What’s the story?
One of the hottest topics of the week has been the fate of the WWE World Championship, with Jinder Mahal being the new number one contender for that title. Based on a story from wweleaks.org, there is a very interesting name atop the list of wrestlers who could be the man to ultimately defeat Randy Orton for the WWE World Championship.
In case you didn’t know...
Randy Orton became the WWE World Champion at WrestleMania 33 when he defeated Bray Wyatt to become a thirteen-time World Champion.
On the most recent episode of Smackdown! Live, Jinder Mahal became the new number one contender to Randy Orton’s title when he was victorious in a six-pack challenge match against Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, Mojo Rawley, Erick Rowan and Luke Harper.
The heart of the matter
The odds in question are from several sportsbooks in the United Kingdom that use the Kambi betting software. They have been translated into the +/- format, where the number beside the plus sign is what you win if you bet $100:
Baron Corbin +100
AJ Styles +200
Kevin Owens +200
Shinsuke Nakamura +350
Jinder Mahal +500
Sami Zayn +500
John Cena +1000
Dolph Ziggler +1500
Rusev +1500
CM Punk +2500
The Rock +3300
What’s next?
Randy Orton will defend the WWE World Championship against Jinder Mahal at WWE Backlash on May 21st, 2017.
Author’s take
These odds are very interesting, especially with the rumors circulating that Vince McMahon is very high on Baron Corbin. It is also being rumored that Corbin could be in for a repackaging soon, as he may be in line for new music and a new look.
I imagine that with the reports that Corbin is in line for a big push, that he may take the Money in the Bank briefcase this year. If that’s the case, these odds would make perfect since, as Corbin’s character doesn’t lend itself to being patient when it comes to cashing in the briefcase.
I don’t have a problem with Corbin being favored here, as he’s shown that he’s capable in the ring and he’s motivated to improve inside and outside of the ring. He’s also shown the ability to speak well on Talking Smack, but I doubt that WWE would have faith enough in him to let him promo without a script.
While it’s nice to think about Shinsuke Nakamura having an outside shot at being the man to dethrone Orton, he just got to the blue brand. They need time to book him properly and build him with their more casual audience who may not watch NXT.
It will be very interesting to see what happens with the WWE World Championship in the next few months.
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