10 WWE Title Matches Nobody Asked For

5. Jinder Mahal Vs. Randy Orton (Backlash 2017)

Jinder Mahal Randy Orton
WWE.com

Randy Orton and Jinder Mahal couldn't have had more different experiences at WrestleMania 33. Whilst Orton was defeating Bray Wyatt to win the WWE Title, Mahal was thrown from the ring by Mojo Rawley (remember him?) in a 33-man Battle Royal during the pre-show. The next month, Mahal was beating Orton for the title.

Talk about a rapid build; Jinder was plucked from the undercard and placed in the WWE Title mix within a matter of weeks. One week, he was just another guy on the roster, the next, he was 'The Modern Day Maharaja' and WWE's hand-picked new heel booked to dominate SmackDown. Meanwhile, fan opinion nestled somewhere between shock and apathy.

As nice as it was that WWE were trying to push someone new, the title shot Mahal received at Backlash was totally unexpected. It was brave to ask that fans forget about Jinder's recent history as borderline enhancement talent, just as it was to expect Mahal vs. Orton to be a match people flocked to see.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.