WWE SmackDown 5 Takeaways: Jinder Mahal Executing Role Perfectly
The latest episode of WWE SmackDown featured the formation of a potential faction in the women’s division, as well as another big moment for Jinder Mahal.
In his first appearance on Talking Smack, Kevin Owens slammed SmackDown commissioner Shane McMahon and GM Daniel Bryan for calling the blue brand “The Land of Opportunity”. He reasoned that SmackDown Live simply hands opportunities to people they like, and based on the way some acts were given start-and-stop pushes in the first year of the brand extension, it seemed like “The Prizefighter” had a point.
Must Read: WWE SmackDown Grades And Analysis
Instead, SmackDown Live has lived up to that billing so far in the aftermath of the “Superstar Shake-up”. Not only has Jinder Mahal been immediately elevated from jobber to No. 1 contender, but we also saw Breezango finally score a victory, in addition to fellow heel tag team act “The Colons” generate some momentum after jobbing on Raw.
Here are five takeaways from the April 25th episode of SmackDown.
Photo by WWE.com
5. Jinder Mahal Deserves to Be a Star
There are plenty of fans who complain when we see the same people winning week after week, and they lament the fact that their favorite superstars (namely Sami Zayn) don’t get pushed. Last week when Jinder Mahal won the No. 1 contender’s match for the WWE Championship, the chorus of boos in the arena was a reminder that some fans will push back against the creation of a star. Most fans wanted to see Zayn win that match, but Mahal pinned him after receiving help from the Bollywood Boyz.
The way Mahal won was genius, because it allowed him to cultivate legitimate heel heat. He only furthered that last night by coming out, cutting an even better promo with Randy Orton in the ring, and then stealing the WWE Championship after the Bollywood Boyz ambushed “The Viper”.
Mahal is such a natural heel. He has the right look when it comes to using his facial expressions, and he sounds legitimately pissed and intimidating when he rants. After years of being treated as a joke, Mahal’s rage comes from a believable place. From the moment he joined SmackDown Live, Mahal has done a great job of playing the role of a frustrated, scorned heel. At one point, it seemed ridiculous for him to beat Orton, but if he were to win the WWE Championship, I wouldn’t be upset.
We can sit here and talk about Mahal’s possible PED usage, but none of that matters. He’s improved greatly on the mic and in the ring in his latest stint with the company, and any objection to his placement as a top heel would be for frivolous or unfounded reasons (he’s lost too much, he’s a dangerous worker, he’s on drugs).