The Resurrection of.... Jinder Mahal?

[arttagboy]

Ryback. Although the name sounds like one of the Ninja Turtles failed contraptions, he is a serious force on Smackdown!, and indeed, the WWE as a whole. Built as an unstoppable tank, he routinely beats down jobber after jobber on television, screaming his chant of "feed me more!" To the audience. He continued his path of destruction, steamrolling Tyler Reks and Curt Hawkins in the upcoming weeks. Then, on the July 27th edition of Smackdown!, something happened:

The WWE fed him more.
But unlike his previous opponents, this snack didn't go down quite so easily. Jinder Mahal, glorified jobber to the stars, who hadn't had any semblance of relevancy since his awful feud with Khali, took it to the big man. In one match, he mounted more offense than most of Ryback's opponents combined. The announcers were stunned. The fans were stunned. The WWE unviverse was...stunned. This may sound like a gross overstatment, but the fact of the matter is that for 2 minutes, Jinder Mahal looked like a credible threat again. His momentum didn't last in the match however, as Ryback soon took control again, and was about to finish the match. Jinder did the smart thing when that happened.
He ran like hell.

Demonstrating classic-heel behavior, he picked his spots, took his licks, and got out before he could feel the effects of a Shell-Shocked.

Ryback got his rematch on Smackdown! on August 3rd, pummeling his rival into the canvas. Before Ryback could make the pin, Mahal ran out of the ring, running to the safety of the locker room. Ryback was left in the middle of the ring, incensed. That made two weeks in a row that The Big Man has been without a meal.
On the Next taping, Jinder Mahal proved that he could do the same thing that Ryback could, destroying two local athletes, then applying a double Camel Clutch, in much the same way Ryback had done weeks prior. The angry machine stormed his way into the ring, and Jinder Mahal took off like lightning for the third time. Clearly then, this feud is just getting started, and while it's practically assured that the Sin City Savage will eventually get the better of Jinder Mahal, this is a welcome--if surprisingly entertaining--warm up on his way to the top.

Mahal has proven that he can be a decent heel when given the chance to make an impact, and the fact the Creative has pit him up against Ryback seems to imply that they have faith in his ability to become a credible talent. To me, he's played the role of a heel perfectly thusfar, showing power and intensity like you would expect, but also being smart enough to become a coward if it means preserving his own skin. He's also managed to still come off as a threat when he does this, doing little things like insulting his opponent from the ramp, while maintaining his distance. He's got the look, he's got the talent, and now it appears he's finally getting his chance.

So, Wrestlezone fans, my question is two-pronged:
Do you think that Jinder Mahal's current feud is sign of the 'E's faith in him as a wrestler?

Is he next in line for a push? Or is he simply the generic heel inserted into a feud for Ryback to squash?

 

[TheLoneCharles]

I think it's a huge show of faith in Mahal, he is definitely more than just another heel if you look at the evidence:

Only other wrestler besides Khali from India--Khali's days are limited. He is the finalist for the NXT Championship. Has a nifty little entrance, skinny and small enough along with a holier than thou attitude that makes you want to see him get smashed....and now this thing with Ryback.

This is one of those things that is going to make Ryback look even more unstoppable, but at the same time elevate Mahal because he was the first to actually use his brain against Ryback. This is definitely the start of something much larger.

On a side note, would LOVE to see Damien Sandow VS Ryback. Brains VS Power....and I see Sandow actually winning over Ryback at times, and this is coming from a huge fan of Ryback.

 

[daddyJ_t]

i dont really care for either to tell the truth but i do like the fact that they are building another star in jinder. cause if he doesnt do something soon, he will be the leader of the new job squad like i thought was going to happen at raw 1000.

 

[ccotreau1]

To me, what the WWE is doing with Jinder Mahal reminds me a little of the Heath Slater vs WWE legends angle, Where Heath did the promos for the storyline, just to get beat by most of the legends (minus Doink), I feel Jinder could actually beat Ryback, why I am not sure as of yet, I just have that feeling that Jinder will get some sort of upset victory over Ryback

 

[scottyshowman82]

Well written article I must say.


I do believe that the WWE does have faith in Mahal. He seems to be someone that the WWE likes and have wants to succeed and although he hasn't hit the ball out of the park so to speak on his WWE endeavors in the past. He has showed promise and a certain intensity in the ring. He's a top heel on NXT and was led the young group that attacked Kane and Taker on Raw 1000 a few weeks back.

To answer the second question I'm guessing Mahal will fall to Ryback, but this a very crucial time in Mahal's career. Mahal doesn't even have to beat Ryback but a good showing against him can go a long way to building his character. Also Mahal is in the thick of things on NXT and their very intriguing championship tournament. The double camel clutch was a cool visual and hopefully he can come out of all this with some good matches and more star power credibility. I do think Jinder Mahal has already taken some steps in doing that.

