WWE: Jinder Mahal is the New American Dream

On the latest episode of SmackDown Live, Jinder Mahal won a Six-Pack Challenge to become the No. 1 Contender to the WWE Championship.  Could this be the start of a strong push for the New American Dream?

Jinder Mahal defeated Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper, Erik Rowan, Mojo Rawley and Sami Zayn to become the No. 1 Contender for the WWE Championship.  The Bollywood Boyz, also known as the Singh Brothers, prevented a Helluva Kick from the Underdog from the Underground to ensure a victory for Mahal. Following the upset victory; the Maharaja cut a true heel promo to the SmackDown Live audience.

"“You people boo me? You want to boo the Maharaja? You boo me because I don’t fit the stereotype of the All-American? OR is it because of my family’s wealth? Is it because of my higher education? OR is it because I speak two languages?  The fact is you Americans don’t accept diversity but you will have no choice but to accept Jinder Mahal as your next WWE World Champion!” – Mahal following his win."

The post-match promo had heat and WWE Champion Randy Orton confronting the new number one contender following his promo made the win feel that much more important.  Even though Orton vs Mahal completely has that lack-luster transitional main event feel, Jinder getting this opportunity is slightly reminiscent to Ziggler winning a WWE title shot at SummerSlam last year. This is an opportunity for undervalued talent to shine.

This win can also be viewed as a very strategic move on WWE’s part. They could be eager to push the Enlightened One so they can further tap into the Indian market overseas. If the Bollywood Boyz are any indication, WWE could be forming a stable of three superstars all of Indian heritage (Indo-Canadian to be exact).

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Reading between the lines on his post-match promo, Jinder could contend for the US title following a loss to Orton at Backlash. He expressed he felt like he was only getting booed because of his cultural heritage and kept referring to the crowd as “you Americans” which, if history tells us anything, is a clear indication of the classic foreign heel gimmick. Mahal saying he “doesn’t fit the stereotype” could have multiple subtle meanings behind it.

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The former 3MB member has been criticized by many wrestling fans for his “appearance” since returning, leading to allegations of PED use. However, Mahal has not shied away from these accusations. In fact, he has defended himself by saying he has been tested six times since returning to WWE and he looks that way because no one diets and trains like he does.

If Mahal is telling the absolute truth then this is truly an undervalued talent getting a warranted push. He returned standing next to Heath Slater before turning on him for a Raw contract. He fell into obscurity as a jobber-to-the-stars before finding some resemblance of a gimmick for a short-time teaming with Rusev.

Mahal had a very prominent role at WrestleMania, albeit it the preshow, with Mojo Rawley and Rob Gronkowski during the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. The spot with Gronk gained the company a lot of mainstream attention, including the name Jinder Mahal being said on ESPN’s national radio show Mike & Mike. If there was ever a time to give the Maharaja a push it would be now.

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As mentioned before, this feels reminiscent of Ziggler winning a title shot at SummerSlam. No one feels like Mahal has a chance to win the WWE title from Orton. However, like Ziggler, this is not a main event push but just a strong upper-midcard push.

Following the loss to Orton, expect Jinder to set his sights on the US Championship, similar to how the Showstopper entered the Intercontinental title scene following his WWE title loss. By then, the relationship between Hardbody Mahal and the Bollywood Boyz should be more flushed out, if not a full-fledged stable.

Jinder Mahal is in the best shape of his life and is only 30 years old. From standing next to Heath Slater to staring down the Viper, this push feels like it has been earned. WWE is often criticized for not creating superstars or building up new talent and that is exactly what they are doing here. They could build-up a new monster heel by giving a deserving talent an opportunity while tapping into a very lucrative market in India.

Next: SmackDown Review, Apr. 18

If  you are excited about Drew McIntyre returning to the WWE and his push in NXT. There is no reason why you should not be excited for Jinder Mahal getting an opportunity on SmackDown Live.