WWE Planned Drew McIntyre Vs. Jinder Mahal Feud

Feud ultimately scrapped due to Mahal's knee injury.

by Benjamin Richardson
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WWE

But for the cruel intervention of fate, we could have been looking at another Jinder Mahal headlined Backlash this Sunday, three years on from the glorious height of MahalMania during which he bested Randy Orton for the WWE Championship.

According to Dave Meltzer, writing in this week's edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE were set to lean on Mahal and current WWE Champion Drew McIntyre's shared history as down-and-out jobbers to provide the foundation of a top line feud between the former Three Man Band men. Apparently, a lack of viable heel contenders for the Scot's title instigated plans for a 2017 callback. It's understood their programme would have been mercifully brief.

Ultimately, the idea was scrapped when Jinder's recent knee injury transpired to be much more severe than initially thought, requiring the 'Modern Day Maharaja' to undergo surgery in Birmingham, AL. This comes just months after Mahal returned from a year on the sidelines owing to a similar injury.

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There is currently no timescale for Mahal's comeback, though one expects it'll come too late in the day to play any significant role in Drew's run on top.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.