WWE SmackDown’s Jinder Mahal retained his WWE Championship at Hell in a Cell because the WWE told us he would…sort of.
Before Hell in a Cell, WWE announced they would be traveling to India in December so it was a safe assumption that Jinder Mahal would be champion when they did. There was still some lingering doubt as to what would happen between then and now. Two months are a long time in the world of professional wrestling, and it was entirely possible Mahal could lose his title to Shinsuke Nakamura during their championship match at Hell in a Cell at the WWE SmackDown Live exclusive Pay Per View.
As it turns out, the Modern Day Maharaja kept his title, and WWE may have tipped their hand before the match by also announcing he and the Singh Brothers would visit India the weekend after the show. How likely was it they would send him on what is essentially a promotional tour if he was going to lose the company’s most coveted prize? (Spoiler Alert: not likely at all)
About four months ago I argued that Mahal being crowned champion was not only “new and exciting” but his run would be defined by his overwhelmingly defiant attitude towards the WWE universe and their reactions to being ridiculed:
"“There’s no heat like heel heat and Mahal is going to be an insufferable champion. Fans are going to hate his guts and it’s going to be glorious. He has the look and the attitude so we should be in for an entertaining ride.”"
I’m going to take credit for being mostly right. Fans do indeed hate his guts, for a variety of reasons. Thanks to a long title reign and borderline offensive promos against Shinsuke Nakamura, the hatred coming from the WWE Universe is split between those who hate his character and those who hate the WWE for using him as a vaguely racist bullhorn.
He most certainly has the look and attitude of a heel champion. He’s pompous, arrogant, and has absolutely not qualms about the Singh Brothers consistently coming to his aid and ensuring he keeps his title. He’s like The Miz without the charm. But this is what great heels do; they use underhanded tactics to stay on top and their goal is to frustrate you each time they succeed.
A few years ago, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon justified their iron-fisted actions in the WWE as being driven by what is “best for business”. The genius of this angle was that it bore a semblance of truth since choices about character development, title reigns, and heel/face turns are all driven by their potential success for the WWE (read: how much money they will make for the business).
In keeping with this mantra, Mahal as champion is best for business as the WWE seeks to expand its reach around the globe. Plenty of fans are frustrated with his lackluster run as champion, made clear by the awful SmackDown ratings, but Mahal can hardly shoulder the blame for these numbers. SmackDown has suffered from poor storylines and confusing character arcs for months and that falls on the creative team, not any single wrestler.
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According to their filings with the SEC, WWE derives 76% of its revenue from three primary sources: the WWE Network, live events, and television (Raw, SmackDown Live, Total Bellas, and other television shows). Despite photos posted on social media that depict nearly empty stadiums for live events, WWE reported their second quarter 2017 revenue increased 8% to $214.6 million, their highest quarterly revenue in history.
In addition to India, the WWE is expanding to Africa, the Middle East, and continuing its growth in the United Kingdom. This means we can expect to see more unconventional champions and this is something we should celebrate. Wrestling fans tend to think about their slice of the pie, while men like Vince McMahon and Triple H are thinking about the entire bakery.