What’s the story?
SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon announced a WWE Championship for the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Randy Orton will invoke his rematch clause and challenge Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship in a rematch from Backlash.
In case you didn’t know...
Mahal became a contender for the WWE Championship back in April when he defeated five other Superstars in a six-pack challenge.
This past Sunday at Backlash, Mahal defeated Orton for the WWE Championship and became the 50th man in WWE history to hold the title.
Orton and Mahal are also scheduled for another championship match on the June 13, 2017 edition of SmackDown Live; 5 days before the Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
The heart of the matter
Many fans predict that Mahal’s championship reign will only last a month; a theory that coincides with the four-week gap between Backlash and the Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
If Orton regains the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank, then he will tie Triple H for 14 overall world championships reigns and be second to John Cena for most WWE Championship reigns.
Fans have also speculated that Mahal could keep the Championship to set up a match with Cena later down the line. The WWE has been known for their foreigner vs. patriotic American storylines in the past and Cena defeating Mahal for the title is also a possibility.
Another big factor in this match is the eventual winner of the Money in the Bank match. The Money in the Bank cash-ins are the most unpredictable aspects of the show and could be the difference between Mahal’s reign ending on the night of the pay-per-view or ending later down the line.
What’s next?
Tune in to SmackDown in the next four weeks to see the build continue for the Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
Also, the June 13th edition of SmackDown has a WWE Championship match scheduled as well, so that match may affect the WWE Championship scheduled for Money in the Bank.
Author’s take
While many fans are split on whether Mahal’s championship reign is a good thing, the fact remains that the WWE have a chance to right the wrongs with the development of this feud as well as making Mahal a credible champion.
Hopefully, SmackDown Live brings their A-game and makes this feud more interesting than when it started back in April.
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