6 Ups And 6 Downs From WWE Hell In A Cell 2017

2. Sucking Oxygen Out Of The Room

Look, maybe the ratings and attendance figures back up keeping the WWE Championship around Jinder Mahal’s waist, but that certainly isn’t the case in this writer’s opinion.

The easiest comparison some might make with Jinder as champion is Honky Tonk Man in 1987-88, when he reigned for more than a year as a hated heel who held onto his title by hook or by crook, often with his manager interfering or by getting counted out or disqualified.

However, that’s where the comparisons end.

Honky sold out house shows as a headliner for B-shows. There isn’t any evidence that SmackDown is selling out with Jinder on top. In fact, plenty of photos have surfaced showing the exact opposite. Ratings have at best held steady since Mahal became champ.

When Mahal defends his title, the reaction doesn’t feel like fans are made that a vile heel escaped with the title; it feels like they can’t believe this career jobber is still champion.

Again, maybe there are good reasons out there to keep him as champion. And maybe the fact this writer is ticked off is part of the game – after all, wrestling is all about playing with fans’ emotions to get them invested in the product. But this feels more like a cruel joke than part of the show.