WWE’s 10 Worst Title Matches Of 2017
7. Randy Orton (C) Vs. Jinder Mahal - Backlash
They actually did it. They actually put the WWE Championship on Jinder Mahal.
Once the shock and hilarity passed - and it did not take long for the joke to get old - those fans looking back on his Backlash match with Randy Orton would view it as the type of boring and rigid encounter that would become a staple of Jinder's six-month title reign.
Orton in 2017, particularly as a babyface, is not exactly a thrill a minute, and Mahal’s limited wrestling style made for a main event full of rest holds and shenanigans from the Singh Brothers, whose blatant interference was inconceivably ignored by referee Mike Chioda.
Jinder was not ready to be a challenger, never mind a champion and his rushed ascent to attempt to capitalise on the Indian market cheapened WWE’s most prestigious title. Had he been built up more beforehand, his whole reign may have had a different complexion.