WWE SmackDown Grades: Sami Zayn Makes Big Fastlane Statement
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4. Jinder Mahal vs. Randy Orton
A rivalry in 2017 that failed to deliver by almost all accounts was the rivalry between Randy Orton and Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship. And on last night’s SmackDown, the two would square off again with a different meaning than their previous encounters.
Orton is set to battle Bobby Roode for the United States Championship at Fastlane this coming Sunday, but Mahal has been a prominent member of this picture as well with his constant attempts to create dissension between Orton and Roode. Last night gave Mahal a chance to make an even bigger impact.
With Roode on commentary ringside, Mahal and Orton put on a relatively good match that probably turned out better than most would have imagined. The match began to break down towards the end and after Orton got thrown into Roode at the announce table, The Glorious One unintentionally distracted The Viper, allowing The Modern Day Maharaja to get the win.
The match at Fastlane is still set to be Orton vs. Roode at this point, but don’t be surprised to see Mahal added to the match sometime this week. And if he isn’t added to the Fastlane match, expect to see Mahal in the U.S. Championship match at WrestleMania 34.
The Modern Day Maharaja has The Viper’s number, and that trend continued last night in what turned out to be a pretty good match all things considered.