Jinder Mahal's WWE Championship reign was easily, easily the low point of the blue brand's SmackDown Live era, but WWE at least made good on several rotten months by delivering a surprising and hugely satisfying conclusion to the 'Modern Day Maharaja's run.
AJ Styles dethroning him on television rather than pay-per-view was unique. The taping occuring in Manchester, England made the moment legitimately historic. The fact that it transformed a Survivor Series main event from Brock Lesnar Vs Jinder Mahal to the first ever meeting between 'The Beast' and 'The Phenomenal One' didn't even sink in until the celebrations over the title change had calmed down.
The reign itself couldn't top the euphoria of the original victory, but what a rare made-for-television moment it was.
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
