WWE Raw: Results, Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for April 16

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Jinder Mahal (w/ Sunil Singh) vs. Jeff Hardy

Result: Jeff Hardy defeated Jinder Mahal via pinfall to become the NEW United States Champion

Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars

Listen, the best thing about this match was how early in the show it happened. Off the top of my head, I can’t remember the last time an episode of WWE Raw had a match start within 10-15 minutes or so. Was it the big gauntlet match back in February before the Elimination Chamber? Sounds about right to me.

But the relatively short promo, coupled with an early match, makes this seem like a fresh episode right out of the gate. It’s not a match that’s going to set the world on fire, though. Hardy doesn’t quite have the stamina he did in his heyday — it’s not like he can’t do anything, but you can tell he’s laboring quite a bit these days.

And the more I look at him, Jinder Mahal looks like a formidable opponent. His history prior to 2017 precedes him, though, so the look gets overshadowed a bit. He seems like he should be a huge star, but he never quite gets over the stink of “former enhancement talent.” You would think a world title reign would help remedy that.

Anyway, this is a pretty standard affair. Jinder works kind of stiff (ask Finn Balor), but that plays into Hardy’s strengths. A surprise title change is the biggest thing of note to happen, with Hardy becoming yet another Grand Slam Champion in WWE.

All things considered, a great first 20 minutes of Raw this week. Surprises abound, less talking and more action — why can’t this be on the docket every week?

After the match, Jinder vents to Renee Young, invoking his rematch clause for The Greatest Royal Rumble next Friday. Before anything really gets going, No Way Jose saunters over and basically tells him to buck up before dancing away with Renee. So get ready for Jinder vs. No Way Jose at Backlash!