18 Ups & 12 Downs From The WWE SmackDown Live Era
1. Jinder Mahal: WWE Champion
A profound argument for WWE title belts still having meaning after all, the sight of Jinder Mahal clasping the richest prize in the game remains troubling for those that lived through a truly wretched summer with him on top.
Reducing it in stature just by existing in its orbit, Mahal was almost an innocent victim of the crime being committed in his image. WWE were supposedly keen to milk a market that didn't pay for their product on television (and wouldn't at arenas in a flop of a tour later that year), whilst the 'Modern Day Maharaja's rapidfire physical growth seemed to aid the decision-making process.
Cynical, cynical, cynical, and totally sh*t too - Mahal couldn't remotely work up to the spot in matches or on promos, inspiring less than nothing at best and broad racist anti-comedy at worst. This remains SmackDown Live's saddest timeline.