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.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