 

[UltimateHitman]

I have to agree with your sentiments. I have said the same thing about Mahal numerous times. He has the look, the attitude, the great heel persona, and can come across as a genuine threat.

I'm hoping this will lead to something bigger and better. They are right, Khali's days are numbered, and Mahal may just fill those Indian shoes.

However, let's not forget how they have "vanilla-ized" the heels in the WWE with the exception of a select few. Something about how they're written today is too... safe. It's almost like they're cardboard cut outs of each other.

Let's also not forget how they can drop the ball with very capable talent. McIntyre, anyone? Swagger? Mahal, up until this point? Even, dare I say, Del Rio?

I hope he's in line for a push. I'm afraid, however, he's going to go the route of Drew and get an every now and then small program and then just as quickly get pushed back down the card.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Mahal is someone who has started out like Ziggler, a lower card heel who always gets heat, even if it's the kind that leads to people heading to the bathroom in disgust. Over the time he has to an extent "been shoved down our throats" but he has improved each match and each week.

 

[taylor360unc]

If you have read my signatures and stuff I have always wanted Mahal to get over. Mahal has huge talent and I think he would be a perfect character in this feud. I hope this gets Mahal over

 

[HBKistheHOF]

He is in line for a small push. It's obvious some higher ups see something in him, that is beyond me.

He won't beat Ryback though. I don't think he will even win a title or gain any serious ground.

He reminds me of a Snitsky/Heidenreich. Big, not good but not complete garbage, will probably get one solid PPV match before WWE realizes their MIZ-take.

 

[Captain Morgan Freeman]

Im not exactly Jinder Mahal's biggest fan but i am glad to see one of the mid to lower card guys get a storyline that's lasted more then two weeks. The WWE has been pretty lazy with the mid card for the last few months with matches just thrown together on PPV without a build simply to take up time along with the midcard belts being used as props that carry as little meaning as ever.

Do i think this current feud shows faith in Mahal?
I guess it shows a bit of faith but then again almost any of the mid card heels could have done the cowardly role that Jinder is currently doing. It's also a formula that's almost impossible to mess up. Have a very unlikeable mid card heel constantly evade the monster face while taunting the face about how he's never been pinned by him. Every week the crowd is begging for Ryback to beat the holy hell out of him until eventually on PPV it happens. The crowd goes crazy for Ryback and he moves up the card into another feud. Mahal's good at the small role he has to play but it could have been done just as good by the likes of Hunico, Drew McIntyre or Heat Slater.

Is Mahal next in line for a push?
I think Mahal has already received his push. He's back on TV and has a feud with the guy WWE a grooming for the main event scene. It's certainly an improvement from when he was getting squashed by Sheamus every week or when he wasen't on TV at all. Mahal's basically being built up so that Ryback can get the benefit of knocking him down again. He might have a feud or two afterward and maybe job out on TV for a while but i would expect this to be the most significant thing you see from Mahal for a while.

 

[Booger Red]

I used to think Jinder would just be a jobber and then leave but he seems to be getting better and i would bet my house he will be World Heavyweight Champion in the far future as the Indian market is rising in the wrestling business.

 

[Mustang Sally]

I'd be really surprised if the "Indian market" is going to rally around Jindar Mahal, of all people. There's some truth to the idea that people decide to follow a sport or profession because they see others of the same nationality leading the way, but Jindar hardly seems like a role model. He's frail-looking, appearing more like a basketball player than a wrestler. He moves awkwardly and in mechanical fashion. That perpetual scowl on his face was amusing at first, but became annoying quickly enough (What the hell is this guy so angry about, anyway?)

Next to Ryback, he looks even more ridiculous than most other performers. I just can't believe Jindar is serving as anything more than fodder for Ryback; just another step on the big guy's ladder.

On the other hand, I've been wrong already about Jindar. When he first showed up, I firmly believed he was there only to serve as a victim to The Great Khali. The two of them worked up an interesting little program with Khali first verbally subservient to.....then physically dominant over.....Jindar Mahal. It was surprising Jindar was kept around after the mess with Khali was over, yet I still can't help thinking Jindar won't be around in the long run, much less become a factor in opening the market in India to pro wrestling.

 

[arttagboy]

I've gotta disagree with you about his physique. He looks like a solidly built guy, and his smaller frame lends to the cowardly heel persona he portrays so well.

I do agree with you about him not being India's poster boy, but I think that's a good thing. Right now, they're not building Mahal's character up as a flagboy for his country, but perhaps, a future main eventer. That's exciting to me.