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Recently, WWE ignited a social media firestorm so severe it even got the CEO of their chief rival involved. What controversial thing did the WWE even do to start off such a conflagration?
They gave Jinder Mahal a title match.
When a former WWE 'big belt' champion gets a title opportunity, it's always a big deal. However, the firestorm seems centered around whether Jinder Mahal actually deserves a shot at a championship belt despite spending most of 2023 in a managerial role.
Here are 5 reasons why the opinions are all wrong, and Jinder does deserve a title match.
#1: Jinder Mahal is a former big belt champion
The most obvious qualification Jinder brings to the table is that he's already been to the top of the mountain.
Jinder won the WWE Championship from Randy Orton in 2017 in what was considered a shock victory. He managed to retain his title against challengers like John Cena and Shinsuke Nakamura, proving he was more than just a transitional champion.
#2: Jinder holds two major accolades no one can take away - ever
When Jinder captured the WWE Championship from Randy Orton, not many people realized he'd reached an important milestone.
He was the 50th champion in the title's history, but that's not all. He was also the first champion of Indian descent.
No matter what twists or turns Jinder's career might take, those two accolades are his forever, cementing his worth to challenge for the championship.
#3: Jinder Looks like a champion
Jinder's size and strength served him well from the very beginning of his WWE career. However, there's no doubt that when he returned to the WWE in 2016, he'd become a true athletic specimen chiseled in stone.
When you think of a world champion wrestler, you picture someone like Jinder Mahal. Not some scrawny Waffle House fry cook, but someone who looks like they could put a hurting on you. Someone like The Modern Day Maharaja.
#4: Jinder is a proven commodity
Jinder Mahal has been a brand champion before, a role he executed quite well. While a lot of fans might have their fiercely-held opinions over who should be a big belt champion, the fact remains it takes a certain combination of attributes, luck, and timing to make the title stick.
Jinder has already proven that he can handle the weight of being a big belt champion, and that could pave the way for another title reign.
#5: Jinder Mahal vs. The Rock will have more meaning if a title is on the line
Jinder Mahal has challenged the Rock to a match to take place in India.
Given their confrontation on WWE RAW: Day One, and the impetus it has added to Mahal's career trajectory, it stands to reason that the match could take place somewhere down the line.
If the match does go down, the significance would increase tenfold if a title belt were on the line.
Since the Rock is a part time wrestler, it seems logical that Jinder would be the defending champion going into the match.
The title should go around Jinder's waist not because he needs it, but in a quirky way, because the WWE and the championship do!
