8 New Directions For WWE Champion AJ Styles
6. Rupees > Dollars
Jinder Mahal, nominally, is a babyface in India - though social media conversations indicate that his alleged, adoring public far prefer the Great Khali to him (which is possibly the most profound indictment ever of a professional wrestler).
December's tour of India looms ominously in the background, the publicity behind which Jinder Mahal will drive. That's the thinking, anyway; so anonymous was Jinder as WWE Heavyweight Champion (that use of the past tense is genuinely wonderful to type, incidentally) that WWE neglected to feature him on the promotional poster, at least initially.
The cynical forecast sees Jinder Mahal deliver the classic babyface promise and guarantee victory over Styles in his ancestral homeland, in order to drive sales. Styles isn't currently booked for the RAW brand tour, but brand split continuity has been thrown out of the window with the psychotic abandon of a Singh brother in recent weeks. Moreover, the very fact that Jinder himself is appearing on it all but confirms that canon isn't really the consideration here. A house show title switch is a rare beast in the modern era - though AJ Styles may yet be at the epicentre of another in 2017, should WWE ignite one last major drive in their strategy.
WWE Chief Strategy and Financial Officer George Barrios loves the word "localisation" more than McMahon loathes the word "belt" - so don't get too excited just yet.