WWE SummerSlam 2017: 3 Predictions for Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jinder Mahal
By Tim Sherry
credit: wwe.com
3. The Champ Will Pull Out All The Stops
When Mahal first returned to the WWE back in August of 2016, he did so with little fanfare. “The Modern Day Maharaja” wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire when he was released from the company back in April of 2014. As a member of the lower card jobber faction, 3 Man Band, Mahal was basically an automatic loser in every match he wrestled in. So when he did return, it wasn’t surprising to see him go right back to a similar status. However, there was something different about him. About 40 pounds different. Mahal returned in unbelievable shape and his physique must have caught the eye of management because less than a year after returning, he was a world champion, despite never tasting gold in the WWE before.
To see Mahal defeat Randy Orton to become champion was certainly surprising. It was a clear mismatch on paper. A 13-time world champion and legitimate hall of fame wrestler, against a guy who less than a year earlier was getting beaten by the likes Sin Cara, Darren Young, and Curtis Axel, didn’t seem fair. But Mahal got help where he needed it, employing The Singh Brothers and then eventually The Great Khali. With some assistance from this trio, Mahal is now in his third month as champion.
Now, if you thought the match-up with Orton was uneven, it’ll be even more so with Nakamura. With a legitimate claim of being one of the best wrestlers on earth, “The King of Strong Style” poses as Mahal’s biggest test to date which will undoubtedly lead to the champion needing as much backup as possible. The Singh’s and Khali will get involved in some shape or form in this match and Mahal will resort to every single dirty tactic he knows. But guess what? It won’t be enough.