like Mahal into self-parody before long. It’s crucial that they avoid doing this if he’s to be WWE Champion for longer than a couple of weeks, however. Let him be a human being and there’s a chance he might succeed, but turn Jinder into a hokey 1980s throwback, and he’s destined to fail.