8 New Directions For WWE Champion Jinder Mahal
5. Hotshot Shinsuke Nakamura Into The Picture
SmackDown is full of prospective opponents for Mahal. One positive thing about the title change is that it opens up a new batch of main event match-ups, as Jinder has rarely crossed paths with any of the brand’s major players. A continuation of the Orton program seems most likely at the moment, but if WWE want to plug a more convincing babyface into the challenger role, they could do a lot worse than hotshot Shinsuke Nakamura into the hunt.
Nakamura is one of the most over wrestlers in the company. His act has translated seamlessly to their main roster, and while his victory over Dolph Ziggler wasn’t flawless, it was a win nonetheless. Concluding his business with ‘The Show-Off’ should propel him towards bigger things, and there’s no need to waste his popularity on the card’s lower rungs.
Positioning Mahal opposite somebody the fans are genuinely invested in would help the champion get over, and make him entirely more believable in the top spot. Nakamura as a main eventer is fresh, new, and exciting, and while he’s only been around for a couple of months, his elevation would justify Shane McMahon’s claims that SmackDown is “the land of opportunity.”